Mission Statement and Bio

WHAT IS ALTAR?  

Altar is a clothing company and retail store with a brick-and-mortar location in Portland, OR. We initially opened a business in 2010 (under another name in the same retail location) with a focus on supporting independent artists from our immediate region, and by 2015 when we became Altar, we had grown that vision into the beautifully curated and ever-changing space it is today. We celebrate independent manufacturers and artists from across North America, with a focus on the stories that are woven into their work. We use the phrase, “objects with meaning” because we believe in sharing the unique stories behind these pieces. 

Our clothing brand, Altar Houseline, is proudly made in America using deadstock materials and serves size gradations from size small to 6XL. 

WHO ARE WE? 

Altar is a tiny but mighty team comprised of: 

Owner/Designer- Cassie Ridgway 

 Production Assistant: Thu Nguyen

Occasionally, we are also blessed to work with Stylist and Creative Andrea Beedle. With a team this small, we all wear many hats, and each is an essential part of the voice of this company. 

ABOUT THE OWNER 

Cassie Ridgway opened her shop in 2010 with less than $3000 in the bank and a night job. Owning and operating this small business has been defined by labor of love and perseverance. Cassie's passion for sustainably produced and ethically manufactured apparel was a driving force, and has kept her laser focused on making this company better by the year. Her aesthetic sensibilities are always sort of changing (ok, sometimes all over the place), but she has always consistently been inspired by desert color-stories, moody floral motifs, art deco filigrees, and modern art. 

She is a mother to a precocious and brilliant young boy named Desmond. As an aside to her career at Altar, Cassie is currently a graduate student at Portland State University studying ELA Education in a program that focuses on Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy, Critical Race Theory, and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. She intends to find a path in the future where Education and Manufacturing will converge.  

In the Summer of 2021, Cassie worked with Portland Fashion Institute to acquire a grant through Prosper Portland to develop curriculum for high school students and at-risk youth. Our program is an apparel design and brand development training certificate that teaches tangible trade skills and manufacturing techniques. The larger goal is to create space in this industry, specifically within our city, for a new league of brands that will change the industry in which we work with a vision for equity, representation, and artistic expression. 

MISSION STATEMENT: 

Altar has always sought to uplift community by focusing on handmade story-telling. We believe that objects are imbued with power and meaning, and that artistry and craftsmanship is an important part of human connection. Ethical manufacturing guidelines and sustainable practices take many forms and narratives, and we are always committed to discovering new ways to improve upon both. Our store is committed to diversity and inclusivity: in our hiring practices, our product sourcing, our visual content, and our core values. Please read on to learn about some of the ways we are addressing these subjects, and we welcome feedback, suggestions, and opportunities to educate ourselves and grow our values. 

MANUFACTURING: 

Our apparel is proudly made in the USA. Most of our apparel is made by us in our Portland studio, but we also partner with two factories in Los Angeles. We source the lion's share of our textiles deadstock, which can be implicitly challenging to some degree because most of our styles are in somewhat limited stock. This means that we make small runs in specific prints and colors, and when they're sold out: they're gone forever. Nevertheless, we seek to repeat classic styles that are staple elements which will last year-over-year, and we stand by the promise that we care about your products well after you’ve purchased them. For example, if you ever need to: bring your garment by for alterations or repairs. 

Our factory partners in LA were specifically chosen for their long-standing presence as ethical manufacturing houses and both have been proudly serving the design community for more than two decades. 

Our LA Factory partners are Fashion Frankie Incorporated, Coldwater Inc, AAA Grading and Marking, and Leslie Gless Pattern and Development. All are family-owned and operated with a longstanding staff with fair wage labor practices and safe, healthy working conditions.  

ETHICAL WAGE LABOR PRACTICES

ALTAR hereby publicly assures that all apparel workers in our supply chain, who were paid to produce or handle goods at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, regardless of employment status, will be paid their legally mandated or regular wages and benefits, whichever is higher. This will be assured for the full period of the crisis and contingent on when country-specific government-imposed lockdown have ended entirely. This includes back pay and, where applicable, negotiated severance pay. We will contribute funds of a sufficient amount to ensure that, when combined with other support provided to workers by employers, local governments, and international institutions, workers have income, equal or greater than, the amount they received prior to the crisis. In doing so, we provide immediate much-needed relief for workers, and we act upon our responsibility to prevent and mitigate adverse human rights impacts in our supply chains, and to provide for or cooperate in the remediation of harm. Going forward, we will support stronger social protections for workers by committing to paying a price premium on future orders into a guarantee fund reserved for severance and outstanding wages in cases where employers in our supply chain have gone insolvent, or otherwise have terminated workers, through signing an enforceable agreement with garment worker unions, in line with ILO Recommendation 202, Convention 95 and Convention 76.

