Founded by Harry Stone in 1928, the Ohio Knitting
Mills grew to become one of the country’s largest knitwear producers, and was
at the center of Cleveland, Ohio’s thriving garment industry. Three generations
of the Stone-Rand family ran the Mill for 76 years, producing knitwear for
iconic department stores from Sears to Saks, and revered labels like Pendleton,
Van Heusen, and Jack Winter.
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The Ohio Knitting Mills took up an entire city block,
and employed up to 700 workers. Their products ranged from the sublime to the
everyday, and from 1947 -1974 the mill’s production and creativity were at a
peak- knitting up caps, capes, sweaters, shirts, vests, dresses, and pants with
bold colors, inventive patterns, quality materials, innovative techniques and a
good dose of a strong Midwestern work ethic.
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After World War II, the Mill plucked samples of each
style they produced and put them into storage. Five decades later, this archive
had grown into a vast collection of remarkable design artifacts, representing
mainstream fashion from the classic 40’s, fab 50’s, swinging 60’s, and funky
70’s. We’ve opened this time capsule, and offer to you our collection of
perfectly preserved American fashion and industrial craftsmanship.
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