Domestic manufacturing has been at the heart of Imogene + Willie’s decision making since it launched in 2009.
The Nashville-based men’s and women’s denim lifestyle brand is committed to producing its apparel in the U.S. via small–batch production and support from suppliers like denim mill Mount Vernon in Trion, Ga., American Woolen Company in Lawrence, Mass., Family Heirloom Weavers in Red Lion, Penn. and Seattle-based Crescent Down Works.
In 2021, the brand took a step further in the supply chain with the Cotton Project, an initiative dedicated to growing, processing and manufacturing cotton onshore in the Southeast U.S.
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On Saturday, Imogene + Willie launched the first garments made with this cotton: unisex T-shirts. The wardrobe staple is made of cotton grown, ginned, spun, knit, cut and sewn all within a 400-mile radius of the brand’s Nashville headquarters. Available in black and white, the vintage-inspired tees feature the brand’s signature tubular construction with no side seams. They will be sold individually for $56 and in a 2-pack for $98.
Though unplanned, the launch aligns with a time when there is heightened scrutiny of where products are made.
“While we started this initiative before the threat of tariffs were so present, we believe the impact of the timing of its launch is huge,” said Jackie Berkley, the brand’s director of people and culture. “We set out to accomplish a model based on what is the right and fair approach, taking care of people and the earth as best we can. As it turned out, even before tariffs, the model reduces middle man costs, which may end up reducing unit costs in the end. Now that tariffs are part of the conversation, the value is only compounded.”
The brand says the collection is a statement of commitment, and a challenge to the apparel industry. Imogene + Willie, along with the status quo for the rest of the industry, is to purchase pre-made fabric from knitting facilities. Most of the brand’s partners are in Los Angeles. While the company says it strives to purchase fabrics that are made with cotton that has been grown in the U.S., tracing to the cotton source is extremely difficult and trace lines get murky.
By overseeing every step—from seed planting to final product—the brand says it’s disrupting the traditional model of exporting American cotton overseas for production.
“As a fashion company, we recognize our responsibility to raise awareness about regenerative farming and sustainable fashion, and the Cotton Project offers a better alternative to the conventional model,” said K.P. McNeill, CEO of Imogene + Willie. “We believe the easy way isn’t always the right way, and we hope to inspire other brands to rethink the way they make their garments as well.”
For the project, Brent Crossland, founder of the consultancy 5LOC Cotton, connected Imogene + Willie with Larkin Martin, a seventh-generation farmer who manages Martin Farms in Courtland, Ala.. A leader in regenerative agriculture, Imogene + Willie credited Martin’s unwavering commitment to sustainability with bringing its vision to life.
The brand initially purchased an entire 22-acre cotton crop of Martin Farms’ land, offering a premium price 25 percent above market standards, to ensure fair compensation for farmers while investing in regenerative agriculture before planting even began.
Once harvested from Martin Farms, the cotton traveled to Thomasville, N.C, to Hill Spinning Mill. Imogene + Willie said it worked closely with the plant’s manager Mark Leonard and his team through extensive research and development to achieve the perfect yarn. To maintain the integrity of the Cotton Project yarn, Leonard agreed to halt all other production lines to avoid cross-contamination with cotton from other sources.
The yarn traveled to New Tazewell, Tenn., where it was knit into fabric, cut and sewn by Dignity Apparel. Dignity was able to replicate the T-shirt style for which Imogene + Willie is known.
The Cotton Project is Imogene + Willie’s first collaboration directly with farmers. The collection provides a blueprint to “Made in USA” manufacturing that is both fair and efficient. In addition to giving Imogene + Willie complete ownership over every phase of a garment’s lifecycle, the Cotton Project champions soil health, supports small farms and fair wages, and contributes to the revival of American textile manufacturing.
Berkley said the brand intends to pursue this model, with the intention to expand first to a denim program and then to screen printed graphic tees.
According to the brand, the initiative shows that “fully traceable, American-made apparel is, in fact, still possible.”
“We’re not scientists or environmental experts, but we know that keeping the footprint as tight as possible is the most sustainable approach…and we know we’re taking the right care of people within our community along the way,” McNeill said.
