We have written before about the rich manufacturing and textile history present in our community. The Shoals area and surrounding communities were working fabric and textile materials beginning in the late 1800’s. Those earlier years were often unkind to the mill workers and their families who worked long hours, lived in factory-owned apartments, and shopped in factory-owned stores. But, as the Industrial Revolution gave way to reform, textile manufacturing stayed in our community and flourished. Eventually, it was something that we in The Shoals were known for, as we were often called the “T-Shirt Capital of the World.”

Terry Wylie’s family founded Tee Jay’s Manufacturing Co. here in Florence in 1976, and in doing so became the foundation for a local industry. Whole families were known to work together, producing t-shirts and cotton products. Typical of our community, the company and the employees were loyal to one another. It was common for an employee to stay at Tee Jays for decades. Our Production Manager, Steven, worked for the Wylie family for years – for a time, working in the same building where Alabama Chanin is currently housed. It was this way until the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Tee Jays and other local manufacturers eventually shuttered all domestic manufacturing. It was an undeniably tough hit for a community that had “worked” cotton for most of its existence. Some of those who hand stitch for us once worked in mills and lost their jobs when plants here in Alabama closed and moved to cheaper locations. This move left our building, once a thriving manufacturing center, an empty shell, as you can see from the picture above. Machines like the ones below were moved elsewhere, and the resounding hum of our once busy manufacturing community was silenced.

At Alabama Chanin, we are constantly learning, growing, and gathering the understanding to expand our range of knowledge and operations. In 2012, we made our first attempts at farming organic cotton, and we hope to move forward, taking into account all that we’ve learned. We have also been learning as much as we can about what it means to manufacture on a larger scale, with machines. For Alabama Chanin, part of growing a healthy, sustainable company means growing a healthy community.

I have to admit, the idea of machine manufacturing was always in the back of our minds—even as we built Alabama Chanin with hand-sewn garments over the last decade. There have been many conversations with Terry Wiley, and other businessmen in our community, about what it might take to begin to rebuild the textile industry close to home. It was our thought that by expanding our staple of goods to include a sustainable machine-made line, some of those production jobs might return.

Today, that dream is coming true. We are taking what we have learned from the MAKESHIFT conversations about intersecting design, manufacturing, craft, and DIY. We have relationships that join designers and manufacturers and DIY. We are involved in our supply chain from seed to finished product. Our next challenge will be creating new intersections of these industries all within one company, under one roof. Adding a machine-made component to our skill set will show, to a degree, how these industries and these ways of working with diverse groups of people can embrace one another and thrive.

To do this, we want to create a manufacturing facility that will not only create an additional range of Alabama Chanin goods, but provide opportunity, knowledge, and space for other companies interested in organic, Made in the USA production. There is a dearth in the market for affordable, organic garments made in our own country. For years we have cultivated relationships with organic suppliers and, to the best of our ability, built an organic supply chain from start to finish.

Our goal is to revitalize the once-thriving garment manufacturing industry within our community while joining elements of design, manufacturing, craft, cottage industry, and DIY as a model for other manufacturers. Some may say that it is a lofty goal, but we have experienced advisors, makers, and designers at our side. The machines are here and we are in the process of getting them running. The silence of the room (see below) is now bustling with the sound of progress. It’s  just a matter of days before the machines will be humming too. Look for more information on the Alabama Chanin machine-made line in the coming weeks, and stay tuned for updates on our progress.

Here is a bit of information that may surprise you: not all cotton is white cotton. If you are like me, you may not have always known that natural cotton comes in plenty of hues. In fact, there were originally shades of cotton that ranged from many tones of brown, to dark green, to brown, black, red, and blue. These varieties of cotton were widely used by Native American peoples and, occasionally, slaves were allowed to grow small plots of colored cotton because plantation owners considered it worthless. Colored cotton became obscure because farmers and manufacturers believed it too difficult to work with due to its short staple length, which makes the cotton problematic to spin. As a result, the varieties of colored cotton have dwindled. The Central Institute for Cotton Research in India has cultivated 6,000 varieties of cotton, only 40 of which are colored.

The white cotton we primarily see now was created by planting mono-crop, or only one variety of cotton. This type of cotton requires more pesticides than other varieties and the dyeing of this cotton is a massive cause of land and water pollution (not to mention its human impact). According to the ECO360 Trust, nearly 20% of all industrial water pollution results from textile dyeing and production methods. They have discovered at least 72 toxic chemicals that are present in our water system purely due to textile dyeing.

