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KNO Clothing: Sustainable threads working to end homelessness

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Image via knoclothing.comFashion isn’t always about glamour, runways and designers; sometimes, it’s about fighting for a social cause. Anthony Thomas and Stephen Caldwell started KNO Clothing to fight homelessness in urban communities.

“Fashion is something not really associated with homelessness,” says Caldwell, “we wanted to use it to benefit others.”

Thomas and Caldwell met at Messiah College in 2003. With a mutual interest in fashion and Caldwell’s business background, the pair launched KNO in November 2010. Along with social justice issues, the company also supports environmentally-friendly practices. Their funky collection of t-shirts, dresses and hoodies is made with eco-friendly, fair trade and organic fabrics. 

Aside from working with their official partners, the Harrisburg-based Bethesda Mission and the national 100,000 Homes Campaign, KNO also hosts clothes delivery events four times a year across the country. Last fall in Philly, they worked with the local branch of the Bethesda Project to distribute socks. Socks have been found to be both beneficial and most practical to distribute.

In total, 50 percent of KNO’s proceeds go to their partners and clothes distribution efforts. Since 2010, KNO has donated more than 500 articles of clothing and helped house more than 11,000 people.

To learn more about KNO Clothing and to shop online, visit Knoclothing.com 

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