By Carved in Blue

If you ask Artisan Cloth, it considers itself more of a product company than a sales company.

By partnering with designers and brands, Artisan Cloth aims to inspire and develop signature fabrics that employ its background in the wash/dye process. The company counts Tavex in Mexico, Kurabo in Japan, and HW Textiles in China among its current supply partners, and founder Brad Alden Mowry revealed that the company is also exploring a partnership with a “cutting-edge performance knitwear design/manufacturer” to complement the denim businesses, creating a more diverse offering for brand partners.

We chatted with Brad to learn more about the progress the company has made, how it’s helping denimheads become more sustainable, and that magic moment where dreaming meets investing.

Carved in Blue: How did you get into this industry?

Brad: My first job in this industry was in Los Angeles in the early ’90s at a leading industrial laundry. I think I worked every position in the laundry before becoming a general manager. I learned so much. Later, I went on to work as a VP of Wet Process for Jones Apparel Group in New York in 1998 for seven years. My focus at Jones was both technical and creative, supporting 19 brands with fabric and wash development, as well as wash quality, production protocols and pricing, with nearly 200 industrial laundries across 38 countries. It was an incredible experience. In 2005, I returned to Los Angeles, to focus on fabric development, marketing and some consulting.

Carved in Blue: How do you help companies advance their sustainability goals?

Brad: The first step is understanding what matters to them. The second step is going through the initiatives that each of our supply partners currently offer, and what we are working on. The third step would be to put the information from steps one and two together, and move to the next level.

Carved in Blue: What are some of Artisan Cloth’s priorities for 2020?

Brad: To continue learning. Learning about fiber, fashion, innovation, technology, responsibility, market trends and understanding what people care about (consumers, our brand partners and our suppliers) is a big priority for us.

Carved in Blue: How much progress do you think the industry has made in the last 5 years?

Brad: Lots. I think as far as sustainability goes, every brand finally sees that some kind of responsible thinking is a must — not just a marketing concept — and people are taking action.

Carved in Blue: How much further does it need to go?

Brad: This is a never-ending chase. We continue to make great strides as an industry. I think things will continue to evolve based on our responses. Continued awareness, the influence of culture and environmental regulations will all have an impact on future direction.

Carved in Blue: What are some of the most exciting innovation you’re seeing in denim?

Brad: The most exciting things happen when an open mind, passion, a point of view and, of course, a budget (haha) all come together.

Our mills keep an open mind to market interest and ideas. There is an excitement in developing new innovations. Sometimes ideas don’t turn out awesome–but sometimes they do. One thing I am so grateful for is to have mill partners that really get behind ‘newness’ and listen to what matters to our brand partners. We may fail sometimes but if we don’t try new things, nothing special happens. We aren’t afraid to fail once in a while in the pursuit of greatness. With this mindset we seem to shake out a few gems each season, and it’s a thrill when it all comes together for the mill, the brand, and the consumer.

We listen to our clients’ ideas each season, and we also try to stay in front of our clients to bring them newness by partnering with fiber companies (like Lenzing) and others to develop ‘what’s next.’

I love the vast array of performance fiber technologies and the incredible variety of great products you can create by blending these different technologies to ultimately create new product innovations. One example of a mill innovation is a Zero Cotton Denim product that Tavex developed. By mixing repurposed fibers using TENCEL™ Lyocell in the warp and recycled poly in the weft, we were able to engineer a fabric that has the hand and look similar to traditional denim–without using any cotton at all. Another idea from Kurabo is making denim and PFD fabrics with repurposed cutting waste made into new yarn. Kurabo calls this denim ‘Looplus.’ HW Textiles also has a vast array of incredible fiber/yarn innovations, and responsibility initiatives, and continue to invest in the future for/with our brand partners. I couldn’t be more proud of the mills we are aligned with. It’s easy to ‘sell’ when you believe in what you’re doing.

Carved in Blue: What will be the denim buzzword this year?

Brad: Lenzing–ha ha

Carved in Blue: What’s your first denim memory?

Brad: Walking into a denim laundry in Los Angeles for the first time called “Continental Colors.” I was blown away at how cool the synergy of technical science and creativity co-existed in the jeans industry. I was hooked.

Carved in Blue: If you had to pick one fit to live in forever, which would it be?

Brad: Probably AG 360

Carved in Blue: What is the one thing you love about our industry?

Brad: Dreamers meet investors. I love it. Never a dull moment. Cool people. Always moving, always changing, always growing, and always being challenged to do something new. Such an exciting, and inspiring business.

Carved in Blue: Where is your favorite city to visit for inspiration?

Brad: That’s a tough one. I love so many for different reasons. That’s the truth.

Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?

Brad: It means I get to hear great ideas from real people with their hands in the true blue jar, sharing experience and wisdom. You are truly a master of uniting a lot of interesting people in a common segment of fashion. #CarvedInBlueFan

ARTISAN CLOTH’S MAGIC MOMENT

By Carved in Blue

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