Cotton pioneer Sally Fox spent much of her life studying, growing, and championing colored cotton. The story goes that she began weaving around the age of 12, buying her first spindle with money from babysitting jobs. Sally studied biology and entomology in college, then traveled to Africa with the Peace Corps to help develop natural ways to fight disease-causing pests. This exposed her, for the first time, to commercial fertilizers and pesticides. DDT, then recently banned in the United States and Europe, had been “generously” donated to African countries in massive quantities. She began holding safety seminars on the pesticide, but she became ill due to the constant exposure to that chemical and had to leave the Peace Corps.

Returning to the US, Fox got a job as a pollinator for a cotton breeder working on pest-resistant plants. There, she discovered some cotton seeds that were pest-resistant, but brown. So, as an experiment, she began breeding brown and, eventually, green cotton. She would select the best seeds that produced the longest fibers, replanting them time and again until she created two colored cottons that were long enough to be spun on a machine. She discovered the tannins that created the color in the fiber made it highly pest and mildew resistant and, if properly stored, would last many decades. Her first crop of 122 bushels was sold to a Japanese mill. She began selling to larger companies and designers under her label, FoxFibre.

In the early 1990’s, Sally Fox and FoxFibre experienced immense success. But, cotton growers began to voice concerns that her colored cotton would contaminate their traditional cotton crops. She relocated more than once, always hearing the same cry: not here. The powerful cotton industry placed pressure on mills to charge her higher fees. Mills began to close and move to cheaper locations. As is evident in our own community, businesses moved and labor was outsourced. So, Sally and FoxFibre withdrew for a while, but not for too long.

Sally Fox is still in the fiber business. Thanks to the recent interest in all things organic, the market for FoxFibre products is growing. Sally concentrates on smaller mills and smaller customers. She is rebuilding her network of growers and has a US spinner for her cotton once again. Fox wants FoxFibre to make a difference and believes, particularly with smaller clients, she can. Once enough smaller clients find success, expansion may begin again. We certainly hope so.

Currently, Alabama Chanin offers three varieties of natural colored cotton fabrics: Brown and Green Popcorn Jacquard, Brown Organic Cotton Jacquard, and Green Organic Cotton Jacquard. Perhaps, as FoxFibre grows, it will be possible to expand our collection to include some of Sally’s beautiful fabric. Sally Fox has been a continued source of inspiration for Alabama Chanin. While we do not use natural colored cotton extensively, we are committed to organic and sustainable manufacturing and dyeing practices. We have a growing collection of natural dye fabrics. Sally Fox is THE proof that natural fiber production can be done in the United States. She is a hero of ours, and we watch with anticipation as the natural colored cotton market grows.

The practice of numbering houses supposedly began in Paris in the 1500’s. Having a house number is something we don’t give a second thought to these days, but they have not always been used and they certainly have not always been popular.

Some countries have numbered zones, requirements for the number of digits, double sets of numbers, and different color street numbers for different purposes, like upstairs and downstairs. Every country, state, city, or county seems to have their own numbering system. Early numbering systems were developed for the controversial purposes of census taking, drafting men into the military, taxation, creating borders, and other government functions. They were not created for their current purpose: ease of navigation. No matter the country, modern day houses are often required to be numbered for purposes of delivering mail or in case emergency services are needed.

Early identification methods didn’t involve numbers at all. If you wanted to identify or contact the residents of a home, you used the house’s name. But house names were not always displayed, there was no central directory, and sometimes there was more than one house with the same name. This meant that locals could find other locals, but outsiders had a difficult time finding their way around. When the idea of numbering houses was introduced, the idea was not incredibly popular, as it was seen by many as a form of government control.

Today, in modern day America, there is no set standard for how streets get numbered, but there are some practices that are used often. For instance, odd numbered houses are almost always on one side of the street, and even numbered houses are on the opposite side. Some cities are designed as grids with a center point; each block that moves farther from the center increases by 100 (2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th Avenue, etc.) and directional modifiers are determined based upon this point (2^nd Avenue North, for example).

My father has been hounding me for years about numbering my house. I’ve never been sure why it was important, since I get my mail and people seem to find the place pretty easily. But, when I saw these numbered tiles, part of a collaboration between House Industries and Heath Ceramics, I coveted house numbers. House Industries creates beautiful fonts and designs, often from unusual or inspired origins. Their typography can take inspiration from a number of sources, blending musical, cultural, and graphic elements. Their design aesthetic works perfectly with the Heath brand. Both companies focus on craftsmanship and forming partnerships and each of them use a hands-on approach when creating products. I purchased the Neutra numbers, but there is also an Eames-inspired collection that is just as beautiful.

I guess my house will not remain incognito anymore. I like that the house numbers add warmth to the entrance and my father is happy to know my house is now properly attired.

