(DE-FI) Global INC

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A privately held business owned and operated by Dayton native and resident Caressa L. Brown, (DE-FI) Global INC evolved from the disruptive community outreach beginnings of the Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator to the bold arrival of the first of its kind one stop fashion fablab, the House of (DE-FI)ance: A Fashion & Design Co-working Experience.  Our vigor has been a hub for innovation and creativity that has often been imitated yet never duplicated.

For nearly a decade, the cornerstone of our brand, the Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator affectionately known as (DE-FI) and pronounced "defy", served as the first of its kind one stop organization that addressed and supported the fashion industry as a whole. An organization so influential in its practices, strategy, and proven results that it reshaped how other regional fashion organizations across the world operate. With a focus on removing barriers into the fashion industry, the (DE-FI) brand has grown every year since 2013 without ever having to scale down or veer off course. We are an industry builder.

In 2013 (DE-FI) coined the term "The Fashion Experience" a term that is now widely used to describe and promote events.  Our signature experiences include:

Fashion In The Mystic Garden (Est. 2013)

#FashionInTheMysticGarden

A Taste of (DE-FI)ance: Where Fashion Meets Food (Est.2014) 

#FashionMeetsFood #TasteTheRunway

First Flight Now Fashion (Est.2014) 

#FirstFlightNowFashion

The Stylish Mom Runway (Est.2014)

#StylishMomRunway

A Weekend of (DE-FI)ance (Est.2014)

#WeekendOfDefiance

CFDA Connects is a network curated by the Council of Fashion Designers of America CFDA which is Chaired by American Fashion Designer Tom Ford.  CFDA Leadership includes Steven Kolb, who serves as the CEO, CaSandra Diggs, who serves as the President, and Mark Beckham who serves as the Vice President of Marketing and Events. 

Developed by Elliot Carlyle, the CFDA Connects program  supports regional fashion weeks and organizations through promotion, business support, resources and member privileges whose influence alone will: 

• Amplify your mission as a designer     
• Expand your reach as a brand     
• Increase your awareness of the fashion industry     
• Strengthen your business connection, commerce, media and trade in the American fashion industry and globally   

Designers selected to headline the Dayton Fashion Week Experience will also benefit from the following services via the CFDA Connects program:       

• Editorial & Social support     
• Education & Professional Development    
• Fashion Calendar & Events     
• Market & Business support     
• Runway360   

(DE-FI) Global INC is a founding member of the CFDA Connects program, Caressa L. Brown and (DE-FI) Designer Alum Aceani Michelle(who currently is a custom designer for the reboot of the Wonder Years) sit on the Leadership Committee and are voting members of the CFDA Fashion Award's Guild.