I+W: Why purchase goods made in America?

Natalie: We believe in sourcing the best possible materials for the task at hand. I haven’t found anything superior to the organic cotton jersey that is grown, spun, and dyed here in the U.S.: the close proximity also helps us reduce our environmental impact.

I+W: Do you feel like you are part of a movement?

Natalie: I certainly hope that I am part of a movement, a movement of people making responsible and conscious choices about the types of companies and industries they choose to support. Informed consumers making informed decisions – that is the most effective weapon against the social and environmental atrocities that take place in the name of “low prices.”

I+W: What do you see as the future of things being made in America? Is there a future in this model?

Natalie: I believe the future of American-made is ethical and environmentally sound practices; grassroots companies with a unique vision and quality execution will flourish. I hope so.

I+W: Two goods appear to be relatively equal in quality. One is made in the U.S.; the other is not. You notice that the good made in the U.S.A. is 50 percent more expensive. Honestly, which do you buy?

Natalie: Purchase the good made in the U.S.A., without hesitation. As a result, I sleep soundly that evening.

I+W: What are your suggestions for businesses that manufacture goods in the 21st century, and what are your insights for consumers who will purchase these goods?

Natalie: I would advise manufacturers to implement “greener” practices and to treat their employees fairly. I would advise consumers to recycle, up-cycle, buy used, and choose responsibly.

I+W: Why purchase goods made in America?

Tandy: As a chef, I do the best that I can to buy local food products, and I find this trend has expanded to the rest of my life. The one thing you can be sure of is accountability if you know that the source is nearby.

I+W: Do you feel like you are part of a movement?

Tandy: I don’t feel that I’m part of a movement. To me it feels more like preserving the old way of doing things. Much of what is becoming popular now is simply how it was done before we got lost in a rat race.

I+W: What do you see as the future of things being made in America? Is there a future in this model?

Tandy: The future looks bright to me. I think that everyone can agree that if you can personally identify with the producer, place and product, it makes the product or experience that much more special.

I+W: Two goods appear to be relatively equal in quality. One is made in the U.S.; the other is not. You notice that the good made in the U.S.A. is 50 percent more expensive. Honestly, which do you buy?

Tandy: I buy the one that’s made in America. I always trust the quality more. If you have to buy two of one product at 50 percent less than one of the other, doesn’t it all come out in the wash?

I+W: What are your suggestions for businesses that manufacture goods in the 21st century, and what are your insights for consumers who will purchase these goods?

Tandy: Stay passionate about what you are doing. Do it because you truly love it and so much of the rest will come to you. For the consumers, buy what you love – just as long as it’s not any of that crap from China.

I+W: Why purchase goods made in America?

Ian: As vast and disconnected America feels at times, we are a country made up of interwoven communities that extend from coast to coast and all share interdependencies in commerce. I don’t believe the statement of buying American should ever exist with a prejudice against imports or stoked by aimless pride. It is filled with the most potential as an independent and contagious idea fueled by the vitality of making, creating, and manufacturing quality goods. We pioneered the audacious notion that if you can dream it up, it’s possible – and can eventually become a reality. What better purchase is there than one that invests in yourself and the proven track record of dreams that become realities?

Amaryllis: Honestly, I like the idea of purchasing good quality products that are made by people that care. Whether it is made in America or elsewhere, it means the same to me, so long as both items are made well, and that the people that are making them were doing so whilst being treated well and reimbursed fairly. I feel that all economies are worthy of support, even though I do of course feel loyal to ours. Sadly, as we all know, advantage is often taken by manufacturers overseas and even in America… although the visibility into and ability to have some kind of assurance that workers here in the States are respected, is more monitored here. Ian and I started to make our own t-shirts for Falcon. We bought American grown cotton, had it combed, spun, knitted, cut and sewn… then dyed and enzyme washed, all within a 20 block radius of us in downtown LA. I visited many shops in the process, looking for people to be a part of the team that could make it all happen, and I can’t tell you how many I had to walk out of even though their pricing was good, because the working conditions in there didn’t feel right to me. I was really shocked by what I came across – sweat shops can exist in the USA too!? Maybe not with children working in them, but adults who’s eyes I felt sad looking into, because they sat in fluorescent-lit, dark rooms all day, with calloused fingers and fibers dense in the stuffy air, and I’d bet that they weren’t making anywhere close to what I’d personally feel like they’d deserve. I don’t believe that “Made in America” is necessarily a guarantee of meeting the standards it promises in the air heavy around those words. But, I like that it holds the promise that it might, and I like that it boosts our economy, one sale at a time. I guess the question that is more relevant in my eyes, is why make goods in America… the answer to that one feels clear: because when we make things in America, we can make sure that every fiber, inch, or once of each product is made in a way that we can stand by, quality-wise, humanely (if we keep an eye on things or do them ourselves), and in a way that supports our economy at large. Because we can make goods, sell goods, and buy goods, we can be sure to be proud of them on every level.

