A mother-daughter team is behind a new one-of-a-kind clothing brand whose mission is to promote pro-life values. The launch of COL 1972 (short for Culture of Life 1972, to mark the year before the historic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision) comes just in time for Friday’s March for Life in Washington, D.C.
In an interview with The Christian Post, COL 1972 co-founder Carla D’Addesi explained the vision behind the Philadelphia-based brand.
“There is a fashion war going on,” D’Addesi said. “Families like mine who are conservative feel like we have been marginalized and there is not a place for us in the fashion world because we have not been able to support with our purchasing power brands that are anti-American.”
The homeschooling mother is also a conservative columnist and radio host and has authored several children’s books that discuss religion and politics in terms kids can understand. But her latest project holds a special place in her heart.
What is the brand’s purpose?
COL 1972 was born out of an idea D’Addesi and her three girls had to create a pro-family, pro-life alternative to the overwhelming number of mainstream clothing brands that use their money to promote abortion, LGBT issues and other progressive causes.
“Our main mission is to provide amazing modest fashion that empowers our culture for life,” D’Addesi told Faithwire Thursday. “We pray our company can help leave a legacy for life for generations. We are tired of the left claiming the fashion industry and leaving we, conservatives, feeling left out!”
The new website features a variety of items for women, men, kids, babies and even pets. Ten percent of COL 1972’s proceeds will be donated to organizations that work to promote a “culture of life.”
“We do not support organizations that turn around and give money to Planned Parenthood, any anti-family organizations,” D’Addesi told The Christian Post, noting that her family has boycotted several brands for running campaigns contrary to their Christian values.
But when her girls began running out of options for ethical clothing brands, one of them joked, “Mom you are going to have to start sewing,” D’Addesi recalled.
That’s when the idea for COL 1972 began to take shape.
How high is the demand for pro-life brands?
After doing some research and creating a business plan, the four-woman D’Addesi team came across an encouraging statistic: around 9 million U.S. teens, tweens and millennial girls identify as “pro-life.”
“We saw that there are 9 million young women out there that feel the same way as my daughters. It would be amazing if we created this life tribe, posse and community that points everyone to supporting life,” D’Addesi said. “There is a gap in the fashion industry for conservative women and we want to fill that gap.”
D’Addesi and her daughters partnered with paid consultants and a pro-life Los Angeles clothing designer, and, about a year after the company’s inception, COL 1972 officially launched on Jan. 1.
“This is not your little church brand,” D’Addesi said. “We are telling people that we are hoping to be the Chick-fil-a of fashion.”
D’Addesi told The Christian Post that the 1972 in “COL 1972” is significant because it marks the last year a “culture of life was celebrated in the United States,” before abortion was legalized nationwide.
Will the company be at Friday’s March for Life?
D’Addesi told Faithwire that this year, COL 1972 is one of the official sponsors of the March for Life. It will also be a sponsor of the Students for Life 2019 National Conference that will take place Saturday in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
“We will have our first COL1972 pop up shop ever at the SFLA conference,” she shared, adding that she is “honored” to be speaking at the event.
D’Addesi and her family will attend the Save the Storks gala Thursday evening in Washington, D.C. On Friday, COL 1972 will be streaming live from the March for Life. You can follow their updates on Instagram and Facebook.
To learn more about D’Addesi and her new brand, click here.