“Made in the USA” rarely means American made.
The vast majority of products labeled that way are only finished in the USA, leaving much of the composition to foreign manufacturers. This VSOP collection is not the vast majority. Every step of the manufacturing process, from growing organic cotton and knitting it into fabric, to cutting, sewing, dyeing, labeling, and packaging the garment is performed in the United States.
Why does Made in the USA matter? Because U.S. laws ensure higher wages and labor standards for workers. Simply stated, it creates a stronger economy and leaves a lower carbon footprint on a world that is already environmentally stressed. Why does organic cotton matter? Because according to the World Health Organization, many of the pesticides used to grow conventional cotton are among the most acutely hazardous in the world. On top of that, conventional cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed crops, with 25% of pesticides being used on conventional cotton crops worldwide.
The VSOP – USA collection marks a major milestone in sustainability, in that each article is made in the USA in its entirety. We shot the lookbook in Marfa, Texas with intent, due to its proximity to where the organic cotton was grown for this collection. Modeled by David Adrian of the LA Dance Project, the collection serves up three essential silhouettes, each available in rust, putty (light pink), cream, sage, navy, black and white.
Conceived by Akomplice co-creators Mike and Patrick Liberty, VSOP stands for quality and sustainability that’s backed by a lifetime guarantee. The collection is available now on our Webstore.
View the full Marfa Lookbook after the jump.