Washington State is dotted with an abundance of technology incubators that give a visionary software developer the supporting infrastructure they need to become successful. Now that same concept is being developed to take locally grown fashion designers and help them build viable businesses around fashion and clothing manufacture right here at home. Seattle Fashion Incubator (SFI) will be providing top notch advisors from leading apparel design and retail companies along with connections to raw material resources exclusively available to big apparel companies. SFI also plans to hire and train veterans to be sewing machine operators, a much-needed skill industry-wide, to help the designers’ ideas become reality.
Washington State’s fashion history includes the business legends of Filson, Eddie Bauer, Brittania, Tommy Bahama and custom designer Luly Wang. Excluding retail, the sector encompassing apparel design, manufacturing, wholesale and corporate headquarters generates more than 17,000 jobs and contributes $6.7 billion in revenues to Washington’s economy.
Read more in Geekwire.