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"Success comes to the underdog who doesn't let sleeping dogs lie...
STEM Atelier: Reverse Engineering the Future of Fashion
Bridging Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math with Fashion Innovation for the Next Generation
TEM 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.
Website Update in Progress: But Trashion Show Apps Are LIVE!
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.
However, applications are now open for designers interested in showcasing their work in the Trashion Show during (DE-FI) Fashion Week’s Fiber Forum on September 16th in Strategic Partnership with the Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub. If you're ready to turn trash into couture, submit your application by August 30.