Various items produced by Public Thread over the years.
Incredible amount of fabric, notions, and straps
On a gray January day, which turned out to be quite balmy, WCC went on a field trip to Public Thread. This was a follow-up to a presentation given by Janay Brower, entrepreneur and founder of Public Thread, to us back in November of 2025. We were intrigued by her business so she invited us on a tour.
Public Thread workspace
Artist created items from post consumer jeans.
In a former factory and interesting building, the workspace is located next to the Elevated Market, a vintage, artisan, and antique marketplace at 955 Godfrey, NW. Well-placed signs lead you in to the Public Thread space where you see a spacious room with wood floors and tall ceilings. A display of artists’ works made in denim from their recent Materials Activation Lab immediately pull one in to take a look. A basket of denim flowers and a lamp imagined from post consumer (used) jeans are among the interesting creations. Venturing further, one can see shelves full of fabric, webbing, straps, billboard vinyl, and leather from local businesses. Sewing machines are lined up ready to run.
What began in 2016 in Janay’s home is now housed in a space full of a staggering amount of textile waste (new materials) which are reimagined and upcycled into usable consumer goods such as bags, pillows, computer sleeves, koozies, and so much more. In 2024 they kept 16.8 tons of textile waste out of landfills locally in Michigan. That is amazing! Imagine what could be saved from landfills if this was implemented in most cities in the US! Janay is looking into sharing this business model with other communities.
It was a great tour and a great Q & A session afterward. Thank you Janay!
For more information visit https://www.publicthread.org/
