“Made in Canada” is Liza Heider’s niche while so many are manufacturing overseas.  When you hear about clothing manufacturers you automatically think that the product is being made in China, Vietnam, Mexico or Bangladesh. Especially when it comes to cotton.

Liza goes out of her way to support Canadian artists and workers while having the peace of mind that the goods she sells are produced in an ethical way.  Does it cost more to hire Canadian versus off shoring to China? Absolutely, but the expense, quality and time is worth it! So much love comes back to Liza and her community when she supports local Canadian artists and manufacturers.

Liza purchases her 100% cotton t-shirts from King Athletics in Calgary, Alberta. The only non-Canadian element of Liza’s t-shirts is the cotton yarn that comes from North Carolina because cotton doesn’t grow in Canadian climates. This cotton is then shipped to King Athletics. Everything is done at King Athletics with sustainability in mind, as well as supporting local workers and partnering businesses. At the Calgary plant, King Athletics has 35 employees who make about 1,500 garments every day. 

What about the cotton? Liza’s t-shirts are made out of organic combed cotton. Combed cotton is a softer version of regular cotton, made by treating the cotton fibers before they are spun into yarn. Because combed cotton requires more work and results in a higher quality, tougher fabric, it is more expensive than regular cotton.

The yarn is shipped to Montreal where it’s transformed into a knit fabric that is colored with high-quality reactive, environmentally friendly dyes at a plant in Ajax, Ontario, before arriving either at King Athletics’ in-house facility in Calgary or a sub-contractor’s factory in Toronto for cutting and sewing. 

What about the silk screening? That’s made in Canada too! Liza supports a Vancouver silk screen artist, Vandango Design at Maker Labs, Vancouver.  Vandango Design makes the screens by hand, then silk screens the shirts using the squeegee method.

~ Maple leaf design by Donald Lee with Mind Forms, Toronto, Ontario ~ Fabric paint by Opus Art Supplies