The music industry as we once knew it has been forced to evolve rapidly in recent years, as technology has grown faster than established business models. Major record labels struggle to maintain control of the radio waves, music sales, artist development, and our ears; meanwhile, established artists like Radiohead and Beck have embraced the Internet, a one-time enemy to record sales, by offering their work at pay-what-you-want prices, or occasionally for free. Other artists, like Jack White with Third Man Records, have taken control of the entire creative process by starting their own indie record labels, effectively surpassing the gatekeepers of yesterday.

Ben Tanner of Alabama Shakes and The Bear, John Paul White of the Civil Wars (DIY band of 2012), and financial advisor, Shoals native, and friend Will Trapp, are bringing some of that anti-Old Guard attitude to our community with their indie label, Single Lock Records. The Shoals has a rich music history, thanks to Rick Hall, Muscle Shoals Sound, and many others who helped establish the recording industry here during the 1960’s and 70’s. Hall’s FAME Studios, with its talented roster of studio musicians, attracted diverse recording artists, including Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Cher, Paul Simon, and even the Osmonds. Some of these artists created their best work here. Later, Muscle Shoals Sound opened, recording the Rolling Stones, Traffic, and Bob Dylan, among many others. These days, the music flows OUT of the Shoals, not INTO it.

Talented local bands are gaining attention from established media and a growing fan base that reaches far beyond our community. It seems natural that an indie record label would form alongside the new era of Shoals musicians. We caught up with the talented entrepreneurs behind Single Lock Records to learn a little more about their venture.

AC: The name Single Lock Records is a nod to the Wilson Dam here in Florence, Alabama, which at construction was the largest single lock dam in the world. And many musicians (and other creatives), say the river holds an almost sacred influence over their creativity, process, and success. Tell us a little about why you chose that name.

SL: It was actually Ben’s idea and, honestly, it was the name that we hated the least at first. Now, since we’ve been working on a few projects, it has been interesting to trace back some of the similarities of our model to the concept of a lock. We are pretty narrowly focused on making a record, and not getting too distracted by the other stuff that accompanies selling and marketing a record. The bands (we produce) will be on their own in many ways to put together their own team with management, booking, publishing, and publicity after they set out on the open water. We, of course, will help them with any of these relationships if they want us to help, but we aren’t bringing them in to make a record with a robust plan about what to do next. They’ll figure a lot of that out for themselves.

AC: How has our area’s music history influenced Single Lock Records?

SL: We have so much respect for the musicians, songwriters, and producers that have made this area their home. We appreciate how much of the music that was made here over the past 50 years has impacted artists around the world. There is clarity of thought that artists seem to have, so that the music is not overly complicated. It’s encouraging to see how many of the newer artists and bands are actually writing their own music. The songs are written and recorded in a way that invites a listener to connect to a story. It’s genuine, heartfelt, authentic, simple, but also very personal.

AC: How will bands fare better with smaller labels, like Single Lock Records, over a major record label?

SL: There might be some doors that a major label could open for a band that we could not. There might be some big advances that a major label could provide that we would not. A number of things relating to size of distribution or scale are advantages to going with a larger label, but in many ways they are trying to adapt by taking cost out and getting leaner (becoming smaller). Our focus is primarily on making good records, not on “all the other stuff” that has to do with being a “label”. We will keep an artist’s debt to us low, so that they can begin receiving an income stream from record sales as soon as possible. That gives a band more control over how they want to spend money. Do they want publicity or new gear or tour support to play in a new market? They can make those decisions and have more autonomy. This is in contrast to signing a major label contract, receiving a large advance (also known as your debt to repay), giving up rights to a publishing company, spending lots of time doing other things at the request of other people that have nothing to do with making music.

AC: What sets Single Lock Records apart from other indie record labels?

SL: I think we are fortunate to have Ben and John together in our area. They have both been part of unusually successful music in the past few years. They’ve got a great sense for the most critical parts to producing a record, and also for our artists they serve as great advisors. At the end of the day, it’s about making music that people want to listen to. If you can’t do that, then it’s not really meaningful. They have very high standards for what they work on, and at the same time, when they’re finished with something they move on quickly. It’s a great skill. There are a lot of great indie record labels, even in our area. I know Jason Isbell just started his own, Southeastern. His record is coming out soon and will be outstanding. Doc Dailey has been putting his records out under Southern Discipline, a label he founded. Out of Birmingham, Communicating Vessels and Skybucket are putting out good stuff. This Is American Music (TIAM) out of Atlanta has put out some great records, including the Pollies’ first album. We love a lot of the music these other labels are putting out and could potentially collaborate on some things in the future. Collaboration is another part of our label that we really want to promote. It’s not common, which is something we like.

AC: Ben, how do you balance being a full-time working musician and a record label executive? Isn’t there an innate polarity between the two?

BT: I think traditionally, there often is a big disconnect between musicians and label executives and their respective interests, but we’re hoping to avoid that. John Paul and I are coming at this as musicians, and we want artists’ interests to come first, so hopefully we’ll avoid that polarity.

