Launched in March 2017, the Dayton Garment & Textile District (DGTD) is a hub and the engine behind a fashion infrastructure designed to anchor Southwest Ohio in the national fashion pipeline. We’re here for the fashion designers, engineers, sewists, scientists, and artisans who believe that fashion isn’t just about clothes but about innovation, integrity, and industry. We’re also here for the rebels who refuse to follow the trends, for the craftsmen and craftswomen who pour their heart into every stitch, and for the communities ready to thrive by embracing local talent.
What Makes DGTD & (DE-FI) Different? We’re building infrastructure, not just markets.
We incubate across disciplines: fashion, STEM, agriculture, textile science, and economic justice, combining virtual directories with physical brick-and-mortar collaboration zones across Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland. We aren't just creating clothes, we are creating careers in everything from textile engineering to editorial to merchandising to sustainability. We tie together workforce development, fashion education, manufacturing readiness, and social impact, no one else in the U.S. does all of this under one roof.
Why DGTD? Because Fashion Needs a Rebuild, Not Just a Runway.
When you shop or collaborate with the Dayton Garment & Textile District, you’re investing in fashion and advancing supply chains, creating jobs, and building community wealth from the fiber up. When you shop or collaborate with DGTD, you’re not just buying clothes or hiring talent, you’re fueling a revolution in slow fashion, supporting artistry, and saying no to mass production.
What We Offer
1. Micro-Manufacturing Support Services:
2. The Resource Directory:
3. Entrepreneurial Development:
4. Collaboration Opportunities:
Why We're Needed? Why Now?
Fashion can feel like a lonely, uphill battle, but we’re here to make it easier. The DGTD exists to:
The DGTD is filling a crucial gap. For years, designers have struggled with finding local resources to bring their ideas to life. With waitlists for production stretching beyond 8+ weeks, you are the missing piece. We need skilled sewists, textile makers, and other professionals to step in and meet the growing demand.
Fashion shouldn’t feel isolating or impossible to break into. The DGTD exists to:
Whether it’s custom garments, naturally dyed fibers, material science innovations, or small-batch production, this is where it starts.
Our Impact
Since 2013, the Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator (DE-FI) has:
With DGTD, we’ve taken this mission a step further by:
A Network That’s Both Virtual and Physical
The Dayton Garment & Textile District is not just an online directory, it is a living, breathing infrastructure of fashion professionals and resources operating both virtually and through brick-and-mortar locations across Ohio, the Midwest and beyond. It’s a growing network of brick-and-mortar and virtual fashion professionals and resources. Through our strategic partnerships across these regions, DGTD supports real-world access to workspace, mentorship, and community in multiple cities. The DGTD unites artisans, makers, and manufacturers across the region.
Our partners span material scientists, fiber growers, engineering professionals, and more forming a broad, interdisciplinary pipeline for innovation and production that serves the entire fashion supply chain. From farm-based natural fibers to finished garments, DGTD helps regional professionals move ideas from concept to consumer, right here in Ohio.
We are relaunching in September 2025 as part of (DE-FI) Fashion Week, showcasing a stronger, smarter, and more connected version of the District than ever before.
Rooted in Workforce Development
DGTD is part of a larger effort through (DE-FI)’s Workforce Development Educational Initiatives, which include our:
We are intentionally creating a fashion infrastructure that connects the dots between material scientists, engineers, farmers, and textile makers positioning fashion not only as art but also as an economic engine.
Want to Join Our Directory?
Our handpicked directory isn’t for everyone. It’s for serious talent the designers, sewists, engineers, fiber producers, and textile artisans who want to create impact and be part of something bigger in the Midwest and Tri-state area. Think of it as an exclusive club for fashion rebels and artisans who refuse to settle for mediocrity.
This is not about followers or fame. It’s about substance and quality. If you're ready to collaborate, grow, learn and contribute to the long-term development of the fashion industry, we're ready for you.
This is the Dayton Garment & Textile District. This is where fashion finds its soul.
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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.