Historic Brick to Modern Chic: Inside The Flats at Front + Union

In 2022 Jen Vander Roest and her husband, Steve, were looking for a downtown building to house Jen’s growing independent textile brand, eelo, (formerly Fresh Water Textiles)—a venture that had grown exponentially since she’d started it in her home 10 years ago.

Eelo was a product of Vander Roest’s passion for quality fabric and also her knowledge (based on a career in environmental science) of the issues facing the textile world. “I was committed to zero microfibers, plastics and nylons in the products I designed and produced,” she says. “That is when I began building relationships with weaving houses and family mills to explore the ability to scale my company while being completely committed to sustainable fabrics.”