Farm to Fashion: Growing Ohio’s Textile Future

Go behind the scenes at the 2025 Fiber Forum with (DE-FI) Global INC Owner & Director, Caressa Brown. From greeting guests to connecting with speakers and capturing candid moments, Caressa gives an inside look at the people and conversations that shaped this year’s event.  These behind-the-scenes moments highlight the collaborative spirit, creative energy, and community impact that make the Fiber Forum such a powerful gathering for innovators and changemakers. The Fiber Forum served as the kickoff event for the 2025 (DE-FI) Fashion Week and a sneak peek into our Farm to Fashion initiative.  #CincinnatiRecycleReuseHub #DEFIFashionWeek #FiberForum #FarmToFashion #SustainableFashion #TextileInnovation  #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #FiberInnovation 

At the 2025 Fiber Forum Presented by the Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub, leaders in sustainable textiles explored the future of fashion through farming and fiber systems. Hear insights from TJ Richardson (Ohio Hemp Company), Amber Ostaszewski (Rustbelt Fibershed), and Ashley Kubley (University of Cincinnati DAAP) as they discuss hemp, regenerative practices, and closing the textile loop for a more sustainable industry. This session highlights the critical intersection of agriculture, innovation, and design.  The Emcee, Sherwood McVeigh, Goodwill Industries.  The Fiber Forum served as the kickoff event for the 2025 (DE-FI) Fashion Week and a sneak peek into our Farm to Fashion initiative.  #CincinnatiRecycleReuseHub #DEFIFashionWeek #FiberForum #FarmToFashion #SustainableFashion #TextileInnovation  #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #FiberInnovation 

At the 2025 Fiber Forum Presented by the Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub, leaders in sustainable textiles explored the future of fashion through farming and fiber systems. Hear insights from TJ Richardson (Ohio Hemp Company), Amber Ostaszewski (Rustbelt Fibershed), and Ashley Kubley (University of Cincinnati DAAP) as they discuss hemp, regenerative practices, and closing the textile loop for a more sustainable industry. This session highlights the critical intersection of agriculture, innovation, and design.  The Emcee, Sherwood McVeigh, Goodwill Industries.  The Fiber Forum served as the kickoff event for the 2025 (DE-FI) Fashion Week and a sneak peek into our Farm to Fashion initiative.  #CincinnatiRecycleReuseHub #DEFIFashionWeek #FiberForum #FarmToFashion #SustainableFashion #TextileInnovation  #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #FiberInnovation 

 Karley Hasselfeld, Vice President of Final Strike Collaborative, introduces a hands-on group exercise designed not just for this event but to spark new ideas, partnerships, and action in the fiber and creative space. Karley walks the audience through the exercise, discusses the intentions behind it, and points the way toward how collaborative momentum can carry beyond the forum walls.  Alongside the exercise, she shares her journey, role, and vision for Final Strike Collaborative an organization dedicated to transforming waste practices in the entertainment industry by turning salvaged materials into new possibilities.  Learn how community, creativity, and sustainable thinking converge to build a more equitable and circular creative economy.  The Emcee, Sherwood McVeigh, Goodwill Industries.  The Fiber Forum served as the kickoff event for the 2025 (DE-FI) Fashion Week and a sneak peek into our Farm to Fashion initiative.  #CincinnatiRecycleReuseHub #DEFIFashionWeek #FiberForum #FarmToFashion #SustainableFashion #TextileInnovation #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #FiberInnovation #FinalStrikeCollaborative #Sustainability #CreativeReuse #Collaboration #CircularDesign 

 April Culbreath (A.D. Culbreath Collection), Alisa Smith (Baraza Impact Design Studio), and Shailah Maynard (Sew Valley) discuss Ideas to Impact: Building Local Manufacturing & Maker Economies. In this session, they share their journeys, challenges, and strategies for nurturing creative industries right in their communities.  April Culbreath brings her hands-on design and production perspective from her work at Ad Culbreath Collection.  Alisa Smith represents Baraza Impact Design Studio, a consultancy focused on strategic innovation, community-centered design, and bridging mission-driven organizations with sustainable growth.  Shailah Maynard leads Sew Valley, a zero-waste garment factory, sample room, and incubator space in Cincinnati, supporting designers and entrepreneurs with space, equipment, and education to bring their work to market.  Together, they explore how to translate ideas into actionable systems, build infrastructure for creative makers, and strengthen local economies rooted in manufacturing, sustainability, and collaboration.  Highlights include:  Models for scaling local production  Overcoming barriers in materials, labor, and market access  The role of collaboration, shared resources, and mission-driven design  Stories of transformation from concept to real, community-rooted impact   Whether you're a maker, designer, community organizer, or entrepreneur, this conversation offers insight into building ecosystems that empower local creativity.  The Emcee, Sherwood McVeigh, Goodwill Industries.  The Fiber Forum served as the kickoff event for the 2025 (DE-FI) Fashion Week and a sneak peek into our Farm to Fashion initiative.  #CincinnatiRecycleReuseHub #DEFIFashionWeek #FiberForum #FarmToFashion #SustainableFashion #TextileInnovation #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #FiberInnovation #FinalStrikeCollaborative #CreativeReuse #Collaboration #CircularDesign #MakerEconomies #LocalManufacturing #SewValley #BarazaImpact #AdCulbreath #IdeasToImpact #SustainableDesign  

The Trashion Show closed out the 2025 Fiber Forum with creativity, innovation, and purpose. Designers took the challenge of transforming discarded materials into striking wearable art, showcasing how fashion can thrive at the intersection of sustainability and imagination.  Every piece on the runway was crafted from recycled, reused, or repurposed items that would typically be thrown away, proving that waste can become wonder when guided by vision and skill. The show not only celebrated design but also sparked conversations around responsibility, circularity, and the future of fashion.  The Fiber Forum served as a kickoff event for the 2025 D5 Fashion Week and a sneak peek into our Farmer Fashion Initiative.  #TrashionShow #FiberForum #SustainableFashion #CircularDesign #RecycledFashion #DEFIFashionWeek 

 At the Ohio State University Farm to Fashion Initiative, we had the privilege of hearing from the Bridgeforth family, a fifth-generation African-American-owned farm specializing in cotton. Their legacy in cotton farming is not only a story of heritage and resilience, but also of innovation and sustainability in today’s textile industry.  The Bridgeforth family supplies cotton directly to Victoria’s Secret, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, connecting local agriculture to one of the world’s most recognized fashion brands. Their work underscores the vital role of Black farmers in the global supply chain and highlights how deep-rooted farming traditions continue to shape the future of fashion.  This conversation shines a light on the intersection of history, community, and industry impact, reminding us that every garment begins with the growers who cultivate its raw materials.  #FarmToFashion #BridgeforthFamily #CottonFarming #SustainableFashion #AfricanAmericanFarmers #VictoriaSecret 

 At Jefferson Township’s inaugural Career & College Signing Day, we had the honor of welcoming Mama O from Edgemont Solar Gardens, a powerhouse of wisdom, heart, and lived experience.  In this clip, Mama O speaks directly to our kids about resilience, self-sufficiency, and the many unexpected career paths that exist in agriculture and sustainability.  From growing your own food to growing your purpose, Mama O reminded us all that the seeds we plant today shape the future we build tomorrow.  #CareerAndCollegeSigningDay #MamaO #JeffersonStrong #GrowWithUs #FutureInFocus #FarmToFashion