ISAIC - Fashioning the Future

Original Story in Grosse Pointe Magazine, March-April, 2020

When Detroiters think of manufacturing in their hometown, they typically think of the automotive industry. But a new non-profit located in Midtown aims to put Detroit on the map as a hub for fashion manufacturing. “There have been aspirations for years to bring fashion manufacturing to Detroit, but we were missing qualified people,” explains Jennifer Guarino, CEO of the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC). “We’re removing that barrier through training and apprenticeships for aspiring industrial sewers and .management fellowships.” ISAIC is a national institute of excellence for the sewn trades. Woven into the program are educational opportunities to build a skilled and qualified workforce of sewers in Detroit. In conjunction with Henry Ford College, ISAIC prepares students through a course in basic sewing skills. “They can take their credits and move on to a four-year college, or join ISAIC as an apprentice or entry-level sewer,”
explains Guarino. Apprenticeships offer paid, on-the-job training. Entry-level jobs are open to those who have more skills and are ready to start work. “Both opportunities pay a living salary,” says Guarino. “Apprentices
earn $24,000 annually, and new sewers earn $30,000. Fellowships are designed for women of color interested
in management positions. All positions include 100 percent employer paid health insurance and paid time off.” ISAIC’s factory is located at 5800 Cass, above the Carhartt store. “Carhartt donated the space and paid for a complete build-out, remodeling and equipment,” reveals Guarino. A public grand opening event is
scheduled for April. The brand-new space is open and inviting, surrounding staff with skylights, windows and green plants. Tours, monthly workshops, and a speaker series will continue to bring people in to learn about the organization. Manufacturing will begin with knit products and expand to include additional types of apparel. “We’re doing this in a totally different way — Detroit style,” says Guarino. “It’s the only program of its kind in the nation, focused on preparing this workforce with the latest technology, equipment and processes. We’re focused on building what the industry needs, and offering it right here in Detroit.” Grosse Pointe’s Valade family is helping lead this charge with Gretchen Rose Valade serving on ISAIC’s board of trustees and Carhartt donating space Middle, ISAIC factory, to be opened in April on Carhartt’s third floor; bottom, ISAIC CEO Jennifer Guarino at Henry Ford College above its flagship Detroit store for the factory (with funds for completing the buildout), while longtime Grosse Pointer Ann Fitzpatrick was recruited to head up marketing and communications. ISAIC is the result of more than a dozen partnerships, including Detroit Denim, Carhartt and the City of Detroit. To learn more or become a supporter, visit www.isaic.org

Why the Fashion Industry Should Be Paying Attention to Detroit

Original story here: Fashionista, February 27, 2020

Mention Detroit to anyone, and the first thing on their mind probably won't be fashion — instead, they'll likely think of automobile factories and assembly lines, Motown legends or even abandoned buildings, a city on the brink of ruin. Whichever version of Detroit comes to mind, it's likely at least partly accurate: The city's varied history and parallel creative and manufacturing sectors have made it a center for continuous transformation and reinvention for decades. And right now, that's happening to its fashion scene.

Last year, Tracy Reese made headlines when she announced she'd opened a studio in Detroit, where she's originally from, to launch her latest venture, Hope for Flowers, a collection with an eye toward responsible design and production. A longtime player in the New York fashion industry — having shown at fashion week, dressed First Ladies and sold at retailers across the country — the designer returned to her hometown specifically out of her concern for manufacturing.

"When I started Tracy Reese [in 1996], we were producing in New York and everything was domestic," she says. But over time, more and more of the production for her namesake line and subsequent sister brands were moved outside of the U.S. "That was the trend — it was becoming more challenging to produce in New York and some of that infrastructure was drying up." Ultimately, Reese says, she produced offshore for around 15 years. "I knew that if I were to remain in the industry, I'd have to be designing more responsibly," she adds.

Reese is a graduate of Detroit's Cass Technical High School, part of the the city's public school system. After completing an elective course in fashion through its Science and Art program, the fashion department's director took notice of Reese's natural talent and suggested she apply to the Parsons School of Design in New York. She ended up receiving a scholarship to the renowned school and because of her advanced portfolio, started her coursework as a sophomore. She landed her first fashion job at a contemporary brand while she was still a student.

In 2018, a year after purchasing a house in Detroit, Reese began to actively consider the city as a location for a new clothing line. "I realized I didn't have to be tethered to New York for all of my work — I could work from virtually anywhere," she recalls, noting that Detroit offered her the chance to focus on her product again. "I don't want to just be creating a textile and emailing it off to a factory and waiting for a sample to come back. I want to be more involved in the process itself."

Reese believes Detroit has a chance at replacing some of what was lost in the decline of New York's Garment District. "I think for people who are sincerely interested in finding ways to produce in the U.S., Detroit could be a truly viable option," she says. "It's an hour-and-fifteen-minute flight to Detroit [from New York] — you can go on a day trip." 

