About Us
Waxwing Labs
We exist to celebrate fabric.
We are dedicated to finding and developing unique, quality fabrics and transforming them into expertly crafted apparel:
We work differently. We’ve turned the old product development process on its head – instead of starting with a garment idea at a target price point and then seeking out fabrics, we do the opposite.We take inspiration from the fabric itself, which dictates the garment it should be.
We innovate fabrics. There are quality clothes that exist today, true, but why are they always made of the same fabrics? Silk can be so much more than just a crepe; Supima more than a jersey. Instead, we seek out unusual fibers, search for cutting-edge developments in manufacturing, and think out-of-the-box on how existing fibers and constructions can be combined into something new.
Price does not influence our design decisions. Like you, we won’t settle for anything but the best. We design for the fabric and the end garment, not to a specific price point.
By focusing on fabric, we are able to design unparalleled garments that are both innovative and timeless.
Our Founder
Waxwing Labs is a small apparel start-up based in Florida, and founded by Taylor McClean. Taylor has a B.S. in Biology from Guilford College and a M.S. in Textiles from NC State. She’s experienced all parts of the garment life cycle – from working in R&D for one of the largest fabric print-on-demand start-ups in the US to sourcing and negotiating fabric development for multi-million dollar fashion brands. Throughout her career she saw decisions that negatively impacted the final product – corners cut to save time, choices artificially limited to save costs, and unsustainable approaches taken just to meet a deadline for a Fall/Winter line launch.
She saw an opportunity for a different way of making apparel – one where the fabric is the focus, not an afterthought. Focused on sustainability - not as a marketing gimmick, but as an obligation to protect the environment. An approach where the price is the last decision made on the garment, not the first.
When she isn’t searching the world for new fabrics, she confesses to being a bird nerd (her favorite being the Cedar Waxwing).