The Details Matter: ALL WE REMEMBER and a More Considered Way to Make Clothes

I met Jacob Victorine years ago through Chicago’s fashion ecosystem. Since then, we’ve shared panels, and I’ve had the opportunity to visit both ALL WE REMEMBER’s old studio and its newer space in Logan Square. What has stayed with me is the way Jacob and the team think about their work. There is an intellectual curiosity to it, but also a willingness to get specific: where a material comes from, who works on it and what happens when a garment is made.

ALL WE REMEMBER is a Chicago clothing label founded by Jacob, Noah Zagor and Rob Johnson. Their gender-neutral designs have a quiet confidence, but the simplicity is not the absence of thought. Look closer and there is a whole set of choices behind the fabric, the fit, the closures and the people involved in getting a piece into the world.

Responsibility is a practice

There is no perfectly sustainable garment. The most responsible thing any of us can do is consider whether we need to consume at all. But when clothing is made, the decisions still matter. Which materials are used? Who makes the piece? How much care goes into it? Can it stay useful to someone for years?

That honesty is part of what I appreciate about ALL WE REMEMBER. In a 2025 Chicago Reader profile, Jacob described the brand as responsible rather than claiming it had eliminated its impact. Shipping, energy and the limits of what a small business can oversee are part of the picture too. To me, that willingness to acknowledge the tension is more useful than pretending it does not exist.

The brand works with natural fibers and botanical dyes and shares the people and organizations behind its production. Its published partner list names Chicago-based DIGIT Patterns Services and Green Matters Natural Dye Company in Pennsylvania, among others. The point is not that every part of the process happens in one place. It is that the people and relationships behind the garment are worth knowing.

Old knowledge, new forms

Ocean Shibori detail. Photography: Jacob Victorine / ALL WE REMEMBER; styling and creative direction: Noah Zagor.

I’m fascinated by natural dyeing: the idea that techniques with long histories can be carried into contemporary clothing without losing the craft and knowledge behind them. The brand’s work brings that perspective into pieces designed for different bodies and ways of dressing.

The details can be subtle. In the Reader, Jacob describes functional choices such as adjustable drawstrings and generous pockets alongside a commitment to construction and longevity. A garment can feel simple on first encounter and reveal more thought the longer you live with it.

That is part of what I see as the future of luxury. Not necessarily a bigger footprint or a louder logo, but a relationship with an object and the people behind it: knowing more about how it was made, taking care of it, mending it when needed and finding meaning in wearing it over time. That is my perspective, not a claim about the brand’s business ambitions.

A space for more than shopping

At the 2025 Chicago Fashion Awards, CFC recognized ALL WE REMEMBER as Eco Innovator of the Year. The recognition reflected work we were excited to see in our own community. I also want to be clear about our connection: CFC presents the awards, and I know Jacob through our work in Chicago fashion.

Their Logan Square space adds another layer. Block Club Chicago reported that the shop and studio bring together the label’s clothing, photography books from Realm Books and footwear by Seres, alongside opportunities to see and learn about the making process. Check current hours and offerings before visiting.

What I appreciate is the sense that a brand can have a clear identity and still make room for other people. A store can be a place to shop, but it can also be a place to learn, exchange ideas and build a community around shared values.

Chicago has designers thinking seriously about the future of fashion right now. ALL WE REMEMBER is one of the brands I hope more people take the time to know.

Explore ALL WE REMEMBER’s CFC Fashion Directory profile and discover more local designers.

Explore the work of Shelby Olson, pictured above. Read more from CFC: After the ribbon-cutting.