Marfa Brand Soap Box, featured in Made Collection’s “Explore America” sale
Entrepreneur Ginger Griffiths has been hand making amazing, all-natural soaps and cool drinking glasses out of beer and soda bottles under the name Marfa Brand for the last five years. Ginger uses the highest quality oils, botanicals, and loose-leaf teas then combines them with body-loving ingredients like aloe and shea butter to create soaps that pay homage to the desert environment and the scents and textures of West Texas. Ginger lives in artist’s paradise Marfa, Texas
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Fancy Pony Land Penny Chainmail Necklace, featured in Made Collection’s “Explore America” sale
Fancy Pony Land is a funky, one off boutique run by Lorna Leedy. A series of happy accidents in her youth lead Lorna to develop a passion for fashion, so she opened up Fancy Ponyland on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. She makes handmade pillows, clothing and accessories, but she is most well known for her unique line of train-squashed penny jewelry that got her a mention in Vogue. Lorna’s biggest inspiration comes from animals, birds and the natural world.
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Corter Leather Bottlehook, featured in Made Collection’s “Explore America” sale
Corter Leather churns out a surprisingly large and versatile collection of leather goods for a one-man operation. Eric Heins is that man, and he lives in Boston, Massachusetts, where he designs and makes (entirely by hand) beautiful leather things like wallets, belts, guitar picks, and hooks that open bottles. Each piece is designed in-house, cut by memory, hand punched and hand sewn, so no two pieces are ever exactly alike.
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Cobra Rock Boot Scrap Wallet, featured in Made Collection’s “Explore America” sale
Cobra Rock Boot Company is a workshop and store operated by Logan Caldbeck and Colt Miller in Marfa, Texas. Logan and Colt opened their store in 2011, after studying boot-making and leatherworking from local experts. While they offer a variety of creations from their workshop such as wallets, jewelry and notebooks, CRBC primarily hand crafts South Highlands Boots: 1940’s and 1950’s inspired square-toed, lace-up desert riding boots. Everything CRBC makes is rooted in a bit of cowboy history, but reflects modern styles and experiences.
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Iron and Resin Vagabond Journal, featured in Made Collection’s “Explore America” sale
Iron and Resin was born out of the lonesome beauty of post-industrial Ventura, California, a place where “one-off” culture reigns king. It’s the brainchild of several friends with years of collective experience building separate clothing brands on their own, who came together to create a small, hand-crafted collection of clothing and accessories that reflect their lifestyles and experiences. Iron and Resin is inspired by the idea that, in the mass-produced world of today, a brand that creates everything it wears and uses is still possible, and capable of producing pieces with a distinct character and top-notch quality.
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Ruell and Ray Handyside Jeans, featured in Made Collection’s “Explore America” sale
Ruell and Ray is a one-woman operation run by Ashley James in Bristol, Tennessee. Specializing in men’s styles, Ashley primarily uses high quality deadstock selvege denim leftover from other brands, to hand-craft jeans that are exclusive, durable and comfortable. Ruell and Ray’s dedication to handmade locally produced jeans that radiate with passion for workmanship, set the bar high for denim enthusiasts around the country.
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Otis James B091 Bow Tie, featured in Made Collection’s “Explore America” sale
Otis James believes there’s truly something to be said about knowing exactly where something was made, and by whom. Otis makes neckties, bowties, and caps entirely by hand in Nashville, Tennessee. Every loophole, and every slipstitch is hand-sewn with the greatest attention to detail possible. And for Otis, detail is the name of the game. He got his start working in a tuxedo shop in 2009, but when he was commissioned to make a necktie for his friend’s father and brother for Father’s Day, he found his real passion. He’s been churning out the highest quality pieces ever since.
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Integrated economies of Mexico & U.S.
- An imported product from Mexico sold in the U.S. is 40% “Made In USA” (given the sharing of parts and labor), versus 4% for the same import from China. According to Richard Fisher, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, “The better off Mexico is, the better off we are.” More »
Manufacturing bill passes in the House
- The American Manufacturing and Competitiveness Act, a bipartisan bill designed boost U.S. manufacturing, passed by an overwhelming majority. More »
Americans need higher wages
- Former Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter, Hedrick Smith, claims Americans have been underpaid for the last three decades, suggesting the economy would grow faster if more of it was based on manufacturing (and if wages were higher). More »
Made In USA matters to shoppers
- A Perception Research Services (PRS) study reveals 4 out of 5 shoppers notice, and are influenced by, “Made In USA” labels and claims. Consumers say the primary reason they’re more likely to buy American is to “help the economy.” More »
Oregon Corrections Enterprises Work Apron, featured in Made Collection’s “Prison Blues” sale
Oregon Corrections Enterprises began in 1995 after an Oregon constitutional amendment requiring incarcerated inmates to actively engage in full-time work or on-the-job training passed. The hope was to prepare prisoners to become fully-functioning members of society when they were released. Today, there are 1,115 inmates enrolled in OCE, where they make furniture, garments, heavy machinery, and signage. Every inmate who works there must apply for a position on the factory floor, and over 90% of those that do are eventually released back into the world.
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Caswell-Massey Dr. Hunter’s Soap & Body Cleanser, featured in Made Collection’s “Prison Blues” sale
Caswell-Massey is older than the United States. Dr. William Hunter founded this line of top-notch personal care products and accessories in 1752, making it the fourth oldest company in America today. In fact, Caswelll-Massey was a favorite of the big man himself, George Washington. Dr. Hunter began his company in the then-bustling trade center of Newport, Rhode Island. Two hundred and fifty years later, Caswell-Massey now lives in Edison, New Jersey, where they still work to honor Dr. Hunter’s legacy through an expanded line of fragrances, soaps, and other bath and body goodies.
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