Our vision is to celebrate Dayton, Cincinnati, and Southwest Ohio as the Birthplace of Aviation and a Hub of Innovation, and to further that legacy by becoming the Birthplace of Tomorrow’s Fashion Stars and a cornerstone for the national fashion pipeline. Rather than pursuing the title of fashion capital, our goal is to nurture, launch, and sustain the careers of fashion-based talent and innovation from the ground up through design, development, manufacturing, and market integration.
By embracing a Farm to Fashion philosophy, we are connecting agriculture and fashion, supporting sustainable practices that unite local farmers, natural fibers, material scientists, textile makers, engineers, and garment production, creating a thriving infrastructure of opportunity and innovation.
We also recognize that:
By fostering innovation, sustainability, ethical production, and interdisciplinary collaboration, we aim to build a fashion infrastructure that serves as a launchpad for the next generation of creators, makers, and industry leaders.
The mission of (DE-FI) Global INC is to support aspiring and independent fashion-based talent by providing education, business resources, workforce development, industry access, and legitimate career advancement opportunities.
Our work builds the fashion pipeline by uplifting not only designers and models, but also stylists, photographers, writers, producers, beauty professionals, engineers, and those in agriculture and material science. We prepare them to thrive both regionally and nationally.
Through our Farm to Fashion initiative, we integrate local agriculture into the fashion supply chain by supporting regional farmers, promoting the use of natural fibers, and encouraging environmentally responsible production methods. In doing so, we’re laying the foundation for long-term economic growth and leadership in ethical, sustainable fashion.
By reimagining Dayton, Cincinnati, and Southwest Ohio as the foundation for fashion’s future, our values guide everything we do:
(DE-FI) Global INC is not striving to become a fashion capital, we’re building something greater. We are establishing a national fashion infrastructure that doesn’t just serve designers and models, but engages every element of the fashion supply chain: from farmers and textile makers to engineers, educators, manufacturers, and beyond. Our work is about legacy, laying the foundation for a more equitable, sustainable, and localized fashion industry that serves as a blueprint for regions across the country.
Why Southwest Ohio?
Southwest Ohio is uniquely positioned to lead the future of American fashion. With Dayton and Cincinnati as anchors, we sit at the crossroads of I-75 and I-70, offering fast access to major U.S. cities like Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Memphis, and Nashville all within an 8-hour drive. Our proximity to historic fashion hubs like Columbus (home to the third-largest concentration of fashion designers in the U.S.) and Cincinnati (former headquarters of Macy’s) gives us a logistical and cultural advantage.
But even more critically, this region has something that most fashion capitals do not: room to build. Dayton's legacy as a manufacturing stronghold gives us the industrial foundation. Ohio’s thriving agricultural economy provides a direct link to natural fiber production like hemp, cotton, silk, wool, and alpaca. And our communities are filled with untapped creative, technical, and entrepreneurial talent ready to shape the next chapter of fashion.
How We Accomplish Our Mission
(DE-FI) Global INC is transforming the future of fashion by building a comprehensive, inclusive, and locally rooted infrastructure that connects the dots between agriculture, science, design, business, and education.
We accomplish our mission by:
Highlights of Our Strategic Plan
Our strategy is grounded in bold, actionable goals that elevate the region and prepare talent to compete on national and global stages:
Our Strategic Goals
These goals will be supported by the strategic investment of our financial resources, human capital, and physical infrastructure, with a clear emphasis on building a localized, self-sustaining, and nationally scalable fashion infrastructure that centers sustainability, ethics, and community impact.
We are not just shaping the future of fashion, we’re anchoring it. Right here. In the heart of the Midwest.
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Website Update in Progress!!
We’re currently refreshing and updating our website including important forms and features to better serve you! Some areas may be temporarily unavailable as we work behind the scenes. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Our goal is to have everything updated and ready by Saturday, July 5th.In the meantime, be on the lookout for invitations and RSVP links. Emails will come from:info@defiglobalinc.com with a sender name: (DE-FI) Global INC. Make sure to check your inbox and spam folders deadlines are approaching!