FABRIC

About

FABRIC 501(c)(3) Non-profit fashion incubator established in 2016 2500 Apparel Entrepreneurs Supported with $15M+ in free and discounted programs and services. Empowering Apparel Entrepreneurs and the U.S. Fashion Community FABRIC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit ecosystem for Fashionpreneurs that provides connections, guidance, tools, opportunities, and a ROADMAP for domestic small-batch manufacturing. We’re also the indie fashion HQ. From DIY creators to established brands, our directory, calendar, classifieds, and events unite the people, tools, and resources that foster collaboration, connection, and exposure for everyone! FABRIC guides apparel entrepreneurs through domestic small-batch manufacturing with the expertise, connections, and a ROADMAP to take a sewn product from concept to production. Small-batch domestic manufacturing is different. It’s not taught in school, and most brands struggle to figure it out. The ROADMAP is the shortcut to understand the full sewn product lifecycle, learn sourcing, costing, specs, textiles, QC, industry contracts, timing, and essential knowledge before starting, connect with U.S. contractors and industry experts, organize and store your brand’s IP in real-time in industry-standard language. All self-guided, virtual, and built from decades of real experience + a la carte consulting as needed. A National Virtual Resource with a Physical Arizona HQ FABRIC is not just for Arizona. Anyone in the U.S. can: Use the ROADMAP to navigate small batch domestic manufacturing Take classes Get support from consultants, mentors, or service providers Utilize the Industry Directory, Classifieds, and Events Calendar. In Arizona, creators can also access state-of-the-art equipment, collaborate in a creative space, and showcase their work. For Entrepreneurs, Designers, DIY Makers, Upcyclers, Teachers, Students & Fashion Lovers Whether you’re launching a fashion brand, upcycling tees into art, providing a cut/sew service, teaching the next generation, or simply want to connect with the industry…FABRIC is your HQ. Apparel entrepreneurs & brands - Startup to established DIY fashion designers, makers, and upcyclers Educators and students Industry professionals, service providers, and contractors Fashion lovers and community supporters Built by Designers. Rooted in Sustainability. Co-founded by award-winning designers Angela Johnson and Sherri Barry, FABRIC was created to make the fashion industry more ethical, sustainable, and accessible. Angela Johnson Angela, a FIDM graduate, got her start in the 1990s, working in production management for the streetwear brands X-Large (Mike D. from the Beastie Boy's brand) and X-Girl (Kim Gordon from Sonic Youth's brand) in Los Angeles, where she learned the secret sauce to domestic small-batch manufacturing. That knowledge enabled her to launch her own successful brand MonkeyWench with Days of Our Lives star Christie Clark and discover the secret to producing small batches in L.A. - a rare achievement for most startups. After relocating to Arizona, she shifted her focus to upcycling T-shirts into couture ballgowns and helping other apparel entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life using the samebehind-the-seams know-how. Sherri Barry Sherri came from the business side of fashion after a successful career in retail, marketing, and executive leadership. She launched her own fashion brand and discovered firsthand how difficult it was to produce apparel locally and responsibly. Although she now runs her own successful fashion brand Adea Everyday Luxury, that experience inspired her to join forces with Angela and co-create FABRIC…a place where others could access the tools, knowledge, and support they wished they’d had when starting out. Together, they built FABRIC to teach the ROADMAP, provide an HQ, and champion the growth of an ethical and sustainable U.S. fashion industry. FABRIC's Mission: People-focused Our Mission is to provide apparel entrepreneurs with training, guidance, innovative industry resources, and access to no-minimum and on-demand manufacturing, so they can build sustainable fashion businesses domestically. In other words, we empower apparel entrepreneurs by making the secret of domestic small batch production accessible to all. FABRIC's Vision: Planet-focused Our Vision is to establish Arizona as a modern fashion industry capital for the U.S. by creating a tech-based, sustainable, closed-loop fashion industry ecosystem that attracts and supports direct-to-consumer apparel brands. In other words, we believe reshoring and slow fashion can transform the industry into something ethical, local, and sustainable.