The designer admits it's a work in progress — Hope for Flowers' Spring 2020 collection won't be exclusively manufactured in Detroit, for example, due to a lack of fully-developed infrastructure — but her long-term goal is to produce everything in the city and create opportunities for Detroiters.

Reese's move brought more eyeballs to Detroit's already-fledging fashion scene. But many were already familiar with the work of Roslyn Karamoko, a Seattle native who moved to the city in 2013 and founded the renowned boutique Détroit is the New Black.

"It was a really exciting time in [Detroit] and things were changing so rapidly," she says. "I knew that Detroit was really becoming its own sort of brand, but I thought there was sort of a different perspective or narrative that maybe could be represented within that overall city narrative." 

Détroit is the New Black began with a simple T-shirt, which Karamoko sold at the city's Eastern Market and at other popular local events. As it gained recognition, she opened a small pop-up in a Midtown space. When that proved to be a success, Karamoko began to invite other local designers, small businesses and artists in, inspiring the retail venture's unique co-op business model. Tracy Reese was one of the first designers to sell there.

By 2016, Détroit is the New Black was given the opportunity to move to a massive 6,000-square-foot space downtown, which provided Karamoko an "opportunity to bring in more partners." The new location became a mixed-use space that housed an art gallery, a record store and even a barbershop. Last year, the flagship moved to a slightly smaller space nearby on Woodward Avenue, where it still stands, alongside other trendy destinations like Madewell, Le Labo and the Shinola Hotel. It still carries Tracy Reese (and Hope for Flowers), as well as other noteworthy Detroit brands like dandy by Nelson Sanders,Deviate, K. Walker, Kenna Nicole and Genusee, which makes eyewear in Flint from recycled water bottles in an effort to offset their use after the city's water crisis.

“I think there's a really robust entrepreneurial startup ecosystem [in Detroit]," Karamoko says. "When you get started, there's a ton of support to help you pop-up and meet different people, and I think that the barrier to entry is definitely lower here." She admits there are limits to being successful as an entrepreneur in a developing city. However, "it's been a blessing to be [in Detroit] and incubate this brand here and have the support of the city for an idea that I just kind of came up with. It's humbling in that way, and it's one of those cities that feels like a city, but sort of a small-town community — I think that's a really special thing.”

That sense of community seems to be a foundational element of the city's fashion industry. It's what inspired designer Loren Hicks to found Michigan Fashion Week and the Michigan Fashion Summit, when she felt "there wasn't an appropriate [local] platform to really showcase what I had done," when she launched her first collection in 2012. "I didn't want to have to go to New York or Chicago to showcase my talent — I wanted to be able to do that right here in my home state."

Hicks started Michigan Fashion Week that very year, with a goal of not only furthering her own brand but also helping other local designers market their collections. Since then, the multi-day event has taken place annually. (In 2020, it took place on Feb. 26 through 29 at Detroit's Masonic Temple.)

Because talent retention is a priority for Hicks, the annual event also focuses on recruitment from fashion programs at colleges around the state. "Michigan has a lot of fashion design programs for college-aged students – so it's [about] talking to those students and making sure they understand they can stay here in Michigan and fulfill their fashion career, instead of having to go to New York or California or Chicago," she explains. That's where the Michigan Fashion Summit comes in: It's a separate, one-day conference offering an array of workshops to educate local fashion professionals about the business side of the industry.

And Michigan has a lot to offer in terms of industry. 

Detroit has been the home to a handful of nationally-recognized brands that have remained committed to the city for years. Shinola is one, having built a solid reputation for style and quality since it moved from Dallas to Detroit almost a decade ago.

“Detroit is our home. […] We came here for a reason," Shannon Washburn, CEO and president of Shinola, says. The brand began construction on its watch assembly factory at the College for Creative Studies' Argonaut Building — now the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Creative Design — in 2011. It remains the company's headquarters for watch assembly and leather strap production. Through the College for Creative Studies, Shinola also offers a formal internship program; plus, it has a history of hiring graduates from local colleges.

Last year, the company opened the luxurious Shinola Hotel in downtown Detroit, which "[has] been a real anchor for us and downtown," Washburn explains. "It's established what I feel is one of the most important things, if not the most important thing, that we do – and that's having very meaningful guest relationships. Hospitality, to us, is of the utmost importance."

The other most well-known brand to come out of Detroit, arguably, is Carhartt, famous for its hardy workwear and rugged, working-class appeal.

"Carhartt is about as 'Detroit' as it comes," says Ben Ewy, its vice president of global product design. Founded 131 years ago by Hamilton Carhartt, the company started with two sewing machines in a loft in the city. Today, it has stores around the country and its products are available (and coveted) internationally.