I+W: Do you feel like you are part of a movement?

Ian: I really hope it is a movement and not just a trend. We should all be moving forward and evolving if we are going to succeed. I feel like there are a lot of good things happening in the spirit of American manufacturing right now and if they don’t get swallowed up by apathy or mediocrity, we’re going to be in for a very bright future.

Amaryllis: I do feel that way sometimes, yes. I hope we are. But then I go out in to the world and my idealistic bubble gets popped by the sheer mass of … I don’t know how else to put it… people that appreciate copy cat and mundane, that have been fed that it’s cool and that eat it up. Artists and craftsmen have been around since the dawn of time, and in that sense we have been a part of a movement with no beginning or end. I do see a trend in “handmade” “made in America” etc. I hope that it is one that ignites a standard that more people want to start to live by, because I think real is much more valuable and meaningful than plastic, on every level. I’d like to believe it’s a movement…

I+W: What do you see as the future of things being made in America? Is there a future in this model?

Ian: There is a future if, as a country, we make it a priority. This means tax breaks for businesses that manufacture locally rather than overseas. We cant compete with imported goods that are inexpensive as a result of cheap labor rather than better automation or greater infrastructure. Even with rising wages globally, the cost of labor in China is still a seventh of what it is in the U.S., making it almost impossible to compete without incentive and support from our government. When goods are being imported and sold in the U.S. for less than the cost of raw materials, there is a huge problem reinvigorating U.S. manufacturing on any scale. With real incentives and common sense – well, actually uncommon sense compared to our failing status quo – when applied to policy and practice of these incentives, I believe in things that are American -made.

Amaryllis: I think that realistically it is a model that will always be for the smaller companies and individuals that are willing to loose their profit margin in return for an ideal or standard that means more to them than money. It’s not going to be a model adopted by big business en masse, until things even out in the world, and labor overseas starts to match our wages here. Part of what I think will help it spread as a model here, is if consumers understand what work and costs go into making the most simple things… people have become so used to being able to buy a $5 T-shirt, that the thought of spending $30+ on a shirt is outrageous to them, even if it will last five times as long, and took people that deserve to earn decent wages for their hard work a long time to develop, design and make. I think that big brands and companies that buy $2 shirts and then sell them for $70+ don’t help the future of the model, at least on the wider scale, as it often perpetuates expensive lack of quality, and the idea that pricing is more about branding than it is about actual quality and work.

I+W: Two goods appear to be relatively equal in quality. One is made in the U.S.; the other is not. You notice that the good made in the U.S.A. is 50 percent more expensive. Honestly, which do you buy?

Ian: This question is the core of the American-made problem and also potentially the impetus for the solution. I try and make sure that it’s not about the comparison in quality; it’s an investment, whether it’s in a brand or a manufacturing ethos, a human being, a defining principal, or a philosophy. As a collective group of individuals that “make” things, we need to educate consumers so they understand what has gone into making a product and the value of that process and time. Something designed well and conceived with integrity and a personal philosophy can never actually be duplicated when it’s being made cheaply in another country. This is the mindset I like to have, and one I believe we need to lead with. If a consumer understands the true story of why something made in the U.S. is priced a certain way, then they will understand that there is really no comparison. I always feel a sense of pride when I purchase a product as an investment – the pair of shoes I will resole again and again or the the jacket or table that I will possibly hand down to my kids because it’s so special and stands for something. It might mean that I spend more upfront, but it can’t be compared with multiples of the less expensive versions which exist due to underpaid labor, a diluted version of the original design, and the desire for penny-pinching profit. I’d rather not wear that hat, sleep in that bed, or walk in those shoes.

Amaryllis: Honestly, I guess that depends on what mood I’m in, and what budget I’m on. If I was choosing between two generic objects and the two looked and felt and functioned identically, I’d probably buy the cheaper one. But if I was looking at two items and the details were better on one of them, or I discovered that it was made by a company who I believed in, then I’d likely veer in that direction. If it was something I really loved, and it was much more expensive because care and attention had been paid to every step of the process and it showed, and it was made in America… then I’d buy it, or at least I’d think it was worth saving up for.

I+W: What are your suggestions for businesses that manufacture goods in the 21st century, and what are your insights for consumers who will purchase these goods?

