• The Experience
  • The Work
  • The Fashion Pipeline
    • Pipeline Operations
    • Cincinnati Fashion
    • Dayton Fashion
    • House of (DE-FI)ance
    • (DE-FI)ance Magazine
    • Dayton Threads
    • Signature Experiences
    • (DE-FI) Models Agency
    • Fashion Institute of Ohio
    • FAQ
  • Get Involved
  • Give
    • Become A Partner
    • The Art of (DE-FI)ance
    • Support Our Work
    • Ellie's Rainy Day Fund
  • Events
  • News
  • More
    • The Experience
    • The Work
    • The Fashion Pipeline
      • Pipeline Operations
      • Cincinnati Fashion
      • Dayton Fashion
      • House of (DE-FI)ance
      • (DE-FI)ance Magazine
      • Dayton Threads
      • Signature Experiences
      • (DE-FI) Models Agency
      • Fashion Institute of Ohio
      • FAQ
    • Get Involved
    • Give
      • Become A Partner
      • The Art of (DE-FI)ance
      • Support Our Work
      • Ellie's Rainy Day Fund
    • Events
    • News
  • Sign In
  • Create Account

  • Orders
  • My Account
  • Signed in as:

  • filler@godaddy.com


  • Orders
  • My Account
  • Sign out

Signed in as:

filler@godaddy.com

  • The Experience
  • The Work
  • The Fashion Pipeline
    • Pipeline Operations
    • Cincinnati Fashion
    • Dayton Fashion
    • House of (DE-FI)ance
    • (DE-FI)ance Magazine
    • Dayton Threads
    • Signature Experiences
    • (DE-FI) Models Agency
    • Fashion Institute of Ohio
    • FAQ
  • Get Involved
  • Give
    • Become A Partner
    • The Art of (DE-FI)ance
    • Support Our Work
    • Ellie's Rainy Day Fund
  • Events
  • News

Account


  • Orders
  • My Account
  • Sign out


  • Sign In
  • Orders
  • My Account
(DE-FI) Global INC

"Success comes to the underdog who doesn't let sleeping dogs lie...

"Success comes to the underdog who doesn't let sleeping dogs lie..."Success comes to the underdog who doesn't let sleeping dogs lie...

Dayton Fashion Week: Quick Navigation

About Dayton Fashion Week

Dayton Fashion Week: The Designer Incubator Programming

Dayton Fashion Week: The Designer Incubator Programming

  • Who We Are
  • Inspiration, Vision, Mission, and Values
  • The Fashion Incubator Experience
  • Associate Incubator Member Opportunities

Learn More

Dayton Fashion Week: The Designer Incubator Programming

Dayton Fashion Week: The Designer Incubator Programming

Dayton Fashion Week: The Designer Incubator Programming

  • The Designer Talk I, ages 18-26
  • Designer Talk II, ages 27 & better 
  • A Generation of (DE-FI)ance Jr., ages 6-11
  • A Generation of (DE-FI)ance Sr., ages 12-17
  • The Associate Incubator

Learn More

Dayton Fashion Week

The Fashion Incubator

 #TheEvolutionOfDEFI continues with the unapologetic capstone, Dayton Fashion Week.


Building on the legacy of the Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator who has long been recognized for their commitment to fostering the growth and development of fashion based talent; Dayton Fashion Week now serves as the Fashion Incubator.  


Dayton Fashion Week's incubator is a highly competitive concept to completion, fashion retail, and fashion industry ready development program.  Only selecting high potential applicants, Dayton Fashion Week provides the tools needed to succeed and sustain growth through one-on-one education, access, and opportunities.


If you’re an aspiring or emerging fashion professional in the early startup phase that's looking for meaningful, experiential, and intentional opportunities, as well as courses, tools, and resources to grow your fashion brand, then Dayton Fashion Week's Incubator platform is for you!


