In celebration of National Women’s History Month, Cotton Incorporated unveils “Rosie Reborn,” a new campaign inspired by the iconic Rosie the Riveter to honor the strides women have made in the workforce over the past 75 years. Using denim from the original 40’s era “Rosie” jumpsuits, Cotton Incorporated joined forces with designers Emily Current and Meritt Elliott of the womenswear brand, THE GREAT., to reimagine and re-build a new line of modern-day jumpsuits for the barrier breaking Rosie’s of today.
“Cotton is the can-do fiber and embodies the versatility of women in today’s workforce,” says Kim Kitchings, senior vice president of Consumer Marketing at Cotton Incorporated. “Authentic cotton denim has been a uniform of sorts throughout history: the original Rosies during World War II, the rock-and-roll rebellion of the 1960s and casual Friday takeover in the ‘90s. Denim has empowered women in the workforce for decades and with the modern interpretation of the Rosie jumpsuit, we want women to channel that fearless determination.”
The epitome of that connection to the past, present and future comes through THE GREAT.’s redesign of one of the most iconic workwear garments in American history, featuring one of the most durable fabrics, the original Rosie the Riveter cotton denim jumpsuit.
“We have looked to both history and vintage as inspiration since the beginning of our journey in fashion and our designs are thoughtful reinterpretations of classic American silhouettes in soft, washable cottons. For this project, we deconstructed an original ‘Rosie’ vintage denim jumpsuit and reimagined it to reflect a Rosie of today – creating a one-of-a-kind prototype for The Rosie jumpsuit,” share Emily Current and Meritt Elliott, co-founders of THE GREAT. “Each jumpsuit in the line includes denim from a vintage Rosie jumpsuit, connecting Rosies past with Rosies present, and beyond. We wanted to create a legacy with this design.”
Championing the indomitable spirit of these women, the Rosie Reborn campaign spotlights six “modern day Rosies” who break boundaries in their often male-dominated fields including: THE GREAT. founders, Emily Current and Meritt Elliott; professional soccer athlete and World Cup Champion, Carli Lloyd; famed metal artist/welder, Barbie the Welder; Black Girls Code founder, Kimberly Bryant; and architecture thought-leader, Julia Gamolina.
The campaign tagline: “Cotton Makes Denim Strong. You Make It Powerful” encapsulates both the power of women and the strength of denim. A film directed by Kat Keene chronicles how Emily Current, Meritt Elliott and Cotton Incorporated redefined an iconic garment, in celebration of women who are redefining the workplace. Taking graphic inspiration from World War II-era recruitment posters paired with the reinvented jumpsuit Cotton Incorporated’s Rosie Reborn campaign features all six Modern Day Rosies and their respective accomplishments.
Anyone can become a part of the “Rosie” legacy as the limited-edition jumpsuit will be commercially available at THE GREAT. in Los Angeles or online at rosiereborn.com retailing for $350, available in sizes 0-5, (0=XS, 1=S, 2=M, 3=L, 4=XL, 5=XXL). The jumpsuit will be available for purchase nationwide this February.
For campaign imagery and jumpsuit product shots click here. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with #RosieReborn.
About our Rosies:
Emily Current and Meritt Elliott – Emily Current and Meritt Elliott are designers, entrepreneurs, longtime collaborators and brand builders who in 2015 set out to build the clothing brand THE GREAT., that served multifaceted, dynamic women just like themselves. With their unique worldview and their love of denim and soft cottons, they nodded to classic Americana and created clothing that embraced the softness and durability of both cotton denim and the women who wear it. By personifying and championing what it looks like for women to work together, they are redefining what it means to be a founder and entrepreneur for women everywhere.
Carli Lloyd – Carli Lloyd is a professional American soccer player, two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, two-time FIFA Player of the Year, and a three-time Olympian. Both on and off the field, Carli uses her experience and her influence to provide an image of female strength and determination for young girls to aspire to. She has proven with every game that women can play just as hard as the boys and should be offered the same opportunity to do so.
Barbie the Welder – With her unparalleled sculpture design and artistry, Barbie the Welder, has quickly become a world-renowned metal sculptor, published author and YouTube personality. The modern-day Rosie the Riveter uses her self-taught skills and platform to educate aspiring welders on the basics, proving that it’s not just a man’s hobby and empowering women to pick up the torch.
Kimberly Bryant – Kimberly Bryant is a nationally recognized electrical engineer and founder and CEO of Black Girls Code. Her organization is a non-profit dedicated to increasing the number of women of color in the digital space, by starting girls ages 7 to 17 in STEM fields. Kimberly has been praised as a thought leader for her work to introduce programming and technology to a new generation of coders.
Julia Gamolina – Julia Gamolina is an acclaimed leader in the architecture world receiving several accolades for her work and advocacy for women in the field. She currently serves as the Director of Strategy at global firm, Trahan Architects and is also the founder and Editorial Director of MadameArchitect.org, an online publication that aims to provide visibility and encourage advancement of leading female architects.