Why We Reshored: Protecting the Future of American Craftsmanship
How shifting global trade inspired us to bring our work back to U.S. soil — and why preserving American manufacturing matters now more than ever.
Written by Miko Underwood
We’ve been quietly following the global conversation around tariffs — and reflecting deeply on what these shifts mean, not just for international trade, but for the very foundation of industries here at home.
Three years ago, we made a bold decision to reshore our business, bringing our production back from overseas to American soil. We left Harlem, New York, the birthplace of our brand, and relocated to Los Angeles, California, not just to create locally, but to stand behind the denim makers who have shaped some of the world’s most iconic jeans.
For decades, America was a powerhouse of textile innovation. Yet as much of the industry’s production moved overseas - from fabric manufacturing to machinery, to the cutting, sewing, and finishing of garments - our domestic apparel infrastructure began to collapse. Los Angeles, once the second-largest denim producer in the world after China, has felt the strain. North Carolina, once the beating heart of American textiles, now tells a different story: historic mill towns converted into wedding venues, retail spaces, and creative offices.
But what happens to the workforce — the artisans, the craftspeople, the denim engineers, and the American farmers who cultivated the very cotton that built this industry — when the industries they mastered start disappearing?
We’re already seeing the signs. Once-promising efforts to revive American textile manufacturing are struggling. Vidalia Mills is one of the last remaining U.S. producers of premium selvedge denim has recently filed for bankruptcy, despite early hopes placed on its shoulders. These aren’t isolated headlines. They are symptoms of a larger crisis: a loss of skills, of jobs, and of heritage that cannot easily be rebuilt once it’s gone.
“Every mill that closes, every craftsman who steps away, every farm that transitions out of cotton — it’s a chapter of American craftsmanship quietly fading from our story.”
While we are deeply committed to investing in American craftsmanship, we know denim’s story has always been bigger than borders. It is a global tradition that is built through the hands of makers across continents. Our partnerships with mills like Soorty, Artistic Milliners, and Candiani Denim reflect a shared belief: sustainability, innovation, and craft must walk hand in hand. These relationships matter deeply to us, just as much as sourcing locally matters.
In Los Angeles, we seek out deadstock and surplus denim — giving forgotten fabric a second life, reducing waste, and honoring the material itself.
We believe the future of denim is written not by one nation alone, but through conscious collaboration and weaving together of global wisdom with local action.
As conversations about tariffs and global trade dominate the headlines, we want our community to know: we're not just observing from the sidelines.
We're investing in the future we believe in, where craftsmanship, heritage, and the hands that built America are honored and sustained. This is our commitment.
When you choose to support brands like ours, you're not just purchasing clothing. You’re helping preserve a lineage of artistry. You’re standing with the makers, the farmers, and the craftspeople whose work has shaped the very fabric of American life.
Thank you for walking this journey with us . Your support carries more than style , it carries legacy.