But as an individual, it’s been a juggling act for me since we decided to start Single Lock, but I think I’m getting better at it. When I’m on the road, there’s a lot of downtime, so I usually have time to catch up on e-mails and phone calls. The challenge is to turn off my role as “label executive” when actually working on the music. If I’m playing or mixing, I don’t need to be thinking about updating the website or reviewing a contract.

AC: Alabama Chanin is a Slow Design company, producing lifestyle goods and clothing and we depend upon collaboration to create our products. We believe there’s a strong connection between fashion, design, food, craft, DIY, and even music. Collaboration seems to be at the heart of Single Lock Records. Do you feel there’s an intersection of other elements influencing Single Lock Records as well?

SL: We really want to be simple and transparent with our artists. The way we’ve structured our agreements more closely resembles a traditional partnership, with agreed upon expenses and shared profits. There’s a unique culture of collaboration with musicians in the Shoals. It’s in the songwriting, the live performance, and for the most part in the studio community as well. You’ll find that a number of the musicians in these local bands are playing on each other’s records, playing at each other’s shows, and supporting whoever is working on the next project. I don’t think it works that way in Nashville, but I think even that is changing a bit. There is an undercurrent of survival and revival that is happening in music, as the power shifts away from large established companies to the artists and bands making music.

AC: We love your logo. Who designed it? (A Shoals local?)

SL: Chris James did the logo and he is local. He also plays bass for Belle Adair and The Pollies. We always try to partner with someone local whenever possible, and we also want to let musicians use some of their other skills and talents. Ben Stedman (who plays with Doc Dailey and The Bear) and Laura Bethea have worked on our website, both local designers, and Jonathan Oliphant has put together some great video for a few shows.

AC: Can you share what is on the horizon for Single Lock?

SL: We are very excited about the record just released by The Bear. Those guys (and gal, especially) are very talented. If you haven’t bought their record, Overseas then Under, you’re in for a treat. Belle Adair will be releasing their first full length LP in August, The Brave and the Blue. They’re also going to be commencing a much more active touring schedule. In fact, The Bear and Belle Adair played a great show in Atlanta at a very cool restaurant, The Optimist, this past Saturday (5.25). That restaurant was Esquire’s “New Restaurant of the Year” last year, and the chef, Adam Evans, is a Shoals native. We all grew up together at Muscle Shoals High School. Then we have St. Paul and the Broken Bones releasing their first album in September. We are all very excited for everyone to hear it. Ben just finished mixing that at FAME in Studio A, where so many of those original soul records were recorded. This is our first year, so these 3 or 4 projects seem to keep us very busy at the moment, but it also feels like the momentum is just building. We’re talking to a few others about doing some recordings later this year or into 2014. It’s amazing to us that people, even here in the Shoals area, aren’t aware of the good music coming out of this community now. Celebrating the past is wonderful, and the history is remarkable. We are usually some of the first to promote that outside of our area, but we are just not going to sit around and talk about how great it used to be. We really want to do our part, however small, in making the future of music in our community great.

AC: What does our community, and the world at large, need to know about Single Lock Records (and the future of Shoals music)?

SL: We think there is a great community of new bands settling in the Shoals. These artists can be such a great part of our town if we can find ways to cultivate their talents. This includes being a viable indie label for them to get their music heard. We think everyone needs to be supportive of their contributions. This means come out whenever we have live music. Find some way to pay a local band for playing a local event. Take some time to find a local band that you like. We are certainly going to do our part to put ours out there, but there are others too. If we can’t be a community that sustains the art of live music and recordings then it will just go somewhere else.

AC: Could you choose six songs that would describe Single Lock Records to a musical novice?

SL: I’ve Been Loving You Too Long: Otis Redding, Up to Me: Bob Dylan, Cover Me: Eddie Hinton, No Reply: Belle Adair, Thinking of You: The Bear, Sugar Dyed Honey Pants: St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Hey Jude: Wilson Pickett, Make it Rain: Tom Waits

On the heels of MAKESHIFT 2013, we are inspired and invigorated by the conversations around design, fashion, food, craft, and DIY that took place last week during New York Design Week. We hope that you have followed our explorations throughout the events this year and have used our discussions to begin conversations of your own. We are even more convinced about the importance of making, sharing, and finding common ground, and look forward to expanding the conversations about design, fashion, food, craft, and DIY over the coming months.

One thing that resonates from those talks last week, are the concepts of collaboration and skill sharing.  As we continue to open source our ideas, our Alabama Chanin workshops will continue to grow. These events—like MAKESHIFT—have become an intimate, extraordinary way for us to connect with fellow makers, designers, and like-minded creators across the country (and the world).

