Sponsor Spotlight: American Apparel ⋆ Suburban Style Challenge

Yesterday I mentioned having an amazing sponsor for the Fall 2013 Fashionista Giveaway Event and boy was I right! My sponsor is none other than American Apparel! Yes, you read that right… American Apparel!

Here’s some neat stuff about American Apparel that you might not know.

American Apparel has a passion for innovation for the apparel industry. American Apparel makes their clothing right here in North America, paying their workers fair wages and offering benefits that workers in other countries only dream of. The company is constantly working to motivate their workers, better their products, and improve the clothing industry as a whole by doing some pretty nifty things.

American Apparel pays their workers up to 50 times more than the competition. An experienced American Apparel working can earn $30,000+ and receive benefits, like comprehensive health care. The folks who create American Apparel garments aren’t just people with jobs. Nope. They’re motivated and fairly-paid employees who have careers. What’s more? The company culture thrives on outstanding performance, and the company doesn’t just promote from within, they also give their employees a voice, allowing them to help influence the direction of the company. They call it “Sweatshop-Free”, a term coined in 2002.

Did you know that the American Apparel factory is the largest sewing facility in North America? Yea, I didn’t either! American Apparel believes that integrating their manufacturing, distribution, and creative processes helps keep the company more efficient than those who rely on subcontracting. American Apparel leverages art, design, and technology at their downtown LA campus, which means they can not only pay their workers fairly, but they can also sell their garments profitably. This helps them sustain their business and continue to grow, keeping customers, employees, and company shareholders happy.

While some critics like to point out the increased overhead, capital investment, and training involved with manufacturing in the USA, American Apparel is confident in their business model. As American Apparel’s sales increase towards the billion-dollar mark over the next few years, they intend to prove that vertical integration is viable business model which can work even better than the status quo model of continuous outsourcing. To American Apparel, it’s not just about being made in the USA. It’s about designing a business that doesn’t rely on the relentless pursuit of low-cost labor to survive. And American Apparel also supports free and fair trade, and has over half of their 250 stores outside the USA, which allows the company to export hundreds of millions of dollars of US-made apparel annually. It’s a new standard that the company hopes others will start to follow.

American Apparel is also committed to the environment. The company has set the precedent for sustainable and ethical manufacturing in California, which has the strictest and most progressive EPA standards in the United States. By concentrating their entire operation within a few square miles, recycling almost all of their manufacturing waste, utilizing solar panels to offset as much as 20% of their electrical usage, and becoming virtually landfill-free in 2012, American Apparel has a smaller carbon footprint than their competitors. Oh, and they ship the majority of their goods to worldwide stores by using excess space on passenger flights and busses, which continues to minimize the company’s environmental impact. This is another standard that, hopefully, other companies will start to follow.

While manufacturing in America requires long-term investment and some serious risk-taking, American Apparel thinks it’s well worth it. The apparel industry’s reliance on low wages can’t be sustained over time, and as labor and transportation costs increase worldwide, the exploitation seen in the industry will not only continue to be morally offensive, it will cease to be financially viable. But for American Apparel, making their products in the US isn’t just a trend. In fact, they’ve been doing it since the day they opened their doors 15 years ago. The company is extremely proud of the US-made model, and has created thousands of jobs both in America and worldwide. There are 6,000 workers in Los Angeles, California, and an additional 5,000 people working in American Apparel stores worldwide.

For more cool info on American Apparel, including a look into their factory, visit their “About Us” page.

So what wonderful American Apparel things am I giving away during the Fall 2013 Fashionista Giveaway Event?

Well, I searched the American Apparel website high and low for the ultimate fall items, and put together a prize pack you’ll love! It’s a prize worth $140 and is chock full of hand-picked (by me, of course), classic items that will be in your closet for years to come, just like my Hoodie, Tri-Blend Deep V Tee, Chiffon Skirt, and Crop Tee! It’s the Ultimate Suburban Style Challenge & American Apparel Fall Essentials prize pack!

The Ultimate Suburban Style Challenge & American Apparel Fall Essentials is my new favorite thing! You’ll get a gorgeous Medium Leather Carry-All Pouch in Emerald (the 2013 Pantone Color of the Year), which I’ve filled with 3 rich fall-inspired nail polishes (Poppy, Berry and Galaxy Glitter), a pair of Unisex Acrylic Fingerless Gloves in Navy, the Unisex Circle Scarf in Tri-Coffee, a pair of Creme Primary Nub Ribbed Knee-High Socks, and a Recycled Fisherman Beanie in Slate Marl. A fantastic collection of classic American Apparel items that will get you through fall and beyond! And it’s all worth $140!

So what are you waiting for?

Mark your calendars for October 3, the start of the Fall 2013 Fashionista Giveaway Event now! You’re not going to want to miss this great event! The prizes myself and over 100 other bloggers are giving away are the best ones yet, with thousands of dollars in prizes to be won worldwide.