Hi Reader,

This week is very special here in Chicago for me! I'm in the city every other month for Motif Office Hours at AIBI - Great! But even better this month is that my time chatting with designers is sandwiched between the Chicago Garment District Pop Up and Chicago Fair Trade's Conscious Closet Club - my fave planets aligned!

Having all these events together means that I really get to hear what's happening for designers and makers from various angles - and in some cases act as a connector for solutions. That's always fun ... especially in the pop up and I could see the fab sparks sparking across the room.

Reasonable Ask

Of all the things I hear, one constant challenge for independent designers is this,

And in many cases they're right! This was addressed head on in the first of two sessions I led:

Commercial textile production, no matter how 'green', can feel wildly unrealistic for smaller brands. Hundreds of yards, at least, huge upfront costs, and large risks before you even know how clients may respond to the collection.

It pushes so many designers into stress and overproduction right from the beginning. Which is partly why I care so much about small minimum order quantities (MOQs), and why I champion handwoven fabrics as a solution.

Reasonable Answer

One of the beautiful things about handloom weaving is its flexibility. We can work together, experiment, and produce smaller runs adjusting along the way. There’s room for conversation and creativity rather than simply forcing everything through a massive system. It was in the second session I presented Motif's answer to this conundrum:

Sometimes a designer only needs a few yards to test ideas, or for a runway collection, or sampling how it performs before going to a custom order.

Why is that an unreasonable ask? Slower fashion becomes much more possible when designers aren’t forced into excess from day one. That's a path that could financially, and creatively, sink them before leaving port!

During this month of focus on Fair Trade, I keep thinking about how unfair this current system is. Ethical production isn’t only about materials and certifications, it’s also about creating healthier systems for everyone: artisans, designers, brands, manufacturers, and for our planet too.

Smaller batches mean less waste and more freedom to create thoughtfully.

So, if you’ve been sitting on ideas because fabric MOQs felt overwhelming, I hope this encourages you to know you can start smaller.

Many of our handwoven fabrics are available from just 1/2 yard in the Etsy shop (Remember you've 20% OFF for May), and wholesale stock fabrics begin at 10yd MOQs - just request an account to select samples.

Here's to making things, all things, better together! 🙌🫶🙌