The idea for these one-on-one workshops originally came from my editor, Melanie. And when she first explained what she meant, I couldn’t imagine that anyone would want to come and spend time in our studio.  (This wasn’t the first time she proved me wrong.) Today, this idea has become an important part of who we are as a company and our growing business model.

Most companies don’t have the ability or the location that allows for hands-on studio work. The Factory, our studio since 2007, was originally built as a as a sewing factory in 1982, and has proven an ideal place for designers, makers, sewers, and potential business owners to gather.

The types of workshops we offer in our studio have grown and expanded over the last five years, from a One-Day Workshop, to a Studio Weekend, to an Individual Studio Day. And this may sound trite, but no matter the group, the environment, or the length of time spent, we have walked away from each workshop having learned something – about others’ sewing techniques, family histories, personal connections to craft, even some off-color jokes that we won’t admit to telling. There is always an incredible sense of sharing, of collaboration, and of community. We teach; we learn.

We are in the process of expanding our space here at The Factory, designing an event center that will provide the space for community events, communal dinners, and, most importantly, a studio space for total immersion into design, craft, making, and expanding ideas. After a few requests from workshop attendees, and upon spending a week this past summer at Shakerag Workshops, followed by two weeks at Penland School of Crafts, we decided to expand our collection of workshops to include a week-long studio experience.

These Studio Weeks are planned for twice a year, starting with November 11– 16, 2013, and again next spring, May 26-31, 2014.

The class will explore different types of fabric manipulation with 100% cotton jersey, including how various stitching, stenciling, and color application techniques can transform and personalize a garment or a piece of work. Students will learn to hand sew and create contemporary embellishments using classic techniques like appliqué, couching, and various types of thread work. The class will explore color, layout, and inspiration for fabric design and project creation. Students will complete sample blocks using some of our demonstrated techniques that they can use for reference or can piece together to create scarves, pillows, or other items, all with an eye toward developing and preparing a garment project by the end of the week.

See our Studio Week PDF for more detailed information about what to bring, what to wear, and a full list of our favorite restaurants, pubs, and hiking trails.

The cost for the week is $3,000 and includes 6 yards of 100% organic cotton jersey in the color of choice (enough for one or more garments), a thread and embroidery floss sampler, access to airbrush and paint, a selection of garment patterns and stencils available in our Alabama Studio book series, instruction, daily breakfast and weekday lunches, non-alcoholic beverages, studio access daily from 8:00 am – 6:30 pm and a few surprises along the way. (Additional Alabama Chanin fabric and supplies can be purchased at a discount.)

If you are interested in learning more about the Studio Week, please contact: workshops (at) alabamachanin.com or call Olivia at +1.256.760.1090 M-F from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm CST.

Register here.

Last night we kicked off our Makeshift 2013 conversations with an intimate dinner hosted by friends Lisa Fox and Rosanne Cash.

It was wonderful to hear all of the conversations running through the night, from the study of 50 pages of Proust, to the intellectual property rights on patterns.

Come back tomorrow for more New York Design Week, our conversation at The Standard, East Village, and make your plans for Sunday at Build It Green!NYC in Brooklyn.

Use #makeshift2013 to join the conversation.

Make v. Tr. 

To cause to exist or happen; bring about; create.
To bring into existence by shaping, modifying, or putting together material; construct.
To compel.
To form in the mind.
To compose.
To prepare; fix.
To engage in.
To carry out; perform.
To achieve, produce, or attain.
To institute or establish; enact.
To draw up and execute in a suitable form.
To assure the success of.
To develop into.
To draw a conclusion as to the significance or nature of.
To cause to be especially enjoyable or rewarding.
To appear to begin (an action).
(Among others…)

Shiftv. Tr. 

To alter (position or place).
To change (gears), as in an automobile.
To exchange (one thing) for another. 

During New York Design Week, Heath Ceramics is celebrating their 10th anniversary at The Future Perfect, one of our favorite design stores. Friends Cathy Bailey, Robin Petravic, and Adam Silverman chose to celebrate with The Future Perfect for their like-minded dedication to good design, community, and collaboration. The display features ten Heath Ceramics designs, including an Alabama Chanin collaboration, a limited edition New York bowl (also for sale at The Future Perfect), and a wall of post cards representing 10 moments in 10 years that you can take with you.

We are super proud for our Heath collaboration to be represented in the exhibition. Drop by The Future Perfect from 10am to 7pm daily; 11am to 7pm Sunday, at 55 Great Jones Street (between Bowery & Lafayette) through Monday, May 20th.