We are here to help you achieve your goals, however, before you apply, you also have to understand that, like everything else in life, success in the fashion industry: 


1) IS HARD WORK 

2) REQUIRES LONG HOURS 

3) IS NOT FUN! (Yes, it has its moments, typically after an event/project is over and you can finally relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor, but that break is always short lived.) 

4) IS NOT GLAMOROUS (Again, yes, it has its moments, but it's only about 5% of the industry.)

5) IS COMPETITIVE (Resources are limited, only the best of the best receive those resources.  If you want to be the best, you'll need a competitive edge.)

6) IS SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST 

7) A CONSTANT LEARNING EXPERIENCE 

8) WILL MAKE YOU CRY 

9) WILL MAKE YOU DOUBT YOURSELF 

10) IS A BUSINESS (...and a rewarding one at that.)

Who We Are

Inspiration. Vision. Mission. Values.

Inspiration. Vision. Mission. Values.

Led by a volunteer team of experienced fashion industry professionals, business owners, and event planning specialists; Dayton Fashion Week was acquired in 2016 by CFDA Connects co-founding member the Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator (DE-FI) LLC. 


Dayton Fashion Week's Incubator focuses on:


  1. Developing Fashion Designers and other Fashion Professionals.
  2. Helping them to build their teams and brands throughout the process.
  3. Connecting them with like-minded individuals who are seeking careers in the media and/or event production while helping them all grow together.


We are very intentional with our audience and the attendees of our various fashion experiences. The majority of our events are intimate and invite only to ensure that aspiring and emerging talent who are genuinely interested in seeking a career in fashion are not lost amongst those who attend fashion events for entertainment purposes only. 


Event passes and registration will only be available to those individuals who are invited. Invitation request are now available HERE. (Please Note: That being a casual observer or an enthusiastic supporter of fashion events does not eliminate you from consideration in receiving an invite.  Depending on the goals of the event, access will be made available on a first come first serve basis. Request your Invite today.) 

Inspiration. Vision. Mission. Values.

Inspiration. Vision. Mission. Values.

Inspiration. Vision. Mission. Values.

Inspired by fashion weeks in New York, Paris, and Milan; Dayton Fashion Week is a Fashion Incubator designed to develop, build, and connect aspiring and emerging fashion professionals, participants, and invited guest alike in fully hands on and engaging fashion opportunities centered around fashion based talent, media, and event production. 

 
Our vision is to celebrate Dayton and Southwest Ohio as the Birthplace of Aviation, Hub of Innovation, as well as staking our claim as the Fashion Capital for the development and success of fashion based talent and garment manufacturing.

 
It is the mission of Dayton Fashion Week's Fashion Incubator to provide support to independent fashion designers and fashion based talent in the form of business resources, education, advocacy, advancement, and opportunities. 

 
Our core values include excellence; diversity in people and of ideas; inclusion; access and affordability; innovation; collaboration; interdisciplinary endeavor; integrity; transparency, and trust.


Fashion Designers and Fashion Professionals need 4 things: 

  1. A strong support system. 
  2. Affordable access to resources. 
  3. To be around other designers and fashion professionals.
  4. To be around people in the same boat as them to keep each other motivated and growing. 

Got questions?  We've got answers, check out some FAQ.

Dayton Fashion Week: The Programming

The Fashion Designer Incubator Experience

The Fashion Designer Incubator Experience

The Fashion Designer Incubator Experience

Whether you're headlining a (DE-FI) powered experience or producing your own. Dayton Fashion Week's Incubator is a well-tailored opportunity for those seeking careers as a fashion designer and has two categories:


1) The Designer Talk Series 

2)  A Generation of (DE-FI)ance


Applications are accepted once per year for the Designer Incubator, the application period for the 2023 Class of Designers is October 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022. 


