An Ode to the East Fork Workshop
When word got out about East Fork’s plan to open a Brooklyn store, Dinner Service, a New York based brand known for the garments they make in partnership with musicians, brands and restaurants, approached us to explore a collaboration. The connection felt immediate—from their ethos of never using plastic based yarns or toxic chemicals in production to the vibrant energy that comes from story driven design.
Our initial meetings with Dinner Service were really about getting to know each other as people and understanding our unique brands. We talked a lot about the human-centered focus of East Fork’s storytelling and the natural style you lean into when working in manufacturing. We toyed around with the idea of a workwear piece, but the conversation turned a corner when we showed the Dinner Service team pictures of where East Fork started. Photos of the old tobacco farm out in Madison County, North Carolina, co-founders Alex and John on the wheel, and the smoke billowing across the Blue Ridge Mountains from the original wood-fired kiln built by Alex got their wheels turning.
Dinner Service wanted to help tell our story, and it felt natural to go back to our roots. The image of our co-founder John Vigeland hunched over his potter’s wheel in the original East Fork workshop was the moment where it all started to come together. After that, our teams met in Dinner Service’s Nolita store and started to explore materials and styles. The knit cotton sweater served as a blank canvas for the iconic image of John and the workshop. And the utility of it was a nice tie in for fall and winter in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Dinner Service took the lead on artfully illustrating the inspiration image. Designs A and B below were their very first iterations. After refining our ideas, we chose a slightly updated version of design A that includes a graphic of a mug, something we’re kind of known for. Because color has always been an integral part of East Fork’s creative expression, we brought in our Head of Design, Nicole Lissenden, who chooses all our seasonal glaze colors to do the color work for the sweater. The end result is a cozy, soft organic cotton sweater that is a joyful expression of craftsmanship, community and heritage.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, The Workshop Sweater evolved into a heartfelt tribute to not only our hand-thrown origins in Madison County, but also the new East Fork Workshop in Asheville, which was destroyed in the floods. Formerly known as the Small Batch Studio, the EF Workshop was our last remaining tie to hand-throwing pots on a wheel. It was the spot where we experimented with new forms, troubleshooting what worked and what didn’t, and crafted limited-edition, collectible pots that often sold out in minutes. Now, this sweater encapsulates the memories of our past workshops, serving as a reminder of our journey with the potter’s wheel.
We’re grateful to share that 5% of the proceeds from this Workshop Sweater will support our Community Partners and the vital work of hurricane relief efforts in our region. Dinner Service will also donate a portion of sales to our Employee Emergency Fund. This fund is vital in providing our team with the resources they need in the rebuilding and recovery process after the hurricane. If you’re interested, we encourage you to learn more and donate here.
With Dinner Service we managed to create not just a sweater; we built a beautiful partnership that celebrates the past while looking forward to a brighter future, and we can’t wait for you to wear it as a part of our story.