More on  MAKESHIFT 2013 coming soon…

In 1982, Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw opened Zingerman’s Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The deli quickly became Ann Arbor’s premiere specialty foods store.  As the business grew to include mail order customers across the country, Paul and Ari were presented with an opportunity to open stores nationwide and follow a traditional franchise business model. What they did instead is a great representation of the philosophies that Alabama Chanin tries to embody. Community, sustainability, and education are at the heart of the Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, which is made up of eight different, semi-autonomous businesses that operate as one organization. Zingerman’s has remained firmly in Ann Arbor, building successful commerce from within the community, by the community, for the community. This year the organization will have annual sales of about $46,000,000 and employs nearly 600 people.

The Zingerman’s Community of Businesses (aka, the ZCoB) includes a bakery, a coffee roaster, a creamery that makes both fresh cheese and gelato, a candy manufactory, and a James Beard award-winning restaurant. ZingTrain, Zingerman’s business training service, offers seminars that share the organization’s approach to leadership, service, open book management, visioning, etc. They offer baking classes at BAKE, their nationally recognized baking school for the home baker. Zingerman’s also runs a publishing house, which publishes several books by Ari, focused on guiding the small business owner. You can find the titles Building a Great Business and Being a Better Leader in our online store. In the spirit of Alabama Chanin, the books were beautifully designed and illustrated by the Zingerman’s team, printed in Ann Arbor on recycled paper and are not available through mass market distribution.

We sat down with Ari Weinzweig to find out more about this unusual and innovative prototype for a new kind of business model.

AC: Ari, what was the impetus for taking such an unusual route to growing your business? Did it feel like a tremendous risk to go against the grain?

AW: The vision for the community of businesses came out of a year-long dialogue between me and Paul.  It started in the summer of ’93, about a decade after we opened Zingerman’s Deli, when we’d essentially fulfilled our original vision. One morning, Paul sat me down out front of the deli and asked me what I wanted us to be doing ten years down the road. I had no clue, nor much of an interest in working on the answer. But he pushed me on it and we ended up spending a year planning a vision of the future that we were excited about. Our original vision for the deli was clear in that we only wanted one of them—we like unique things (like the clothing at Alabama Chanin) and so we knew we didn’t want to make copies of what we had started. But we did want to keep growing. And that led us over the course of that year to write the vision for Zingerman’s 2009—it outlined the idea of having a community of businesses, all Zingerman’s businesses, but each with its own unique specialty.  All would be located in the Ann Arbor area. Each would have a managing partner (or partners) that owned part of that business and ran it day to day. And we would operate as one coherent Zingerman’s organization made up of these semi-autonomous pieces.

Was it hard to go our own way? Not really that hard, I don’t think. We’ve always gone our own way. I’ve always been averse to doing what everyone else is doing. It was harder to decide what we were going to do. We knew we didn’t want to do what everyone else was doing. We were much more driven to do something special, that we felt good about, than we were to make money. But there weren’t really any models out there for us to look at. So we ended up creating our own. Fortunately, it worked out pretty well.

AC: I’ve heard many people advise against taking on a business partner because you risk compromising your vision, but you’ve built an extensive business based on collaboration. How do you manage working with so many different individuals without losing your overall vision?

AW: For us it starts with the vision. Because we don’t become partners until after we’ve agreed on a vision, it reduces the odds of that happening. The way that we define our vision (described in Part 1 of the Guide to Good Leading, Building a Great Business) results in a collaboratively created, highly detailed, emotionally engaging picture of the future that we want to go after. And because it’s in writing, and we’re likely to have worked on it together for a year or more before we open, it significantly increases the odds of the partnerships working.

It’s certainly not the only way to work. But it works for us. We like having a lot of smart people driving for greatness together. I wrote an essay on the Natural Laws of Business (in Building a Great Business) and #9 is that success means you get better problems. We far prefer the problem of having too many people going after greatness and the challenges that brings, than the one of having to do everything ourselves.

AC: I’m headed to Ann Arbor this summer for Camp Bacon, where I’ll lead an Alabama Chanin workshop and take part in what is essentially a bacon festival (and fundraiser for Southern Foodways Alliance). How did the idea for Camp Bacon come about?

AW: Well, I also wrote a book on bacon—Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon. In the book I sort of made up the idea of this great camp that we could all wish we’d gone to. About eight months after the book came out we were in a meeting, talking about the book, and Pete Garner, our marketing manager, laughingly said, “We should actually have Camp Bacon.” One thing I’ve learned over the years is that those off the cuff, not really serious comments are often great, creative ideas. So I said, “You know, you’re right, let’s do it!” And we did. This will be our 4^th annual. We do it is a fundraiser for Southern Foodways Alliance and for the 4H Clubs. We have a great lineup—four or five bacon makers, a couple of bacon poets, and of course you—leading a session on sewing bacon and bacon sewing. Oh yeah, plus all the bacon you can eat! Or in your case, sew!

Find more details about Bacon camp here.

