2016 has been an amazing year for us at Stars & Stripes Collective. In between working our regular day jobs, we have managed to take steps towards realizing our passion of owning an all American Made boutique and online store. It started out as a fun fashion blog on Instagram, showcasing the American Made brands we purchased for our own personal wardrobe. This little blog has put us in touch with so many talented artists, designers and manufacturers. We thank them all for their contributions to our blog and to American manufacturing! This past year, we were able to attend several American Made pop-up markets such as American Field, Made South and Dose Market. We listened to the stories of businesses that against all odds are still produced here in the United States. We knew that this was something we wanted to invest in not only from a personal perspective but to help stimulate the economy of the country we love so much. We feel truly grateful for the work they put in and the passion they have for their products. Their stories resonate with us and compel us to shed light on the struggle of keeping their production in the States and more importantly, why it makes a difference.
We slowly began pulling back the layers of manufacturing in the USA and the implications of off-shoring. We were astonished at how much more than just the economy is affected by this trend, of what is so aptly called, “fast fashion”. As we have become more informed on the subject- it was clear that there is a real need for education on the consumer level and in some cases even at the designer level. #labelconscioUS was a tag line we created for our blog and our lifestyle, but it is turning into so much more. We will be launching a Kickstarter project very soon to increase social awareness concerning the vast impact we the consumer have, not only on the economy and job production but the protection of our environment and human rights.
2017 is going to be a big year. We will continue to grow Stars & Stripes Collective and the #labelconscioUS brand. We want to make it convenient, fun and fashionable to purchase Made in the USA. We also want to renew the consumer’s interest in the story - the who - the what -the why of each purchase they make and ultimately care about the consequences of their purchases. Each of us can make a difference and it starts with you! We wish you a very Happy, Prosperous and Healthy New Year! We hope you will join us in 2017 and "Go the Extra Mile for American Made Style!"