“Beyond the heritage utilitarian apparel Carhartt has built its enduring reputation on, Ewy gives a nod to the renewed interest of younger consumers in the company's collaboration with WIP, a European licensee of the brand. "We have a longstanding relationship with WIP. […] They're rooted in our authenticity and they bring a great perspective to a lot of our classic and heritage products," he says. Beyond that, though, "we have great value to what we do — [there's] a real authenticity and durability and I think the younger consumer appreciates functional, purpose-built product that is transparent and does what it says it's going to do." 

Carhartt is also committed to giving back to its hometown, through programs like its Annual Day of Giving, when employees are given a day off from work to volunteer with local nonprofits in the community, and a secretive, yet-to-be-announced project on the second floor of its Detroit flagship store. The latter will be unveiled this spring, as will a 13,000 square-foot space on the third floor of that same building dedicated to the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC), which will be used to provide educational programming and training to Detroiters, so they can gain skills in sewing and advanced fashion manufacturing.

While Carhartt doesn't currently manufacture all of its products in Detroit (like Reese, the company cites lack of infrastructure), Ewy says it hopes to make more of its products in the city through ISAIC. "It's pretty cool that [Carhartt] started with two sewing machines in a loft in Detroit and here we are, 131 years later, putting a bunch of sewing machines in a loft in Detroit," he adds.

Reese, in addition to launching Hope for Flowers, sits on ISAIC's board of trustees. She views the organization as an opportunity to help shape the city's fashion industry in responsible ways, at the grassroots level. 

She's still dividing her time between Detroit and New York, noting: "New York is incredibly important in terms of market, research, inspiration, meetings and all that. But I realized that there is so much talent in Detroit, and so much excellent real estate — but also a lot of work that needed to be done and a lot of talent that needed to be championed and supported."

ISAIC in DBusiness

DBusiness came out to ISAIC’s December 5 networking and update event at Detroit’s Jam Handy to capture photos of industry friends, colleagues and partners.

Click here for the on-line gallery

Designers, nonprofits and entrepreneurs work to make Detroit a fashion hub

Original story here: Model D, January 14, 2020

On a cold morning in December, the interior of Detroit Sewn is warm and inviting. Karen Buscemi, CEO of the full-service contract sewing and dye sublimation company, stands in an aisleway between rows of industrial sewing machines. Gathered around a worktable, a handful of sewers discuss their projects.

The sewing factory is one of many fashion-related endeavors Buscemi has spearheaded over a 20-year career. She’s also worked as the editor of bygone StyleLine magazine and founded the nonprofit Detroit Garment Group, through which she tried to build a garment district in the city, which she describes as “a lengthy process.” This year, she is launching an educational podcast called FashionSpeak Radio to help Detroit fashion entrepreneurs learn critical business skills.

 After trying to find a space in Detroit, Buscemi opened the factory in Pontiac in 2015 when she secured an affordable location there. Her long-term plan, she says, has “always been to be in Detroit, whether that means the whole factory, or opening a second location.”

 Throughout her career, Buscemi says a major obstacle to growing the fashion industry in Michigan has been convincing the government of its value. “What I’ve heard so many people in the fashion industry around the country tell me is that government doesn’t understand fashion,” she says. “They don’t understand that it’s a multi-trillion-dollar industry. If Michigan even had 5% […] of that pie – that’s a lot of money.”

In spite of recent efforts by local officials to explore the fashion industry’s potential, including Project Treadwing (Mayor Duggan’s 2017 fashion manufacturing initiative with former fashion executive Jeffry Aronsson), progress has been slow-moving. 

According to McKinsey’s State of Fashion 2019, the global fashion industry was valued at $2.5 trillion in 2017. But in the wake of economic unpredictability and the 2018 rezoning of New York City’s famous Garment District that relaxed a 31-year-old rule requiring landlords to lease space to garment makers, the underpinnings of the industry have begun to shift. While the company says major cities with mature markets are still relevant, McKinsey’s FashionScope — a separate report that analyzes market data down to the city level – predicts a looming era of disruption where “70 percent of top growth cities for women’s apparel sales by 2025 [will be] emerging market cities.”

 Beyond sales, opportunities in fashion also extend to manufacturing — an industry Detroit is no stranger to. According to a recent report from the U.S. Joint Economic Committee, the apparel manufacturing industry employed roughly 123,000 workers in the U.S. in 2018. While Michigan’s industry remains humble compared to places like New York, the number of apparel manufacturing establishments in the state has nearly doubled since 2009, from 72 to 120 in 2018. The number of people employed in the state’s apparel manufacturing and cut-and-sew sectors has also increased from 793 in 2009 to 1,471 in 2018, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Services.
 