AC: After Camp Bacon, I’m planning to stay over and attend the ZingTrain seminar “Creating a Vision of Greatness,” which promises to help small business owners from a variety of industries grow their businesses to greatness over bigness and achieve their respective visions. There’s a tremendous generosity in sharing what you’ve learned through running Zingerman’s. Why share?

AW: Why not? For openers, the obvious answer is that’s what ZingTrain does—share the Zingerman’s Experience and approach to business through training. Also because people asked—we’re regularly asked about “the secrets” of what we do. The business books and the seminars are those “secrets” (which of course aren’t really secrets, anyways!). On a more intellectual or philosophical level? We believe in what we’re doing. We believe that when we share it, good things happen in the world. And we believe that all involved—all of us who are sharing and you to whom we’re teaching—will benefit.

AC: In your Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 1, Building a Great Business, you write that your intimate study of anarchism lends heavily to the Zingerman’s business model. Can you tell us a little bit about how being a “lapsed anarchist” has affected the Zingerman’s organization?

AW: When I started studying history at the University of Michigan in the late 1970s, my distrust of authority, along with my fascination with obscure thinkers, drove me to spend a fair bit of time in a section of the university’s graduate library known as the Labadie Collection. Barely remembered today, Jo Labadie (pronounced, Lah-BAH-die), a Detroiter known during his lifetime as “the gentle anarchist,” donated his entire collection of political pamphlets—primarily pieces by anarchists like himself—to the U of M in 1911, creating the core of a now world-renowned collection of publications related to radical politics.

To this day, many people confuse the terms “anarchy” and “anarchism.” While the two sound similar, they aren’t the same thing. The former refers to a state of leaderless bedlam; the latter is a philosophy based on respect for the individual and freedom from the restrictions of government or external authority. Early 20th-century anarchist Alexander (Sasha) Berkman said: “I must tell you, first of all, what Anarchism is not. It is not bombs, disorder, or chaos. It is not robbery and murder. It is not a war of each against all. It is not a return to barbarism or to the wild state of man. Anarchism is the very opposite of all that.”

Anyways, about three years ago as I was working on Part 1 of Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading,  Building a Great Business I started rereading a lot of the old anarchist’s books as preparation for a talk I was giving at the Jewish Studies department at the university here. I was shocked by the amazing parallels between a lot of what they were writing about and the way we were trying to run our business. Respect for every individual, free choice, doing the right thing for the community, the importance of doing work you believe in, the belief that every individual has something to contribute, the thought that hierarchy his rarely helpful…reading it in the context of Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, I was struck by the parallels. It’s pretty powerful.

Here’s one example: in her 1910 essay, “Anarchism,” Emma Goldman wrote that anarchism “is the freest possible expression of all the latent powers of the individual… [which is] only possible in a state of society where man is free to choose the mode of work, the conditions of work, and the freedom to work. One to whom the making of a table, the building of a house, or the tilling of the soil, is what the painting is to the artist and the discovery to the scientist—the result of inspiration, of intense longing, and deep interest in work as a creative force.” Again, replace the words “anarchism” and “society” with “Zingerman’s” or “our organization” and her words pretty much sum up the kind of work experience we’re trying to provide here!

Two weekends ago, we participated in the inaugural Southern Makers event in Montgomery, Alabama. The one-day affair, curated and created over the last year by Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Matter, and E.A.T. South, celebrated Alabama-based makers and designers who focus on producing and transforming modern sustainable products derived from local traditions in architecture, food, fashion, and design. The afternoon included workshops, panel discussions, a maker bazaar, chef tasting booths, live bands, and a wealth of conversations that grew over coffee, delicious food, and locally brewed beer.

The Union Station Train Shed on the Alabama River offered the perfect venue for the 90+ artisans, artists, chefs, musicians, designers, and makers who convened for the day. The set, designed by Bell + Bragg and Southern Accents Architectural Antiques, had a distinctly Southern aesthetic, and was organized by region: Points North; Points Central; Points South. We shared a section of the train shed with friends Butch Anthony, Billy Reid, and artist Audwin McGee. Live bands, including Florence natives, The Pollies, occupied the stage that anchored the north end of the depot, set before the backdrop of windows, a wall of doors, and a constantly occupied swing that hung from the enormous roof.

Chefs David Bancroft of Acre, Wesley True of True (both part of the Front Porch Revival, who spoiled us with an impressive menu last month during Barnstorm 2013), and Jim N’ Nick’s BBQ (who took good care of us last fall at our cotton picking party) provided tastes for Southern Makers attendees. Cheese maker Tasia Malakasis demonstrated how to make goat cheese from her Belle Chevre booth. We met the ladies behind Mama Mocha’s Coffee Emporium, an in-house roaster in Auburn, Alabama, where they brew each cup to order (the Whiskey Caramel Latte with an Evan Williams-brown sugar reduction was a favorite). We also met the guys behind Plenty Design Co-op, a Birmingham, Alabama design firm focused on modern, minimalist design principles (more on their beautiful pieces to come…).