Designers in our Fashion Incubator will:


  • Create a full spread in (DE-FI)ance Magazine for your line.
  • Receive complimentary access to the Build-A-Brand Experience, Brain Dayton, and other classes and workshops at the House of (DE-FI)ance: A Fashion & Design Co-working Experience
  • Have access to the Council of Fashion Designers of America's CFDA Connects programming including Runway 360.
  • Sell your designs at Dayton Threads.     
  • Have creative control over your showcases.
  • Individual casting calls just for your line. 
  • Opportunities to participate in Pop-up Shops and Showcases
  • Receive our quarterly newsletters
  • Access to members-only meetings    

The Associate Incubator Experience

The Fashion Designer Incubator Experience

The Fashion Designer Incubator Experience

Dayton Fashion Week's Incubator is not just for designers, it's also for photographers, models, business professionals, makeup artists, pattern makers, stylists, illustrators, videographers, fashion show producers, writers, sewists, tailors, bespoke, textile makers, and more. 


Team and brand building are the keys to success for the designers in our incubator; the Associate Incubator members are all needed as a part of the process. Applications are accepted and reviewed year round. Membership Applications now available HERE.


The Associate Incubator member's benefits includes:


  • Access and listing to our Dream Force Resource Directory
  • Complimentary access to the Build-A-Brand Experience, Brain Dayton, and other select classes and workshops at the House of (DE-FI)ance: A Fashion & Design Co-working Experience.  
  • Discounts to special events and merchandise.  
  • Opportunities to promote individual events on our Events and Fashion Calendar, our social media outlets, and newsletter.
  • Access to (DE-FI) Global INC fashion based services.
  • Opportunities to participate in Pop-up Shops and Showcases
  • Quarterly newsletters
  • Access to members-only meetings
  • and more!

The Incubator: Designer Talk Series and A Generation of (DE-FI)ance

Open to aspiring, emerging and established designers, the Designer Talk Series is open to individuals ages 18 & better, and consists of two Peer Groups: 


Designer Talk I ages 18-26 

Designer Talk II, ages 27 & better 


A Generation of (DE-FI)ance Fashion is a hands-on Fashion opportunity that introduces the creative and business side of the fashion industry and gives participants real-world application opportunities and consists of two Peer Groups:


A Generation of (DE-FI)ance Jr. ages 6-11

A Generation of (DE-FI)ance Sr. ages 12-17


The Designer Talk Series


The need for the two different Designer Talk peer groups is simple. The vast majority of the designers that come to us are in their mid-30's and better, it's their second chance at pursuing their dreams. With that comes a lot of doubt and uncertainty because now they have full time careers/jobs, families to support, mortgages, etc. which makes it really hard for most to give up the security of a guaranteed check from your regular 9-5/career resulting in designers in the Designer Talk II age ranges to move differently and at a different pace in the incubator than those in Designer Talk I.   


What sets our fashion incubator a part from others is that our program has proven results that supports and nurtures aspiring, emerging, and established fashion designers and their brands from the start, through rapid growth, and eventual exit of the incubator by providing resources, work space, mentoring, and workshops to help grow your careers in fashion. 

 

Aspiring, emerging, and established designers you have the unique opportunity to strengthen your business skills in a real time curriculum taught by industry professionals! With a focus on business skills that range from business planning, marketing plans, cut & sew, retail math and social media. Our Designer Talk Series also has real time fashion challenges wrapped throughout the curriculum. Our team is dedicated to providing resources, education and professional development to the fashion community that will enhance and support a thriving and sustainable apparel and sewn products industry in the Midwest via Dayton Threads and Dayton Fashion Week. 


A Generation of (DE-FI)ance


This peer group was developed because our biggest success stories started with us when they were about 14 or 15 years old. When we held our first kids fashion camp, the campers ranged from ages 7-17; while they got along just fine, the kids in the 7-10 range would at times burst into Barney sing-a-longs and the older kids...while they didn't say anything, we saw a need to separate the groups at certain points to keep the creative juices flowing and growing while allowing the younger kids to be kids.  


Participants will have an opportunity to:  


  • Support Dayton Fashion Week and learn how to produce a Runway Show.
  • Work with fashion designers in the Designer Incubator and learn how to spin, knit and sew.
  • Learn the business of fashion, collaborate with others to learn the art of Collabetive Collabetation. 
  • Create their own fashion line, cast models, and produce their own fashion show.
  • Engage in community outreach.
  • Be empowered to use their voice using creative outlets.


