American Love Affair Uses Crowdfunding to Showcase Made in the USA Designers
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 24, 2013 -- Breaking the retailing mold, online shopping site American Love Affair today announced the launch of its crowdfunding campaign to spotlight little-known American designers, all of whom manufacture their clothing in the USA at a remarkable value. The campaign already raised over $10,000 in its limited soft launch, all of which will go toward the test procurement of new American brands that will be marketed and sold at americanloveaffaironline.com, the e-commerce website that is currently home to such brands as Cut Loose clothing, Terox footwear, and Rich & Skinny denim. In exchange for donations of as little as $3, backers can select perks ranging from social media shout-outs to eco-friendly shirts and premium denim jeans. The campaign aims to raise $30,000.
American Love Affair, named for its founder's love affair with America, was founded in 2012. After having spent three years in refugee camps in the post-Vietnam war era before arriving in the U.S., Noelle Nguyen says she was inspired to create American Love Affair to make the Made in the USA label the most coveted in the world.
According to economists, Nguyen is on to something, as the U.S. manufacturing revival continues to gain steam against soaring wages in developing countries. "Manufacturers contributed $1.87 trillion last year to our economy, according to the National Association of Manufacturers. With the highest multiplier effect of any economic sector, a manufacturing resurgence will have a significant long term positive effect on the rest of the economy," says Terry Young, Ph.D., Chair of Economics at Pepperdine University.
Some have advocated for the pursuit of advanced manufacturing while yielding low-end manufacturing, such as that in apparel, to other nations. Nguyen sees it differently. On her campaign page, she writes, "Today we may concede low-end manufacturing, tomorrow advanced manufacturing. It's not rational to speak of a truly global economy--in which developing countries now have the technology, capital, and resources to compete globally where they did not previously exist--while concluding, in the same breath, that these nations will simply concede advanced manufacturing to the U.S. This is a fatally arrogant and shortsighted view."
Demos Vardiabasis, Ph.D., former economic commissioner of the state of California, expounds, "China has been playing the role of global manufacturer in the last 30 years and is now slowly abandoning this role, moving toward a knowledge economy. The advantage the U.S. had was our dominance in human capital. But due to global advancements in technology, there are no longer silos."
"We must compete for every job," adds Nguyen.
American Love Affair leverages technology to bring to one online destination hard-to-find American fashion and consumer brands, providing convenience, value, and selection to customers. They have "Combined technology with the best in American-made products to bring a new shopping experience to consumers. VEDC is proud to be their partner," praised Roberto Barragan, president of VEDC (Valley Economic Development Center), a national non-profit organization whose mission is to create and sustain jobs and businesses in communities.
Through their grassroots crowdfunding campaign, American Love Affair will raise enough capital to test five new vendors who otherwise would not have the opportunity to present their products to consumers. Supporters are encouraged to donate as little as $3 to the limited-duration campaign, which ends on August 9.
About American Love Affair:
Based in Los Angeles, California, American Love Affair is an online shopping website for fashions and fine jewelry, all made in the USA. Founded in 2012 by Noelle Nguyen as an executive MBA capstone project, the company scoured the U.S. consumer markets to bring to one destination American brands that manufacture in the USA, offering not only style but value to consumers. Gone are the days of searching endlessly for American-made products. To schedule an interview with Noelle Nguyen, please contact Adele Michaels at 888-705-1175 Ext. 102. Nguyen is a passionate and candid interview subject and has been profiled by the likes of ABC Los Angeles and WABC Radio.
Adele Michaels, American Love Affair, LLC, http://AmericanLoveAffairOnline.com, +1 888-705-1175 102, [email protected]
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