SUSTAINABILITY: 

In addition to our intentional use of deadstock fabrics (mentioned above), as of June 2020, we are focusing as much as we can on sustainable measures, especially when it comes to the main byproduct of retail sales: packaging. We are now sourcing compostable, biodegradable, and recycled shipping materials as well as packaging for in-store sales.

We source our compostable mailers, gift boxes, bags and tissues from Noissue, Packwire, Rio Grande, and Papermart (and reused bubble wrap from received orders when necessary).

We have also newly added a carbon credits program called Climate Friendly Cart. Climate Friendly Cart is an app that appears on the cart checkout page of online store and gives our customers the ability to add a carbon credit to their purchase by simply clicking a button. We hope you love this, and please let us know what you think of it!  

Another important aspect of sustainable efforts at Altar involves our emphasis on "zero waste" protocol in our production methods. This means we use as much or all of our fabric yardage (included but not limited to an assortment of zero-waste products such as masks, headbands, scrunchies, pockets, and more!). In an effort to ensure maximum yields and usage, our pattern markers are made to ensure minimum waste. 

Of course, even with our efforts to create zero-waste designs, there is always a bit of unusable scrap (commonly known as 'salvage') that is a byproduct of our garments. For these unusable scrap pieces, we are now recycling with an amazing program called ReTold Recycling. You can find out more about it here (and you can sign up for your very own fabric recycling system!). 

READ MORE ABOUT OUR APPROACH TO ZERO-WASTE, ONE-OF-A-KIND RUNS, AND DEADSTOCK FABRIC IN OUR 'TALKING TRASH' BLOG POST!

As of 03/22/21, we are SO excited to announce our partnership with Treet: a platform developed to support Circularity and Resale in the Independent Design and Manufacturing Community. This platform will allow our customers to list their pre-loved Altar Houseline garments with our endorsement of their value, their impact, and their continued wear. 

Some reasons we have committed our brand to Treet's platform for Circularity: 

As of June 2020, Altar Houseline apparel’s size gradations will range from size Small to 6XL (on every style). We are truly so excited to offer a size range that invites more beautiful babes to try out our clothing, and please know that we are also open to alterations if need be :) 

We are frequently asked if extended gradations must be custom ordered and the answer is: no, they are all available on the rack and in stock for online orders. Custom fit can be requested as alterations, but subject only to inventory levels, all styles include all sizes, so come try them on in-person if you're local ;)

DIVERSITY: 

To us, diversity is the kelson of artistry. Our most essential goal is to the honor the lived experiences of our staff, our customers, our friends, our vendors, and our community. We can always learn more by listening, and we will always welcome hearing from you if there are ways for us to broaden representation. We are working towards product sourcing with a focused lens on brands with founders that are BIPOC. We also care deeply about the role of representation of diversity of body types, gender identities, race and cultural identities, in our content.

As of June 2020, our product sourcing will be focused on BIPOC manufacturers. Over the course of the next few weeks through our Fall/Winter offerings, we will be acquiring many new brands in the hopes that we will, by the January 2021, bring our store to at least 20% of Black-owned vendor representation. By January 2022, we will bring our BIPOC vendor representation to 60% of total brands we carry. 

As always, all of the products in our store are independently manufactured. 

Black Lives Matter.

OUR DIGITAL MARKETPLACE

Altar's Digital Marketplace features hundreds of independent designers from all over the country whose products are not only beautifully crafted with artisan quality, they are also fabricated with an attention to sustainable practices, ethical wage labor, and inclusivity. We are always forming relationships with other like-minded manufacturers whose products inspire us to continue to develop as brand. Not only do we stock these brands in our physical location, we also enable brands to use our online store to sell made-to-order items. We feel strongly that this creates a point of access for brands that are small batch makers, such as ourselves, and possibly cannot quite front-load the cost of super deep inventory. We proudly stand-by the lead times of these made-to-order items because we believe that these items are what give the name "Altar" its truest meaning: these objects have meaning that is imbued with handmade storytelling and artistry.  

CLASSISM: 

The issue of classism is something we grapple with often. Cassie’s own personal lived experience, particularly as a youth, involved economic disadvantages that have informed much of her perspectives about capitalism in general (and I need a huge space to write about that…..). The challenge of manufacturing apparel in the USA with ethical guidelines is that margins are slim and price points are never, ever going to compete with those of major fast-fashion outlets. This is something we try to reconcile as best we can, but it leaves feelings of inaccessibility (and a desire to write a very long piece of writing about capitalism….. but I digress again).