By the end of the experience, participants will have an understanding of the various aspects of the fashion industry including event planning, fashion design and styling, graphic design, modeling, photography, project management, and writing. They will be empowered and equipped with the tools needed to take them to the next level. 


Open to students ages 6-17, our youth incubator taps into your youth's natural desire to express themselves through clothing in a fun and stimulating environment that encourages creative visioning and self-expression.   This experience will allow your child to explore the various careers that the fashion industry has to offer in 3 modules: 


1) Creative for those interested in becoming fashion designers.  

2) The Business of Fashion for those interested in law, marketing, journalism, business management, etc.

3) Production for those interested set design, photography, event planning, etc.    


Your child will: 

           

  • Develop unique creative voices to reflect interest and needs.     
  • Build confidence and independence to achieve greatness.    
  • Develop an appreciation of inspiration behind clothing from around the world.    
  • Learn and develop diverse skills needed for careers in the fashion industry from design to business.              
  • Create their own style by designing and making their own clothes.     
  • Build their resume with the leadership and business skills that they will develop.    
  • Publish their own magazine.     
  • Grow, laugh, network, have fun, make our community a better place to live. 



The Designer Talk Series and A Generation of (DE-FI)ance are a monthly hybrid experience that includes:


  • Educational and professional development including webinars, panel discussions, and masterclasses via the CFDA Connects.    
  • Editorial and social media support and exposure via (DE-FI) Global INC's digital platform.     
  • NYFW Runway 360 which is CFDA branded content and digital showroom, along with opportunity for sales via virtual showroom. 
  • Field trips to NYFW and other regional fashion weeks (additional expenses apply)        
  • Introductions to other regional fashion organizations, retailers, small batch manufacturers, and production specialists.              
  • Participation in (DE-FI) events with an opportunity to headline Dayton Fashion Week.
  • Sustainability/Supply Chain guidance and support via CFDA Connects. 
  • Pipeline to CFDA Membership.
  • Opportunity to be mentored directly by the CFDA.
  • Free and/or discounted access to the House of (DE-FI)ance: A Fashion & Design Co-working Experience's monthly in-person Build-A-Brand Experience and Brain Dayton team building experience.     
  • Discounted skill development classes eg sewing classes, CLO design software, leadership development, etc. via the House of (DE-FI)ance: A Fashion & Design Co-working Experience.     
  • Discounted admission to all guest speaker events.            
  • Participation in (DE-FI) Designer Events, i.e. pop-up shops, runway shows, etc.    
  • A supportive community with opportunities to serve in leadership roles within (DE-FI).     
  • Access to members of the Dreamforce.        
  • Networking opportunities for team building.     
  • Usage rights to (DE-FI) Global INC and subsidiaries logo for marketing and promotional purposes.   
  • Monthly one-on-one meetings with the Director of Programming no less than one hour per meeting.       
  • Fee $ 99/month or $350/quarter per person (Do not allow financial concerns deter you from pursuing your dreams, financial support may be available via The Art of (DE-FI)ance Fashion Fund).       
  • If you already have a team in place, contact us for a team rate.   

Help Our Cause

Due to financial hardships, we have several participants in our incubators who are unable to afford the cost of the services that we offer.  We never turn anyone away due to their inability to pay. Your support and contributions to The Art of (DE-FI)ance Fashion Fund allows us to keep our services affordable and provide hardship grants to participants in need.

Pay with PayPal or a debit/credit card

Copyright © 2023 (DE-FI) Global INC - All Rights Reserved.


Powered by (DE-FI)

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

Accept

Calling All Models, Designers, and Boutique Owners!

On Saturday, April 29th, 2023 (DE-FI) Global INC will produce the Inaugural Dayton Woman's Club Fashion Show featuring Clothes That Work and benefiting The Artemis Center for Domestic Violence.

Apply Today!