Cal McNeil, program manager for the Council of Fashion Designers of America, a nonprofit that works to connect its members with manufacturing options in the U.S., says he made several visits to Detroit in 2018 to explore the city’s potential with CEO Steven Kolb and director of education and professional development Sara Kozlowski. Those visits left a positive impression. “[Detroit] is one of the only other markets […] that I feel has the strength to become a really strong player within fashion manufacturing in the United States,” McNeil says. Echoing a common grievance of the American fashion industry, he says that the U.S. lacks skilled fashion manufacturing workers. “After that [first] trip, we thought Detroit was one of those cities that had a much more skilled workforce.” 

While Detroit is garnering interest from others in the industry regarding its fashion sector potential, the most credible organization that seems to have an eye on the city right now is the CFDA.

 Making sure manufacturing skills translate to fashion requires training with an eye toward the future – principles Jennifer Guarino is well-acquainted with. The former vice president of manufacturing at Shinola has worked in fashion manufacturing for 30 years and is now CEO and chair of the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center in Detroit. Guarino says Carhartt, the Metro Detroit-based work apparel company, recently donated equipment and a 12,000-square-foot facility above their flagship store on Cass Avenue to ISAIC, which Carhartt is building out in kind. Once renovations are complete, Guarino says the facility will be used by ISAIC to “train people not only in traditional skills, but also skills that are going to be required for advanced manufacturing – things that include robotics and automation.”

While automation skills are critical, arts education is also important – something acclaimed designer Tracy Reese can attest to. The fashion icon, who serves on the boards of both CFDA and ISAIC, is a Detroit native who attended Cass Technical High School. As a student, she took advantage of the school’s fashion program and compiled a portfolio so impressive she was awarded a full scholarship to Parsons School of Design. “I’m hoping the day will come again when there’s arts education in [Detroit] schools that’s accessible to everyone, and that we’ll have a budget again that supports the arts – that supports fashion,” Reese says.

Following the natural progression of a young designer pursuing a serious career, Reese moved to New York to attend the esteemed college. After graduation, she worked under designers like Perry Ellis before creating her own label with boutiques in New York City and Tokyo. Last year, Reese’s career came full circle when she made the decision to divide her time between New York and Detroit, bringing her talent and expertise back home to launch a new collection.

“The advantage that we have building this industry in Detroit now is that we’re building it with the knowledge of where our industry needs to go …” designer Tracy Reese says.

Working from her light-filled studio in the Elevator Building, Reese created Hope for Flowers with an emphasis on sustainability and local production. The line is currently available at Anthropologie and Détroit is the New Black. “The advantage that we have building this industry in Detroit now is that we’re building it with the knowledge of where our industry needs to go …” Reese says. “It’s challenging to restructure [around] a growing concern to become sustainable. It is one step at a time – but when you’re able to start with a clean slate, it’s easier.” 

Retail is another aspect of the industry that’s restructuring. Amid the recent retail meltdown of 2017, which saw many brick-and-mortar retailers closing up shop, Seattle native Roslyn Karamoko challenged shifting consumer trends favoring online shopping and opened Détroit is the New Black on Woodward Avenue in 2016 after experimenting with pop-up versions of the store. Armed with a B.A. in fashion merchandising from Howard University and experience as a retail consultant in Singapore, Karamoko says, “The idea was always to have this almost co-op model, renting out blocks of space to different brands. […] But I found that some small businesses couldn’t afford that rent.” Committed to offering opportunities to emerging designers, Karamoko recently partnered with Pure Michigan Business Connect to launch a year-long accelerator, offering local brands a chance to test their products on the market for free.

 One of the most recent brands accepted to the program is Deviate, founded by sisters Cassidy and Kelsey Tucker. The pair describes their line as “edgy feminine,” emphasizing that all of their products are American-made, ethically sourced and manufactured in Detroit. “One of our core goals was to redefine fashion by empowering people, and we do that in a couple of ways,” Cassidy says. “One is through the clothing itself. […] The other way is really being part of the community and supporting that community.”

Part of fulfilling that mission includes mentoring fashion interns from creative director Kelsey’s alma mater, Wayne State University. Another facet includes offering much-needed services to other small brands, like garment dyeing – a science Kelsey learned while at WSU. Cassidy recalls, “Other brands approached us like, ‘Hey, we need this, can you do this for us?” She says Kelsey’s specialized knowledge enabled them to fill a regional industry gap they were previously unaware of. Since Deviate began offering the service in October, the company has already dyed over 1,000 garments for seven local and national brands. Cassidy adds, “We are currently fundraising, and with new investment plan to double our capacity by [the second quarter of] 2020.”

Having each lived in places like Los Angeles and Australia, the sisters say there’s nowhere else like Detroit. Adamant that the key to bringing the city’s fashion industry to the next level is building a supportive community with diverse talent and style, Cassidy says, “The ideas are here. The talent is here. It's just a matter of bridging that gap – and working together towards it.”