We have found one tool that we have hoped improves access to the products we carry. It is called Afterpay and it can be found at cart check out. Afterpay allows customers to break up purchases into four, interest free payments. We have always looked at this with some degree of opportunity because of the way it lessens *some* barriers to entry on price points, but we will also always strive to keep our retail prices as accessible as we possibly can. 

We also throw up quarterly Warehouse Sales (online and in-person) and these are an amazing opportunity to stock up at unbelievable prices (literal $5 bins!). Look out for those! 

PRODUCTION COST TRANSPARENCY

In an effort to present a raw cost of goods chart as a transparent and understandable table, we have created infographics that will be included in every listing so that you can see what goes into every product. These charts will help our customers get an idea for how we factor in production cost, textile cost, cost of labor, etc and seek to elucidate the overhead that substantiates our business. While some of these figures are approximations (such as marketing costs, etc) these charts reveal some of the variable costs such as textile yardage and production CPU that effect our price points. We hope this information is useful, interesting, and clear and if there is more you'd like to know, please ask us! We are also working REALLY hard to get flat lay measurement charts into every single listing as well!

 

QUARTERLY SOCIAL EQUITY REPORT of CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS:

Q2 2020: Charitable Contributions (April-June): Black Lives Matter (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership), The Black Resilience Fund, StripperStrike Action Fund Q3 2020: Black Lives Matter (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Together We Raise Auction for the Vote (benefitting: Woke Vote, Black Voters Matter Fund, Mi Familia Vote, Montana Native Vote, Alliance for Youth Action). Q4 2020: Black Lives Matter (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Imagine Peace for Pups Rescue, The Chinook Nation, PDX Sex Worker Resource Project, Q1 2021: Black Lives Matter (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership), UNITY: a student led 501(c) nonprofit organization at Northwestern University raising funds in 2021 for Arts of Life is a 501(c) nonprofit organization centered in the Chicago area. Q2 2021: POIC + RAHS (Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center + Rosemary Anderson Highschool - standing monthly contribution), Black Lives Matter (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership),Q3 2021: Together We Raise in support of Loveland Foundation, Doctors for Global Health (DGH Foundation), POIC + RAHS (Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center + Rosemary Anderson Highschool - standing monthly contribution), Black Lives Matter (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Q4 2021: PERIOD. non-profit for reproductive health, POIC + RAHS (Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center + Rosemary Anderson Highschool - standing monthly contribution), Black Lives Matter (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership) Q1 2022: Pediatric Nephrology Center of Excellence, POIC + RAHS (Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center + Rosemary Anderson Highschool - standing monthly contribution), Black Lives Matter (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Vanderbilt Fashion Week Sustainability in Fashion (Donation to support university fashion program development), Q2 2022: POIC + RAHS (Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center + Rosemary Anderson Highschool - standing monthly contribution), Black Lives Matter (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Open School East Cash Donation + in-kind support for Prom 2022, Open School East Sewing Club Development and Coordination 2022, Q3 2022: POIC + RAHS (Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center + Rosemary Anderson Highschool - standing monthly contribution), Black Lives Matter (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership), NW Abortion Access Fund (cash donation from percentage of weekend sales), Q4 2022: Open School East Give! Guide Partnering Contribution, Bone Ball Dog Rescue Auction, Greyhound Pet Adoption NW Annual Calendar by Holly Andres, POIC + RAHS (Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center + Rosemary Anderson Highschool - standing monthly contribution), Black Lives Matter (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership), Q1 2023: Always Hope 30th Anniversary Gala: Lines for Life, Open School East Give! Guide Partnering Contribution, Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership), POIC + RAHS (Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center + Rosemary Anderson Highschool - standing monthly contribution),  Q2 2023: Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership), POIC + RAHS (Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center + Rosemary Anderson Highschool - standing monthly contribution),  Q4 2023: Reclaim the Block, Don’t Shoot PDX (Monthly Sustaining Membership), OPB (Monthly Sustaining Membership), POIC + RAHS (Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center + Rosemary Anderson Highschool - standing monthly contribution), Monthly Sustaining Donation to Palestine Children's Relief Fund, 

LEARNING HOW TO BE BETTER FOR OUR CUSTOMERS: 

If you have made it to the end of this document, first of all: thank you for caring. Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about us. 

We are always learning to be better at what we do — both in product development and with our company culture. We are so grateful to folx who reach out with suggestions, recommendations, and questions, and we please invite you to tell us how we can best serve you. Feel free to email us at info@altarpdx.com 

ALTAR IS RECOGNIZED FOR ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES BY THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS: