STEM Atelier | Where Technology Meets Fashion in the Midwest

STEM Atelier fuses science, technology, engineering, and math with design and production. Rooted in Dayton with active programs in Cincinnati and across the Midwest, we prototype, test, and train, turning creative ideas into market-ready fashion and workforce skills.

We prepare students, designers, and entrepreneurs for the future of fashion through hands-on workshops, regenerative fiber development, and industry-led training. From material science and industrial sewing to CAD garment manufacturing and wearable technology, our programs build skills that power local economies, create sustainable careers, and position the Midwest as a leader in fashion innovation and workforce development. 

STEM Atelier is where engineering meets expression, and where the next generation of innovators reimagine what fashion can be when grounded in science, technology, and sustainable systems. Through a fusion of material science, digital fabrication, environmental innovation, and wearable technology, this program gives students more than just a seat at the table, we're handing them the blueprint.

Fashion is more than design; it’s coded, printed, cultivated, and engineered. (DE-FI)'s STEM Atelier is the launchpad.

Rooted in the Real World, Not Runway Trends

Through our Farm to Fashion Initiative and hands-on collaboration with leaders in regenerative agriculture, natural dyes, and circular design, students engage in real research, real material experimentation, and real product development. Whether they're experimenting with plant-based fibers, applying AI to predict sustainability trends, or prototyping with 3D printers, participants do more than learn the fashion industry, they build the next one.

Inside the STEM Atelier Experience

Bio to Build:

Explore the science of natural fibers, biofabrication, and sustainable chemistry. Understand how plant-based materials and agricultural byproducts can be transformed into high-performance textiles.

Wearable Technology + 3D Innovation:

Design and print functional garments using smart textiles and 3D modeling. Learn the mechanics behind responsive clothing, embedded sensors, and next-gen wearables.

Digital Fashion Intelligence

Use AI, AR, and VR to visualize, simulate, and test designs. Learn how tech drives everything from personalized fashion experiences to global forecasting systems.

Environmental Problem-Solving

Engage with global challenges, textile waste, water consumption, microplastics, and engineer solutions from the soil up. Participants will create with purpose, design with science, and prototype for impact.

Interdisciplinary Mentorship

Work alongside researchers, designers, engineers, and educators who are developing the future of material science, fashion systems, and circular economies.

Who This Is For

• Junior High & High School Students exploring STEM, sustainability, or creative careers
• College Students in engineering, design, business, or fashion programs
• Innovators passionate about tech, the environment, or building sustainable futures

Why STEM Atelier?

Because fashion is not just sewn...it’s grown, programmed, tested, and activated.

STEM Atelier empowers participants to:

• Lead in sustainable fashion innovation
• Break through industry silos between design and science
• Build portfolios with real-world applications and lab-backed experiments
• Join a community advancing equitable, localized, and circular fashion systems

Coming 2026. Limited Enrollment. Boundless Potential.

This is where science is always in style and participants become system disruptors. Welcome to STEM Atelier.  Designed for the bold, powered by innovation and built to Re(DE-FI)ne the future of fashion.  Request your invitation HERE.