The Collective Thread

The Collective Thread is expanding our current sewing school to provide needed skills training and employment opportunities to immigrant and refugee women in St. Louis by adding commercial sewing classes to our current curriculum. We will provide industrial sewing training for 60 women per year, who will have employment opportunities at identified businesses in need of sewers in St. Louis.Our small batch facility will employ 20 women to sew commercially for local clothing brands in year 2021, with 2-3 additional managerial positions. In 2022, we hope to double that number employed at The Collective Thread.Our local work helps to fund similar programs in East Africa and we are excited about our future vision of production for USA brands being produced here and in our shop in Ethiopia. There are some products that need large quantity and those simpler, large quantity items will potentially be produced there.Over the last decade, our team has made more than 35 trips to East Africa to teach women to sew. Our facilities in the US and abroad support local economies and help women out of poverty through employment.