Ian: We need to be smarter. We started the industrial revolution without concern for the inevitable consequences, but we have a unique opportunity and vantage point to change things now – even if big business never adopts the responsibility. Countries like China are heading for major ecological, social, and infrastructural disaster more rapidly and with more momentum than we are in the United States, as a result of a precedent that we set. We could lead again with innovation, education, and imagination, and that means losing the idea of “bigger, stronger, faster” and replacing it with “sustainable, conscious, accountable” … and efficient. This credo is meaningless unless it is accompanied by thoughtful design that can evolve as we evolve. Humanity and individuality are our biggest assets and a group of machines can never reproduce that. We can exist harmoniously with our machines, but I hope we never lose our spirit, or the sense of why we make things in the first place: to accommodate, sustain, and express the human experience, and to exist as social beings living in communities of individuals. Wouldn’t the world be a great place if everything we created and consumed, mentally and physically, epitomized that without dilution?

Amaryllis: I think it’s easy to forget that while our close communities are of the utmost importance, the wider circles, our city, state, country… and the global community as a whole, is ultimately just as important. We are a giant living organism, and like any living organism or system, we flourish when tended to, and wilt or suffer when abused. There is too much stuff in the world… too many extremes, almost everything has become disposable, including people. Waste is prevalent everywhere, and whilst we can brush all of the realities under the rug or behind a price tag… at the end of the day, it affects us all, or will our great grand children. My advice to manufacturers, in a nut shell, would be to focus on building sustainable, respectful products and environments, and to invest in the long term ideals that will allow their companies and products to mean something a hundred years from now… but then I’m admittedly biased, and probably naive to think that it is advice that will be heeded, or fit into their goals or plans. My insight to consumers–or at least the advice I try to live by myself–is to buy less, but buy smarter…to buy things that you truly love, that will last, and that make me feel good… even if it costs a little more, to save up for the things that are made better by companies and people that give a shit…

I+W: Why purchase goods made in America?

Dave: They’re usually better made. And you might just know the people who made them.

I+W: Do you feel like you are part of a movement?

Dave: Yes, the U.S. is rediscovering its ability to produce and manufacture. We are learning that our economic security and our quality of life are dependent upon it.

I+W: What do you see as the future of things being made in America? Is there a future in this model?

Dave: Americans are inveterate builders. We still like to get our hands dirty. The future of American-made includes advances in semiconductors and sustainable agriculture, quality apparel and green energy production.

I+W: Two goods appear to be relatively equal in quality. One is made in the U.S.; the other is not. You notice that the good made in the U.S.A. is 50 percent more expensive. Honestly, which do you buy?

Dave: If the people who make the U.S. goods are driven to stand behind it, repair it, and improve upon it next time around, then I’m happy to pay 50 percent more.

I+W: What are your suggestions for businesses that manufacture goods in the 21st century, and what are your insights for consumers who will purchase these goods?

Dave: Suggestions to businesses: Don’t let a few points of margin determine what you make or how you make it. Remember that your responsibility is to your customers and neighbors, not to Wall Street.

Suggestions to consumers: Buy less and pay more. That sounds counterintuitive, but it means making fewer and more deliberate purchases of higher quality goods. Our grandparents understood this.

I+W: Why purchase goods made in America?

Cone Mills: Cone Denim has been producing fabric at our White Oak facility in Greensboro, NC, for well over one hundred years. The craftsmanship and knowledge has been passed along for generations. In addition to years of experience, the equipment we use is vintage, American-made draper XX looms which produce classic selvage denim.

I+W: Do you feel like you are part of a movement?

Cone Mills: Absolutely! With over one hundred years of a “Made in America” story, we have been able to adapt and succeed at producing premium denim fabric in the U.S.A. There is a trend toward heritage, paying attention to all details and to achieve a certain craftsmanship. Denim is iconic in America. Not only is there a trend for vintage inspired denim, but the premium fashion market address both vintage and modern aesthetics which we try to merge and develop these types of fabric.

I+W: What do you see as the future of things being made in America? Is there a future in this model?

Cone Mills: “Made in America” is here to stay and is not like traditional trends that come and go. With that said, it is important to provide innovative market-right product. For designers and denim laundries, it is imperative that we all stay ahead or on trend. It is everyone’s responsibility.

I+W: Two goods appear to be relatively equal in quality. One is made in the U.S.; the other is not. You notice that the good made in the U.S.A. is 50 percent more expensive. Honestly, which do you buy?

Cone Mills: Depends on the product. But as far as denim goes – made in the U.S.A., of course.

I+W: What are your suggestions for businesses that manufacture goods in the 21st century, and what are your insights for consumers who will purchase these goods?

Cone Mills: The market for American made products is growing. Goods have become a bit homogenized and it is up to designers to bring something new to the table. We need to provide the consumer something interesting and special not only because it’s made in the U.S., but because the product fits his or her needs and lifestyle. As for consumers, shop accordingly. We have to understand our customers and not only make them look cool, but give them something cool to buy.