Elegance to Honor the Everyday Woman
"Kait" is a name that has been popular throughout Britain and the United States for centuries. With a variety of spellings and pronunciations, it beautifully blends the "girl next door" with a picture of honorable femininity far deeper than outward appearance. "Kait" is feminine, but not fussy; strong, but not harsh; dignified, but not snobbish. It points to a beauty not confined to body type, style of dress, or cultural norms. Rather, it is one that can be cultivated in the heart of every woman.
Crowns have been worn by royalty throughout the ages to symbolize positions of significance and authority. Yet, the crowns did not make those individuals royal. Rather, they symbolized what was already inherent. So too, a woman's value is not determined by what she wears. She has inherent dignity simply because she is human.
Nevertheless, clothing is a beautiful language. With it we speak of our personalities, dreams, and lifestyles. Our desire at Kait & Crowne Collections is to use that language to tell the story of the everyday woman; to create timeless garments, combined with elements from history and a dash of all things royal, to point to the beauty of womanhood that never goes out of style. In a sense, clothing can be a crown to symbolize a value already inherent. Our hope is to do just that - to use elegance to honor.
We are a private clothing brand nestled in the foothills of South Carolina near the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. We have over ten women on the team, almost all of whom are business owners and moms that work from home.
We believe firmly in the importance of slow fashion and sustainability. However, what does that mean practically?
First, it means having a business model sustainable for our life seasons, enabling each team member to work from home and structure her life around her family. We do not have employees tied to a clock and central work location. Rather, our "office" is comprised of countless kitchen tables, spare rooms, and beds turned into cutting spaces. Being present to nurture the communities entrusted to our care is top priority.
Second, in order to reduce waste, all our garments are made-to-order or created in very small batches. Instead of investing in a large inventory that may just sit on our shelves, we have chosen to focus those funds on paying our team members well, investing in quality fabrics, and only making pieces that will have a home in someone's wardrobe.
Third, almost all our team members are small business owners with whom we contract. Not only do they invest tremendous beauty into what we do, but we help them grow and fulfill their dreams. We all literally sustain each other and are our biggest cheerleaders.
Finally, from our packaging to our fabrics, we strive to choose almost exclusively natural fibers and recyclable material. Stewarding the world around us is of great importance.
Though we design, pattern, and tailor almost all our products, there are a few we outsource.
Our knitwear production partner is located in Leicestershire, England and was established in 1976. Their zero-waste, ethical manufacturing factories are located in India and England and use only 100% natural fibers sourced from respected companies around the world. Over the decades, they have gained reknown in the British luxury world and even received a visit from HRH Princess Anne in 2013.
Our tea production partner is a small, family-owned company in Pennsylvania, USA. Each tea is hand-blended from all natural (often organic) ingredients and tucked into a bio-degradable, compostable tea sachet. Once you are finished with your beverage, simply tuck the sachet into your garden or flower bed!
Though we love the elegant branding on our shipping boxes, we love the company behind the boxes even more! Every product they create is either recyclable, compostable, or reusable. With each order, they use part of the profits to further global reforestation and clean water production. Whereas most packaging is made from plastic that harms the environment, the packaging our partner seeks to create helps the earth become a better place.
Coming from a three-generation heritage of watch-makers that began in 1949, the brother-sister team Ryan and Loren Wilson founded Nacre Watches to continue their family legacy. Their small business is located in Florida, USA and sources high quality supplies from around the globe. Made using a vegetable tanning process, the leather they source is crafted from more environmentally conscious methods than traditional, large-scale tanning practices. Ryan and Loren visit the leather artisans in Italy personally to ensure production practices are ethical and sustainable.
Out of a love affair with Como silk crafted in Como, Italy, the boutique Elizabetta was born. Every item sold by the brand is made in sweatshop-free, eco-conscious, and family run businesses in Italy. The company owner personally visits the workshops several times and year and has come to consider the artisans as family.
The Elizabetta scarves are printed with non-toxic vegetable dyes and individually sewn by skilled artisans in the heart of Italy.
Elizabetta is truly a small business, made up of only three women.
Company Founder: Elizabetta Perkins was born in New York City, raised in London and Rome, and currently resides in the Le Marche region of Italy.
Managing Director: Francesca Dinardo, Elizabetta's daughter, manages the European market and lives in Toulouse, France.
Director of U.S. Logistics: Cindy Sullivan takes care of all the shipping and supply for the U.S. market and lies in Wisconsin.
