Cleveland-Based And Locally-Made, SOZO Produces Its Signature Tees In-House

The new fashion brand SOZO has a mission to restore “American Made” here in the States. Founded in Cleveland in 2020, SOZO’s mission is to produce garments with the highest quality fabrics while delivering the most comforting fits, keen to restoring American craftsmanship.

SOZO being short for Soteria, the Greek goddess of safety and preservation from harm, was born through the innovation of founder Todd Leebow and a diverse group of local Cleveland fashion enthusiasts and designers. Leebow, who is the president and chief executive officer of Majestic Steel USA, his family-operated Cleveland, Ohio-based, flat-rolled steel company.

During the pandemic, Todd Leebow saw an opportunity to help manufacture facemasks for essential workers. Additionally, in reversing a worldwide mask shortage, Leebow had a conscious moment that led him to strategize a sustainable fashion brand made in America. SOZO was born with the help of local artisans, and fashion designers were tapped for their abilities to help bring the brand to life.

“At SOZO, high quality and being a part of the local community are our core values,” notes SOZO founder Leebow. “We hire local sewers, pick out high-quality fabrics and produce as much as [possible] in our store. Our mission is to support the local economy while focusing on sustainability.”

The SOZO founding team consists of the leadership of Todd Leebow as its CEO and chief operating officer, Christine Rizk. Then there is the brand director David VanGieson, lead designer Danielle Pusateri, and brand ambassador Dean Ferguson, the in-house stylist.

SOZO began producing at Majestic Steel’s local plant, owned and operated by the Leebow family. They sourced and used textiles and fabrics for comfort and style-focused pieces. With a full clothing line, SOZO opened its first flagship store in late 2022. The elevated American classics styles are on display at the Highland Heights, Cleveland flagship store.

SOZO garments use hand-selected and ethically sourced fabrics. Each piece assembled in the United States, specifically the tees, is made in-house in the production portion of the flagship store. SOZO’s t-shirts are handcrafted, from the design renderings to the cutting and sewing of fabric, all based in Cleveland, Ohio. The “farm-to-table” model of Leebow’s nearby restaurant, The Last Page, translates to a “farm-to-closet’” SOZO model, manifested in its manufacturing center at its flagship space.

Spools of thread line the wall opposite with shelves of fabrication equipment and adjacent to of textile rolls. The rolls of fabric, a full-sized cutting table, and rows of sewing machines create the factory line that keeps production running efficiently. Clothing samples live on the racks, yet to see the light of the sales floor. The Heights Blend™ Tee is a signature piece, using Heights Blend™ fabric for a smooth, loose fit and a shorter sleeve.

SOZO expands on its sartorial dialogue, branching from basics tees to essentials like hoodies and accessories like hats, implementing graphic prints for a sportier look to the tees and sweatshirts. The retail store also houses accessories from brands like Duke & Dexter footwear, Hiroshi Kato denim, and Grown Alchemist skin care.

Further exploring essential style as a brand, Leebow pushes the bounds for SOZO with its first collaboration with the jewelry brand Handle With Care. There are also books by Taschen publications, among other trinkets.

The 2,200 square foot space offers a retail experience with transparency of their production facility. On display for customers, textiles go through the cut-and-sew process conducted by SOZO’s design team. The manufacturing portion of the store is always visible through a glass partition wall, operating during shopping hours.

A statement on SOZO’s e-commerce site describes their mission, “with a heightened awareness of sustainability and supply chain issues, we aim to redefine what it means to be locally made.” SOZOs mantra is “without compromise,” which references transparency in all areas of its product creation. Additional efforts to provide clothing from “farm-to-closet” reduce SOZO’s carbon footprint in the supply chain and shipping categories.

Leebow concludes, “our goal is to build up our brand both in the Cleveland market through our flagship store and nationally online while we look at other markets to grow.” The sentiment reflects the resourcefulness of brands operating today in a startup phase.