SweetGrass Clothing Company

By Terry L. Watson

Photos and Information Provided by SweetGrass Clothing Company

What connection does a Palmetto Rose have to a popular fashion brand from South Carolina? The answer is buried deep with the ancestral roots of the designers.

They are known as the Mitchell Men. These six young Black men from Charleston, SC, have combined their talents and vision to create the SweetGrass Clothing Co.

To stereotype these young men for being anything other than determined would be a huge mistake. Their paths in life are quite similar, as they’ve enjoyed success on various fronts, including academics and professionals. Having shared the same bedroom most of their lives formed an unbreakable bond.

Shawn Mitchell works as a General Dentist by day, often serving as the spokesperson for SweetGrass Clothing Co. He shares how the company began and where it plans to go. Shawn says the initial goal was to combine the Gullah and Geechee culture with street fashion.

The Palmetto Rose logo represents love and protection in the Gullah community. Shawn says, the idea to use the Palmetto leaf in their logo happened on purpose. “One day, I purchased a bouquet of Palmetto Roses and sent a picture of it to a friend who happens to be a graffiti artist. They drew a picture of the bouquet, and it became the official logo for our brand from that point on,” he says.

“If you don’t know your history,you’re doomed to repeat it.”

The Palmetto Rose is made from palm leaves that are taken from palm trees in South Carolina. The palm leaf is fashioned into a rose and is primarily made by hand. This history of the Sweet Grass Rose is connected to the civil war. During that war, women would apply the Palmetto Rose to the lapel of the soldiers. Shawn says that symbolized someone outside of the warzone loved the person wearing this rose. He also feels that this kind of love is missing during the current social and racial climate.

The SweetGrass Clothing brand was launched January 2020. The brand incorporates aspects of Gullah Geechee spirituality as well as aspects of Gullah Geechee folklore and mysticism. Their first collection, “The Blood Moon Collection” which focused on one of the signs of redemption (The Blood Moon) for the Gullah Geechee people, was very successful. They also have the Haint Blue Collection, which is a color found all through Gullah Geechee communities, but mainstream aesthetics has diluted its meaning.

Mattie Mitchell is the mother of all six Mitchell men. She taught elementary school for 40 years, all at the same school. To make extra money, she worked as a seamstress. Shawn says his mother is the person who introduced them to the Denmark Vesey story. His mother also taught them their history. Shawn says her motto is, “If you don’t know your history, you’re doomed to repeat it.”

Their father, Edward Mitchell, was a fisherman by trade. He was forced into early retirement after becoming permanently disabled after suffering a workplace injury. Shawn says even with such challenges, his father still led his household and demanded discipline from them all.

Everything the SweetGrass Clothing Company brand represents can be traced to their parents and upbringing. Shawn says their parents raised them to be active members of their community, giving back to it with their time and resources. Shawn is doing this with his dental practice, SweetGrass Dental Associates, and his brothers are in alignment also.