SUSTAINABILITY & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Transparency

We are one of the few factories left onshore in the United States and the only remaining factory from Baltimore’s original garment industry. Prospective clients and other members of the community can see our space through factory tours and consultations that happen right here in the factory. We do everything from initial meetings to product development and manufacturing here, so you know exactly where your products are being made and under what conditions. It’s rare in today’s industry to have a traceable supply chain and transparent operations, but we are pleased to provide our clients and customers with this peace of mind.

Social Impact

Fashions Unlimited helps local entrepreneurs get their business ideas off the ground, fostering a strong local art and design community in Baltimore, MD and surrounding areas. We also work with clients providing products for typically under-served markets including transgender and African American consumers. As one of the few Baltimore manufacturing facilities, we help develop the local labor force and keep manufacturing jobs in Baltimore. We hope to help develop skills and trades that have been widely lost as apparel production has moved overseas.

Environmental Impact

We reuse items around the factory including bins to keep garment components together as they travel through the production floor, leftover fabric strips to tie tags onto bundled garments, and boxes for shipments entering and leaving the factory to help limit operational waste and improve manufacturing efficiency.

Compared to a manufacturer overseas, working with us allows clients to reduce fuel use and emissions. Clients can more easily visit the factory, send samples back and forth across a shorter distance or bring them to our facility, and have goods shipped with a smaller carbon footprint or can pick them up after production. Many of the entrepreneurs we work with also limit waste through small batch production. Small brands are more agile than large fast-fashion companies, allowing them to offer presales and make only what is needed using the minimum amount of materials required. By producing quality items, we also provide consumers with products that will last, meaning they can wear and use them for years to come instead of sending them to landfill after a single season. We hope to continue working with clients pursuing sustainable fabric and design options to help limit the impacts of textile production on a global scale.