ISAIC Featured at AutoDesk University

ISIAC CEO Jennifer Guarino was asked to speak at AutoDesk University, a convening of more than 10,000 professionals who design, make, and build the world around us. She was honored to participate on a panel as well as present on the Future of Work and the importance of Innovation, Equity and Inclusion … hallmarks of ISAIC and why we believe it will thrive. AutoDesk is an early supporter, helping to ensure that ISAIC is at the top of the game for training in emerging skills technologies. To view Jen’s presentation, click here.

NYEDC and CFDA Earmark $14 million for Local Grants, Workforce Development

Original story here: WWD, October 3, 2019

As part of their ongoing effort to try to rev up local production, the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the Council of Fashion Designers of America have earmarked $14 million for a Local Production Fund and workforce development programming. The effort is part of the $51.3vmillion support package that was revealed in 2017 by the EDC, the CFDA and the Garment District Alliance for the Fashion Manufacturing Initiative.

. The EDC has earmarked $7 million for the just-unveiled $14 million efforts, but that contribution is a continuation of the grant fund. In addition to the CFDA, FMI’s founding partners are Andrew Rosen and Ralph Lauren, with additional support provided by Wal-Mart, DHL, the American Apparel & Footwear Association, Première Vision and SwatchOn among others. An EDC spokesman did not say how many companies are expected to benefit from the first round of the new pilot grant program.

The LPF aims to encourage U.S. designers to ramp up New York City production by teaming them with New York City-based factories. The program is open to all manufacturers in all five boroughs and all U.S. designers. Once the manufacturers are selected they will receive credits to be used for production runs of participating designers. The plan is to create more local consistent production and accelerate the use of technology that was invested in through the existing FMI Grant Fund. Applications for manufacturers will be offered later this fall and ones for designers will be presented in February.

The CFDA will form a committee to award the LPF grants with involvement from the EDC. Rosen, an unnamed Ralph Lauren executive and others, who have been supportive of the FMI and who have been involved with production in New York will serve on the committee, according to the CFDA’s president and chief executive officer Steven Kolb.

For the workforce development strategy, the CFDA is partnering with the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center to assess the sector in order to create customized programs based on citywide needs. During what is expected to be a six-month assessment, the CFDA and ISAIC will work with an undetermined number of local community-based organizations to size up the landscape before executing the programming. To foster future talent, they hope to create opportunities for technical instruction, apprenticeships and advanced technology training. There are also plans to offer workforce programs for manufacturers’ employees with varying backgrounds, experience and education.

Yeohlee Teng said, “They should boldly go forth and make the necessary initiatives that will ensure a real future for the industry. The way that we make clothes and operate as an industry is undergoing stress and is in a state of great change. So anything that they can do in anticipation of that change and to ensure a future for the workers would be very helpful.”

The Pratt Center for Community Development’s executive director Adam Friedman was at the Fashion Institute of Technology for today’s Manufacturing Day, which is also the curtain raiser for the inaugural Made in NYC Week. Factory tours, a talk at Pratt’s Canal Street pop-up and a MINYC outpost at the Hester Street Fair are part of the events planned. He said via e-mail, “It is brilliant. When you think of the obstacles and just the inhibitions that designers have in investing the time upfront to investigate local production, this is designed exactly to get around that problem. We should be looking at other sectors [of businesses] for doing this.”

Fortifying local production has received more attention following the The Garment District’s rezoning that was approved by the New York City Council last December. Independent of the LPF, the GDA has as much as $25 million to fund programs that support manufacturing and fashion production in the area over the next 10 years. This summer the Garment District Alliance’s 12-member special program committee reviewed 22 proposals geared toward rejuvenating local apparel manufacturing. The first round of funding for that financing has not yet been revealed.

Asked when the first recipients would be announced and when the special program committee will hold its next meeting, the GDA’s executive director Barbara Blair deferred comment to a GDA spokeswoman, who said there are no updates to report at this time.

Detroit program aims to become a catalyst for ethical fashion in the city

Original story, including audio of interview, here: Michigan Radio NPR, June 4, 2019

Detroit may be the city that put the world on wheels, but a new effort launching in the Midtown district might add apparel to Detroit's manufacturing resume. It's called the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC), and it’s opening on Cass Avenue.

Jennifer Guarino is the chair of ISAIC, as well as the vice president of manufacturing at Shinola Detroit. Roslyn Karamoko is the founding director of Détroit Is The New Black, an apparel and lifestyle brand focused on ethical fashion.

Guarino says ISAIC is a program that teaches traditional industrial sewing skills alongside newer technology like automation and co-robotics. She says she hopes that the space will allow upcoming ethical fashion designers to manufacture their products on-site, instead of outsourcing it to other countries. 

Karamoko defines “ethical fashion” as sustainably-made products that don’t cause harm to their immediate environment. 

“Obviously, that’s natural materials, that’s the process in which you’re developing product, but I think it’s also the type of businesses that we have in certain areas and certain cities, and the demographics that they speak to,” she said.

