Pictured above is the Know Your Clothing team alongside the Croatan Institute team (our fiscal sponsor) at their 10-year anniversary celebration.
We are excited to announce the launch of Know Your Clothing, an initiative led by Eric Henry, president of TS Designs. This campaign marks a significant step towards revolutionizing the apparel industry by prioritizing sustainability and transparency in our supply chains.
Paving the Way for a More Sustainable Apparel Industry
Know Your Clothing was established as a collaborative effort between TS Designs and the community, driven by a shared goal: to enact meaningful change in the apparel industry.
- Our efforts include creating geographical apparel manufacturing clusters, ensuring supply chain transparency and combating unethical labor.
- By supporting local farmers and manufacturers, we are paving the way for a more ethical and sustainable future.
- Our innovative approach includes on-demand production through garment-dyeing, scaling up the use of natural dyes and fibers, and fostering a circular economy to reduce environmental impact.
Know Your Clothing is a fiscally sponsored project of Croatan Institute, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. As we grow, we plan to establish ourselves as a standing non-profit, to continue to fight the system and make a better future for the apparel industry.
Our Journey
Historically, TS Designs has been pioneering sustainable initiatives dating back to the 90s, when we championed the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit by creating systems to highlight transparency and sustainability.
Initiatives Through the Years
- REHANCE™: our eco-friendly process offers a super-soft feel and allows us to print on white t-shirts prior to dyeing, reducing inventory and giving the customer more choice.
- Clothing Facts Label: similar to a nutritional label, it shows the sustainable features of your shirt.
- Where Your Clothing: the innovative supply chain tracking system that has set industry standards for transparency and ethical practices. This stemmed from our Cotton of the Carolinas “Dirt to Shirt™” brand featuring an all North Carolina supply chain.
- White Papers: produced multiple publications addressing challenging issues in the apparel industry.
Natural Dyes and Fibers
Through Solid State Clothing, we’ve pioneered natural dye innovations such as the black walnut dye, utilizing every part of the material to minimize waste. Our collaborations with local partners have led to creations like the Marigold Beanie, showcasing our commitment to using locally sourced natural dyes and fibers. To further enhance our research and development efforts, we have established a garden on our property to cultivate various natural dye materials for future projects.
Moving Forward: Take Action Now
Know Your Clothing’s vision is to create a global network of geographical apparel manufacturing clusters, ensuring supply chain transparency, and minimizing waste, while promoting the widespread adoption of natural dyes and fibers.
Your support is vital to our mission.