The Most Human Brand: An Interview with Kohl Crecelius of Known Supply
“People are people are people are people…”
I’m not going to lie, my first thought when scrolling through KNOWN SUPPLY’s website was, “Does Brené Brown know about this?” It is clear that KNOWN SUPPLY isn’t just any other clothing company seeking to make the world a better place (although being B Corp Certified is a plus!).
The brand was started, “to fill a major void we saw within the global apparel market and that was the fact that no one was truly talking about our clothing as a humanitarian issue,” says CEO and Co-Founder Kohl Crecelius. “While more companies were talking about sustainable materials or even supply chains, no one was highlighting the human impact behind our clothes in a significant way.”
KNOWN SUPPLY’s mission is clear: to humanize the apparel industry by introducing you to the person who made your clothing.
“While more companies were talking about sustainable materials or even supply chains, no one was highlighting the human impact behind our clothes in a significant way. ”
Kohl and KNOWN SUPPLY Co-Founder, Travis Hartanov are creating radical change by bringing something to the center which has long been pushed to the side: human connection. We can’t ignore the fact that without connection, love, and belonging, we all suffer (yes, you also heard that in The Call to Courage).
In order to have a brand dedicated to human connection, you need a person who is dedicated to human connection and Kohl is that person. He is passionate about connecting his customers with the person who made the product because “human connection is the only thing that really changes us. We can't solve problems unless we understand them, and we can't understand them unless we can relate to them and build empathy. It's that's simple.”
It’s that simple. After hearing Kohl talk about human connection, I was curious about where this passion came from.
“For me,” he said, “the realization of a shared human experience globally came when I had opportunities to travel and volunteer in developing countries. It was immediately evident when meeting people, especially those who lived within an extreme poverty context, that we shared so much in common. That was a beautiful realization for me and entirely changed how I thought about my approach to helping others.”
One of the opportunities abroad that Kohl alluded to was teaching women in Uganda how to crochet. If you’d like to hear more about how he took up crocheting and how it led him to where he is today, you can watch his TED Talk. In the talk, Kohl says that more people are aware of the treatment of chickens laying eggs than the treatment of people who make our clothes. I asked him whether we were making progress towards a world where people are passionate about both. Long story short, he believes, “We have a long way to go.”
Back in 2007 when they first entered the apparel industry, Kohl and Travis weren’t fully aware of the scale of modern-day slavery. “It's a known fact that the global fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to modern-day slavery. We simply saw an opportunity to provide good-paying jobs that would either prevent vulnerable individuals from being forced into slavery or help to restore their livelihoods as they stepped away from forced working conditions.”
When I asked Kohl for a story on how KNOWN SUPPLY is making a difference, he mentioned a recent visit to fair trade production partners in India. A question they ask in order to know the makers is, “What is a dream you have for your future?” He stopped to emphasize that dreams are one of the common things we all share as humans. “One woman told us that she already accomplished her dream that we had previously asked. She was able to purchase a house. Our community was a part of making this happen and that makes us so proud.”
“It’s a known fact that the global fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to modern-day slavery. We simply saw an opportunity to provide good-paying jobs that would either prevent vulnerable individuals from being forced into slavery or help to restore their livelihoods as they stepped away from forced working conditions.”
I couldn’t end this incredible conversation without asking Kohl what he loves about what he does. He replied, “I love the connection it gives me to people and communities all around the world. I love that the brand gives us a platform to influence culture through clothing and fashion. I love that we get to partner with so many amazing people to see this happen!”
His advice for Dressember advocates, “The late Maya Angelou has an amazing quote that reads ‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.’ I think our role as advocates of any kind is to firmly and gently help people to ‘know better.’ Then, to provide ways for them to do better as well.”
If you would like to connect with the people who make your clothes, check out KNOWN SUPPLY. Every product that they sell is an opportunity to meet one of the makers who was responsible for crafting it. Get connected with others, learn about their dreams, and thank them for their beautiful work.
About the Author
Madeline Van Husen first decided to be a part of Dressember while procrastinating physics homework her senior year of high school and the rest is herstory. When she isn’t too busy hosting hot chocolate parties, asking people the 36 questions, or avoiding the dreaded side-hug, you can find her curled up reading a good book, creating playlists on Spotify or drinking copious amounts of tea or frozen hot chocolate. Maddy is a senior at Boston College and wants to be like her mom when she grows up.