Karamoko thinks Detroit is uniquely poised to support smaller-scale, ethical fashion production because the city has the space and the talent necessary to do so. 

Although the concept of ethical, sustainable fashion was once an expensive, elite endeavor, Karamoko says more consumers are becoming aware of where their garments are coming from, and how they’re made.  

Guarino agrees that ethical fashion is on its way to becoming a “customer expectation." She says that the fashion industry as a whole is beginning to understand what that means for production. She notes the current trend of “reshoring” production back to the United States.

“We are going to be setting up an ecosystem here that will be manufacturing, distributing in a more sustainable way. And Detroit gets to do that because we don’t have to deconstruct anything first. We get to actually build it as it could and should be,” Guarino said.

Strategic Partnerships Seamlessly Transform Detroit Into a Fashion Hub

Original story here: Michigan Economic Development Corp, June 21, 2019

The Motor City is expanding its reach into the fashion industry thanks to connections made through the Pure Michigan Business Connect program.

Internationally, Detroit is recognized as The Motor City – a community known as the epicenter of the automotive industry. From General Motors to Ford Motor Company to Fiat Chrysler, longstanding auto brands jump into consumers’ minds when they envision Detroit. But today, the city is taking that entrepreneurial spirit and growing into a booming hub for fashion.

For years, Detroit-made companies including the well-known Carhartt  have established themselves as staples in the world of Detroit apparel. Carhartt has a historic appeal, founded by Hamilton Carhartt in 1889, with the niche focus of honoring its dedicated, diligent Detroit citizens by crafting durable, robust apparel. The popular brand, which achieved heightened consumer popularity outside of blue-collar trades during the ’70s and ’80s, has been a leader in shaping the industry since its humble beginnings with only two sewing machines in a Detroit loft.

Since then, countless brands have emerged with shared visions for Detroit fashion, putting the city on the map for creating the latest trends and designs in the city’s growing fashion sector.

In 2017, industry leaders unified through the conception of the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC ), led by Jennifer Guarino, now-president of ISAIC and vice president of manufacturing at Shinola, and Brenda Lane, co-owner of Detroit Denim Co . The organization was born to propel the fashion industry forward in a more diverse, inclusive, sustainable way – just as Detroit itself was shifting toward an age of restoration.

To capitalize on the opportunities growing within the city as a result of ISAIC’s success, Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC), an initiative under the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, has partnered with Detroit is the New Black  to launch a year-long brand accelerator program . Each quarter, new brands are chosen to participate in the program. The program is ideal for up-and-coming brands to test their products in a brick-and-mortar space in the heart of downtown Detroit’s retail market. At the end of each series, brands will walk away with valuable mentorship for sales training, merchandising and product marketing, actual revenue from their product and facilitated connections to experts in the industry.

In May, PMBC hosted the “Made in Detroit: Moving the Apparel Industry Forward” event at the Shinola Hotel, further showcasing the city’s thriving apparel industry and highlighting the talented and inventive Detroit-based industry moguls as they establish the city as a home for fashion. Guarino and other apparel industry leaders – Lane, Tony Ambroza of Carhartt, Roslyn Karamoko of Detroit is the New Black and more – had the opportunity to strengthen relationships and grow connections with other trailblazers in the city’s fashion industry.

“PMBC and the MEDC understand the importance of supporting our state’s industries and finding collaborative approaches to serve those creating, manufacturing, and innovating in new industries,” said Natalie Chmiko, Vice President of Pure Michigan Business Connect and International Trade. “PMBC has been working hard to expand partnerships within the design, textiles and fashion space due to the high level of manufacturing skill it requires. This sector has the potential to harness creative minds and has a broad applicability for makers in the space to impact Michigan’s many industries for decades to come. We look forward to continuing to support groups like ISAIC and others looking to establish a strong foundation for broad economic, job creating growth.”

“The saying ‘Detroit hustles harder’ is very true. We want to add ‘smarter’ to that. ‘Detroit hustles harder and smarter,’” said Guarino. “There are plenty of very good people that have been tirelessly growing [the fashion] sector in Detroit, but with limited support, resources, collaboration and industry access. In short – we’ve been doing it the hard way. This event marks the beginning of changing that.”

Capitalizing on the opportunity to address key industry leaders gathered together in the same space, Carhartt announced that it will be dedicating the third floor of its Cass Avenue retail location to ISAIC. The organization will be transforming this retail space into a national center of excellence for sewn trades, offering training in both traditional skills and emerging apparel technologies. Carhartt is also supporting the organization’s launch plans via an in-kind donation of apparel manufacturing equipment.

“At Carhartt, we believe Detroiters are some of the hardest-working, resilient, resourceful people on the planet,” said Ambroza, chief brand officer at Carhartt, in a press release. “We couldn’t agree more with ISAIC – this is the right time and place to build and grow the apparel industry.”

