Project: In-Source
Design . Create . Educate
One woman, Heather Koonse has struggled over the past 6 years as a designer, seamstress and pattern drafter, trying to create a place where a designer can thrive in a small town. In 2008, Heather Koonse started The Rose Knot, a sewing workroom and custom design studio in Charleston, South Carolina. Once Koonse started her business she quickly realized she was not the only designer struggling in Charleston. Koonse’s dream is to turn The Rose Knot into Charleston's own Garment Factory. Charleston's fashion scene has blossomed, marked by the success of Charleston Fashion Week which started in 2007. The number of talented desingers in Charleston is growning. The problem is that there is no fashion industry in Charleston to support all of the designers. The vision begins with the renovation of an 800 sq foot building. This facility will become not only a small scale production facility but a resource center for local designers to use as a tool to develop clothing collections. The Garment Factory will offer pattern drafting, contract sewing services as well as sewing classes and workshops. Koonse will use the raised funds to renovate the building, purchase machines,tools and most importantly train seamstresses. As the US economy shifts, there is a need and want for US made goods. The problem is smaller cities lack the infrastructure to support locally produced clothing. Currently, fashion designers struggle to do everything themselves or they must travel to far places to develop and produce their clothing. The Charleston Garment Factory will strengthen the community by continuing the education of a dying art and help expand Charleston into a center of forward thinking in fashion and style.
Donate
Rewards for Donating:
$5+ Handmade thank you card (no limit)
$25+ Handmade thank you card and a credit on The Rose Knot website (no limit)
$50+ Sewing kit (limit 40 people)
$75+ Screen printed tote bag (limit 40 people)
$100+ Screen printed set of tea towels (limit 20 people)
$200+ 2-hour sewing lesson (limit 6 people)
$500+ Draft patterns for a custom skirt or shirt (limit 5 people)
With your help The Rose Knot
has the potential to become
a fashion educational center in
Downtown Charleston, SC.
1" = every $1,000 of goal raised.
