White Oak Legacy Foundation Weaves Together American Denim’s Past and Future
America has a strong heritage and history in denim. Ever since the fabric became a workwear staple in the 1800s, denim has gone through an evolution to become ubiquitous in consumers’ closets.
Cone Denim began in 1891, and it opened its White Oak mill in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1905. Just a decade later, Cone had become the world’s largest denim mill and had entered into a supplier partnership with Levi Strauss & Co.
After more than a century in operation, White Oak closed its doors in 2017. This marked the end of an era, since at the time it was the last remaining denim mill within the U.S.
The White Oak Legacy Foundation (WOLF) is bringing back U.S.-made selvedge denim and preserving the local history of denim innovation. As part of its mission, it is returning vintage X3 Draper selvedge denim looms to use at the White Oak plant, making jeans once again in Greensboro.
Bob Stec, chairman of White Oak Legacy Foundation, spoke with Carved in Blue about the history of American denim and the organization’s work to preserve yet modernize authentic selvedge jeans.
Carved in Blue: What makes selvedge from the U.S. stand out?
Bob: First, to be authentic selvedge, you must use a shuttle loom, and those are rare at this point in time around the world. Technology and the desire for high volume production has resulted in more efficient, but less authentic, versions of fabric production. Creative people have developed ways to imitate the selvedge concept, and for the average consumer it has been effective. However, for those seeking authenticity, selvedge denim must be made on shuttle looms like the Draper X3.
This is what White Oak Legacy Foundation is all about. Our subsidiary, Proximity Manufacturing, only uses Draper X3 looms that sit on original wood flooring in the historic White Oak plant in Greensboro, NC. That level of authenticity is not duplicated elsewhere in the world, to our knowledge. Making selvedge the authentic way, in an authentic environment, creates a unique specialty product. It is a specialty market segment, but it is one that cannot be duplicated and that is what makes us stand out. It is like the difference between a Ford Mustang from 1965 and today’s modern version. Both Mustangs, but the demand and the value of the original is significantly higher than the modern version. More modern Mustangs will be sold, but the market for the originals is still very high. That is what separates us from other producers.
Carved in Blue: Why is protecting the U.S. legacy and the White Oak mill legacy so important?
Bob: It is simple really. This rich history is what made American denim and particularly denim made in this historic location what it is today. It is the foundation for the industry, the country and the city. Not just the fabric that came out of here, but the people, the community, the way of life that was created here was driven by denim production. Many innovations, patents and processes can trace their beginnings to the very site that we use today. The techniques and skills that were invented here will simply disappear if we do not invest the effort to memorialize them, teach them to the next generation and then use them as a springboard to what comes next. So in a real sense, protecting the legacy is critical to having a future, and that is something that we owe it to our next generation to help create. It is as much about the future as it is about the legacy. We strongly believe that the legacy will help drive a prosperous future.
Carved in Blue: What are some of the latest developments from WOLF?
Bob: Well, as a new foundation, there is much more in front of us than what we have accomplished to date, but we are encouraged about what we have been able to do in the last 12 to 18 months. Our vision is four-fold.
First, we want to celebrate the past through the creation of a series of “pop-up museum exhibits” that highlight the people and processes that are part of this great American story. The first exhibit is scheduled for October 2021 and will serve to raise awareness of what has been done and is being done locally.
Second, we are taking advantage of the present-day opportunity by producing commercial grade authentic fabricfor sale to selected branded partners. That inaugural run of fabric will be completed and put into garment production for consumer sales in July or August.
Third, we will launch our first denim education and training classes for both students and industry professionals in October 2021. This is critical to our vision of raising up the next generation of denim professionals to grow the denim business within the U.S. and North Carolina.
Finally, we are developing the plans for denim innovation, an extensive centerthat will be housed in the same historic facility at White Oak. It will be in coordination with many existing resources in the area such as the Joint School of Nanoscience, the University of North Carolina Greensboro School of Textiles, North Carolina State, The Textile Technology Center at Gaston College and others. We are also in discussion with one of the world’s largest denim finishing companies, Jeanologia, to bring a research and development lab and training center to our complex. This is the most exciting part of this foundation’s effort, where we believe that we can bring the past, present and future together and create something of lasting impact on this industry and our community.
Carved in Blue: What are the next projects for the foundation?
Bob: That is a tough question! We have so much to do and it all is important for the future. We are in the process of creating a long-range plan that will include expansion of all four of our areas of focus. We are planning for physical expansion that will allow us to grow within our historical site. This would include a permanent museum space, larger classroom footprint for training and the innovation center. All this falls in line with our vision of making Greensboro a major “denim hub” for the industry where the past can be celebrated, the present opportunities can be realized and the future resources, both human and technological, can be developed.
Carved in Blue: How are you bringing jeans into the 21st century when it comes to sustainability and technology?
Bob: First, a correction on the mission of WOLF. While we are about preserving the legacy and history of denim in this area, our purpose is much greater than simply a historical museum. We believe passionately about the future opportunities that exist. We think that there is an interesting intersection where new ideas like cotton fiber alternatives such as hemp and TENCEL™ and even newer nanoscience alternatives can be successfully blended with shuttle looms to produce a more sustainable denim product. Foam dyeing is a significant alternative within our supply chain as well. I failed to mention that all of our current fabric is unfinished “loom state” fabric that eliminates the environmentally expensive process of fabric finishing.
We feel that by using some old ideas such as slower, more purposeful production methods along with new technologies and fiber alternatives, we can reduce environmental impact and create products that are at the same time authentic, sustainable and more valuable than the mass-produced products in the market today. For us, it is not about size and scale like many of our predecessors; it is about being true to denim as a highly personalized product that can use modern processes and inventions to preserve and enhance what was invented centuries ago but resonates with each new generation of consumers.
Carved in Blue: How can the denim community get involved and support this initiative?
Bob: Thanks for asking that question. We welcome anyone from any level of the supply chain to reach out with ideas, criticism and help. We believe that our four pillars of work can help many in this industry through innovation, training, production and historical references. It is a large undertaking and we are in need of just about everything. Community is at the heart of what we are doing and why we exist. From the White Oak community in east Greensboro—which has seen both growth and decline tied to this industry—to the broader denim community around the globe, we believe that the best of the past and the best of the future can be woven together rather than substituted for one another to create a bigger, brighter future.
To reach Bob directly, email bob@wolfdenim.org