Guarino says that Detroit is poised for continued success in this industry – it’s starting from scratch. In comparison to recognized fashion hubs like New York City, Detroit can construct a reimagined system that is viable from the start, whereas more established cities and brands must deconstruct and modify current models of production to appeal to the transformed consumer mindset. ISAIC plays an integral role as the industry finds its place in Detroit, ensuring that it is born around proper ideals so as not to stray from its mission.

“ISAIC’s reason for being is to continuously lead in workforce development by piloting and training on the technologies that serve the industry now and in the future. ISAIC will do so in a way that defies outdated models by providing people-centric environments, ongoing learning, equity in growth and a commitment to ethical practices,” said Guarino. “We plan to serve as a leading model for change.”

The partnership between Carhartt and ISAIC is offering the organization the power and freedom to further pursue its goal of building a talented Detroit workforce, well-versed in both traditional and modern facets of industry manufacturing. In tandem, these Detroit brands are shifting the future of fashion in the city.

There is no denying that a global revolution is engulfing today’s apparel industry – but it is one that Detroit is ready for.

PMBC provides small to medium-sized businesses with assistance in pursuing local, national and global market opportunities to generate supply chain opportunities. This service provides Michigan businesses with connections to all levels of corporate purchasers at no cost to them. Since 2011, the PMBC has spearheaded these connections, facilitating more than $8 billion in new contracts to qualified Michigan companies. The initiative has created and retained more than 40,000 jobs and provided business connections across 76 industries. To learn more about how PMBC can help businesses build connections and grow, go to michiganbusiness.org/pmbc.

Carhartt, ISAIC to promote apparel industry in Detroit

Originally story here: Fibre2Fashion, May 11, 2019

Carhartt, America’s premium workwear brand, has partnered with the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC) to develop the apparel industry in Detroit. In addition, the company is also making an in-kind donation of apparel manufacturing equipment to help support the organisation’s launch plans. Carhartt will also dedicate its retail location to ISAIC.

The relationship between the organisations is the result of a shared vision between Carhartt and ISAIC. Both organisations have a desire to support the hardest working people in America, a mutual passion for Detroit and a commitment to workforce and skilled trade development.

“At Carhartt, we believe Detroiters are some of the hardest-working, resilient, resourceful people on the planet,” said Tony Ambroza, chief brand officer at Carhartt. “We couldn’t agree more with ISAIC – this is the right time and place to build and grow the apparel industry.”

ISAIC will transform the donated space into a national center of excellence for sewn trades, helping to bridge the training of traditional skills with those for emerging technologies. There, the organization will provide ongoing apprenticeships to move the apparel industry forward. ISAIC also intends to use the space for a worker-owned pilot apparel manufacturing facility in the coming months. The combined ISAIC initiatives will help to further the emerging apparel industry in Detroit and create opportunities for workforce and skilled trade development.

“Detroit always has been a place where things are made and we are seeing increasing interest in Detroit as a center for the apparel manufacturing industry,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “I am deeply appreciative to Carhartt and ISAIC for their efforts to train Detroiters for the jobs we expect to become available in our city in the garment manufacturing industry."

"At the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), we take pride in our state’s legacy of making things in Michigan, from the first automobile to the latest in fashion designs. That is why we are pleased to help support this growing industry by bringing together designers, investors and fashion brands to connect right here in Detroit. The PMBC is committed to facilitating matchmaking opportunities between key stakeholders like Shinola and Carhartt and industry professionals to help businesses grow in Michigan. Detroit is a natural textiles hub and having this event here is a further testament to the strength of the apparel manufacturing industry in Michigan.” Ryan Michael, director of Pure Michigan Business Connect, said.

Together, Carhartt and ISAIC intend to help close the skilled trades gap (including apparel manufacturing), elevate the perception of careers in the trades and advocate for the skilled worker’s way of life.

“ISAIC will serve the rapidly changing apparel industry by providing a people-centric environment, ongoing learning, equity in growth and a commitment to ethical practices,” said Jen Guarino, chair of ISAIC’s board and VP of manufacturing at Shinola. “Carhartt’s contribution to ISAIC reflects the company’s long held commitment to providing apparel for workers and supporting the work they perform. We couldn’t think of a partnership more ideal than this.” (RR)

ISAIC factory to open in Carhartt space

Original Story here: Detroit News, May 9, 2019

A nonprofit focused on Detroit's emerging clothing manufacturing industry is moving into workwear retailer Carhartt Inc.'s flagship Midtown store.

The Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center is taking over the third floor of the Cass Avenue retail location to train apprentices in sewn trades, combining traditional skills with new technologies. The approximately 12,000-square-foot space also will benefit a worker-owned pilot apparel manufacturing facility in the coming months.

Dearborn-based Carhartt is providing the space for the initiatives at no cost. The company also donated 12 apparel manufacturing machines that the sewing center values at $113,000 — more than the two sewing machines with what Carhartt began producing overalls in 1889.