It was a full day, beginning with a Two-Hour Sewing Workshop that overlapped an all-day busy booth, and concluded with a successful panel discussion on which Natalie spoke alongside makers Gina Locklear of Zkano socks, Eating Alabama filmmaker Andy Grace, Carol Griffin of Birmingham’s Continental Bakery (maker of our favorite wild yeast bread), Chris Blankenship of Alabama Gulf Seafood, and Carter McGuyer from Carter McGuyer Design, a Tuscumbia-based design firm, on the topic of renewing traditional, local industries to resonate in a modern world. The panel discussion was one of several conversations under the theme “Alabama: Past, Present, Future,” that addressed sustainability and preservation of materials and traditional practices across creative disciplines in Alabama.

The event was a great beginning to understanding the wealth that our own state-wide communities and makers possess, and an excellent event model for other states and communities to follow. This week we kick off MAKESHIFT 2013, on occasion of New York Design Week, where we look forward to hosting (and co-hosting) several conversations and events around the intersection and collaboration of industries like design, fashion, food, music, craft, and DIY. We will carry what we’ve learned and discovered about our own Alabama makers into our MAKESHIFT conversations, where we strive to expand our growing regional discussions into a global exchange.

There may be no more relevant time than now to talk about Slow Design, specifically Slow Fashion, as the body count in a collapsed garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh – a factory that churned out Fast Fashion for American consumers – surpasses 900.

As we prepare to travel to New York for MAKESHIFT 2013 to discuss WHERE FASHION, FOOD, DESIGN, CRAFT + DIY INTERSECT and HOW WE define and TRANSFORM THE INTERSECTION OF FASHION, FOOD, DESIGN, CRAFT + DIY THROUGH INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION FOR THE BETTER GOOD, we find ourselves asking why MAKESHIFT might be relevant in the wake of the Dhaka, Bangladesh tragedy.

The Slow Design movement’s roots are based on the same premise as the Slow Food movement, both historically intellectual factions often viewed as exclusive clubs. (Penelope Green wrote a great article in the New York Times on Slow Design that brings the concept to a relatable level). Slow Food has become more democratic in recent years, thanks to the many chefs who dedicate their kitchens and menus to locally, sustainably grown produce and humanely raised meat (the fashion industry has a lot to learn from these guys). Planting home gardens and buying from local farmers markets has become a trend and good habit for many of us. We can feel and taste the personal benefits even when we can’t tangibly appreciate the long term benefits on our local economy and farm land.

Ironically, Fast Fashion was established with the “democratic” moniker, where the latest trends and styles on the runway are not just available to everyone, but sold with a bill of entitlement to own them. We buy clothes, wear them once, or until they wear out (too soon), and throw them in the landfill. Not only do we further the demise of our environment and negatively affect climate change, but now we see how our Fast Fashion habits affect innocent workers abroad. According to Elizabeth Cline in her book Over-Dressed, only 2% of clothing is made in the U.S. today, down from 50% in 1990. Roughly 41% of our clothing is made in China. Many of those garment factories are unregulated and built illegally, posing grave danger to those reporting for work every day, and for very low wages.

Alabama Chanin is built on the Slow philosophy. Everything we produce is slow. Our fabric is custom dyed, then cut by hand in the studio, stenciled by hand, packaged and distributed to local artisans who hand-stitch every garment from seam to appliqué to beaded embellishment. It takes roughly eight to ten weeks to produce a garment. The very nature of our process is in direct conflict with the predominant practice for delivering clothing to the masses.

When we hear chefs dedicated to using locally grown products talk about where their produce comes from, they always talk about relationships, about knowing their farmers. Transparency and collaboration appear to be at the heart of the Slow Food movement and it seems natural to expect the same of Slow Design and Slow Fashion. MAKESHIFT was born from the idea of shifting the way we make. In essence, it’s a shift in the way we consume as well. Small, sustainable and environmentally minded businesses can’t compete with mass-produced, low-cost goods, but through collaboration, great things are possible.

We talked to pirate Richard McCarthy last year about cultural assets and Slow movements, and the subject of sustaining local commodities, like food, came up. In the same way locally grown food is distributed through supermarket alternatives, like farmer’s markets, Slow Fashion may also need distribution alternatives. The opportunities for collaboration and innovation appear to be ripe, and necessary.

Our hope is to see the possibilities for collaborative growth and conversations around Slow Design and Slow Fashion become as common as our predilections for locally, sustainably grown food.

Follow us next week as we ask these important questions during MAKESHIFT 2013, and please share with us your ideas here on our journal.