Charleston Garment Manufactory
Heather Koonse is on the verge of something great. Not familiar with Koonse’s name? You may not know her name, but you’ve most likely seen her handiwork. She has helped local fashion designers bring their visions to the runway, assisted brides in looking their best for their big day, and aided countless Charlestonians by mending a loose hem on the quick. With her latest venture, Koonse wants to help educate the area by “creat[ing] a resource for fashion designers and individuals to use in developing and producing their clothing.”
While owning, operating, and working at the Rose Knot, a small alterations shop which was located on Lower King Street, for the past three years, Koonse was also teaching classes, drafting patterns for local designers, and helping to edit local clothing designers’ lines. Many times, she and her small staff ran short on time to alter regular people’s clothing. There was an obvious need for something bigger. Her plan is to transition what she was creating at the Rose Knot into the Charleston Garment Manufactory.
Still in the process of raising the capital needed, the CGM is currently still in its developmental stages. They will have a workshop downtown, staffed by five full-time employees (a pattern drafter, a cutter, and three seamstresses). The CGM will offer design consultation, pattern drafting, sample garment construction, and sewing classes and workshops.
The purpose of CGM is to not only design and create, but to educate. “Yes, we will be offering sewing lessons and workshops,” says Koonse, “but also educating the consumer.” The goal is to teach shoppers to be more conscious of what they are buying. “We expect clothes to be cheap, disposable, and to just appear. It takes work and it takes money,” says Koonse. Though she understands the need for fast and inexpensive clothing, Koonse wants people to be able to own fashions they are proud of, and perhaps “buy less, but 
buy quality clothing.” That way, consumers would be purchasing original designs that are locally produced (many designers are currently sourcing production in other cities). “This isn’t about mass production; it’s about increasing the demand for locally made clothing.” Shopping in our own city will, in turn, contribute to the local economy in many other ways. For example, Koonse plans to grown CGM to take on more employees in the future.
To help her vision come true, she will need our support. You can help by donating to the CGM’s online crowd source fundraising at www.indiegogo.com/charleston-manufactory. With a goal of $15,000 by April 20, she hopes to receive enough contributions to make CGM a reality, make the community proud with her staff’s hard work, and bring a new industry to Charleston.
words: Erin Perkins
images: Amelia Phillips Hale and Kris Koonse
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