Perhaps one day the workwear retailer will partner with the apparel manufacturing hub for articles of clothing, said Tony Ambroza, Carhartt chief brand officer.

"By all means, our product team will work with them if we can make them on the third floor and sell them on the first," Ambroza said. "To be able to develop this as a center for excellence in this world is a fantastic accomplishment, and we will work with them to ensure they are successful."

bnoble@detroitnews.com

Fashioning a hub: Effort to base clothing design, manufacturing in Detroit gains steam

Original story here: Crain’s Detroit Business, September 16, 2018

A year-old effort by current and former Detroiters to establish a hub for fashion design and manufacturing in Detroit is starting to show signs of progress.

A local coalition of clothing makers that includes Carhartt Inc., Detroit Denim, Lazlo and Shinola is planning to start a pilot manufacturing plant in February that will contract with apparel companies on small clothing orders and serve as an ongoing apprenticeship training center.

It's among initiatives seeking to help make Detroit a fashion hub at the nexus of design and manufacturing.

The nonprofit Industrial Sewing And Innovation Center has gained approval from the U.S. Department of Labor to operate an apprenticeship program for clothing production that will mix traditional sewing skills with the industry's future use of robotic assembly, said Jen Guarino, vice president of manufacturing for Shinola.

"What we've done is create a new model for a new ecosystem for apparel manufacturing in Detroit," Guarino said last week at Detroit Homecoming V. "We don't have to deconstruct something that doesn't work. We get to build it from the ground up — and we can do it right by tapping into Detroit's manufacturing DNA."

Tracy Reese, a native Detroiter whose internationally recognized clothing line is carried by Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and Neiman Marcus, plans to move her New York company's design operation to Midtown, hoping to tap into a talent pool of designers coming out of the College for Creative Studies.

“I'm shifting the back end of my business — the design end — to Detroit," said Reese, who has a store in Manhattan's Garment District. "The front end will remain in New York — sales and outreach."

Reese is on the board of ISAIC. The local leaders of the group weren't ready to announce the location of the manufacturing facility at Detroit Homecoming last week. But they say they have orders from clothing companies in place to start producing 3,000 units per month in February.

At the same time, a former Detroiter and longtime fashion industry executive said he's in talks with an international clothing brand to on-shore manufacturing from Asia to the Motor City.Jeffry Aronsson, a former CEO of Donna Karan International, has spent the past year leading an initiative for Mayor Mike Duggan called Project Treadwing that seeks to scale up Detroit's fledgling fashion apparel industry. Aronsson first presented the idea at the 2017 Detroit Homecoming and gave an update at last week's gathering of former Detroiters — an annual event produced by Crain's Detroit Business.

In early October, up to seven suppliers for the unnamed clothing brand will send representatives to Detroit for Aronsson and Duggan to make their pitch for establishing a manufacturing presence in the city, Aronsson said.

"It's exciting, but it's still a dream, it's still a vision and an idea," Aronsson said. "We're a work in progress, however — a precarious one."

The tier-one and tier-two suppliers are the key to establishing a large-scale manufacturing presence for clothing and apparel in Detroit, Aronsson said.

Aronsson, Guarino and others in the fashion and apparel business contend the $2.5 trillion global industry is ripe for disruption as robotic assembly technology advances and customers have become more socially conscious about where their garments and accessories are made.

"The fashion industry is running out of people and places to exploit," said Guarino, whose Detroit-based employer, Shinola, has grown into an internationally recognized brand for its made-in-Detroit watches, handbags and other luxury goods.

Part of the argument the ISAIC group and Aronsson are making for Detroit to be a new U.S. hub for manufacturing centers on the waste and inefficiency built into a system that relies heavily on cheap labor in Third World countries to produce most of the clothes Americans wear.

Globally, the fashion and textile industry overproduces 15 billion more garments annually and the excess clothing ends up in landfills, Guarino said. That's partly driven by "fast fashion" brands like H&M and Zara that depend on producing fashionable clothing in huge quantities cheaply to capitalize on trends quickly.

"If Detroit could build on demand and reduce that amount of surplus by 500 million, that's doable," she said. "That's a possibility."

The ISAIC facility will serve as a training center for textile workers to learn both traditional sewing skills as well as how to operate robotic machines, Guarino said.

"We live in a time where robotics are coming — and coming quickly," Guarino said in an interview for the Crain's "Detroit Rising" podcast. "They're not totally replacing manufacturing (workers). You still need human hands."

Reese said the push for Detroit to be a new hub for design and production of luxury clothing is not an altruistic cause.

"We have a huge problem with overproduction and fast fashion, and that's something I'm not about and I don't want to be about," said Reese, a Cass Tech High School graduate. "As we slow things down and become more reflective, being in Detroit feels right."