How Answering a Customer's Thoughtful Question, Had Me Questioning My Brand Vision

A few weeks ago, I received a customer message on our site asking simply “Where are your clothes made?” Then yesterday, someone sent me a message on Instagram asking the same thing. I was really happy that someone took the time out of their day to ask and I couldn't wait to answer. I sent them both a thought out, albeit lengthy response - and wondered why I felt a bit nervous after hitting “Send”.

Choosing to manufacture our clothes in China was a very important step, and maybe I rambled on because I wanted them to know just how much I cared about the decision. When I started Little Canyon I had financial, logistical, sustainable, and ethical parameters that I needed to work within so that I could make clothing I was proud of, and make a profit to stay afloat. Manufacturing is a complex (and expensive) process, and it was hard for me to only answer with “We make our clothes in China”. Most people wouldn't even look at a label or even ask where a piece of clothing was made, but our community is intelligent and thoughtful so I wanted to share this with you. 

 

Finding a factory in Los Angeles (or U.S.) that met our ethical standards within our budget - that was also willing to sew in small batches - was our biggest challenge in launching our brand. But knowing how much care we took in making our clothes, I still felt some uneasiness around my Made in China label. I didn't quite fully understand the stigma I was bumping up against and more so, why it was such a taboo in the U.S.

 

As an asian american owned business, I started to wonder if my heritage or manufacturing practices could ever impact the way a customer felt about our clothes. So I did some soul searching and tried to remind myself who I am as an entire person, not just what my ethnicity was or what my “brand” was. Then I found an incredibly insightful article written by Henah Velez that demystifyed modern Chinese manufacturing and shined a spotlight on why many eco-friendly brands choose to manufacture in China:

 

“China is responsible for 20 to 30 percent of the world's manufacturing output—more than any other nation—thanks to its earlier investments in the Industrial Revolution. When it comes to high-quality equipment, solid infrastructure, specialized labor, the ability to scale, and even sourcing sustainable materials, the country's capabilities are unparalleled.”

 

You can read the article HERE  The quote in the article that stood out to me the most was: “Where something's produced isn't as important as how it's produced.” 

 

At that moment I could wholeheartedly say I've stayed true to my Brand Vision: To create a small batch capsule collection of minimalist playwear for kids within an eco-conscious business model. For Little Canyon that means:

 

I'm proud to share with you the steps we've taken as an emerging kids brand to lighten our eco footprint as we navigate within the children's garment industry. Our future Vision for Little Canyon is to meet our sustainable and manufacturing goals, and somehow make a positive impact on our planet while doing something we love. I want us to grow as a company and continue to make cute and well made clothing for the sophisticated mamas and your little minimalists. It means a lot for me to know that you're curious about us. I want you to know exactly who we are so that you can feel good about choosing our clothes for your children.

 

If you have ideas on ways you'd like to see us grow and improve, please reply to this email - I love connecting with you. You're the best part of our our small but mighty Little Canyon community. 

xo - Sacheen at Little Canyon