Seattle Fashion Incubator

Summary

Seattle Fashion Incubator (SFI), founded by Steven Matsumoto, is committed to providing independent fashion brands with the ideal environment to develop and grow their business. It means to be a unifying symbol for the fashion and apparel industry, and establish a Garment District in the region.

As Steven Matsumoto describes, designers in the Seattle area still leave for New York or Los Angeles to earn a living in the industry — and that’s why he created the Seattle Fashion Incubator (SFI).

“We have great creative talent, but no infrastructure to support it,” Matsumoto said. “There are brilliant designers who are forced to work at restaurants or move away and create jobs elsewhere. I wanted to stop that.”

Mission

As the founder said in an interview with Startup Fashion: “The goal of Seattle Fashion Incubator (SFI) is to provide emerging fashion brands with the ideal environment to develop and grow their business.”

As SFI intends to be a unifying symbol for the fashion industry in the Pacific Northwest. It will offer accessible and affordable design space, access to capital, speciality goods, professional mentorship and industry-specific presentation space.

Programs

Currently SFI can support designers through the following assistance:

1. Access to business mentorship and counselling services

2. Professional development workshops and seminars

3. Trade show and marketing opportunities

4. Wholesale, Retail and E-commerce opportunities

5. Microfinance and business financing assistance

6. Sales representation

7. Group Purchasing Power

Upon the successful completion of the current fund-raising efforts SFI will be able to offer:

1. Professional showroom, design and meeting space

2. Autometrix Cutter/Plotter

3. OptiTex 2D/3D CAD software

Applicants seeking admission have to:

1. Reside in the Puget Sound Area – which includes the following counties: King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap.

2. Be 21 years of age or older.

3. Provide a minimum of three (3) images of the garments.

4. Have already started a fashion business.

5. Be able to commit to SFI completely, utilizing all available resources, similar to a full-time job.

References

• https://startupfashion.com/seattle-fashion-incubator/
• https://wefunder.com/seattlefashion
• http://seattlefashionincubator.org/seattle-fashion-industry-directory/
• https://www.geekwire.com/2015/the-seattle-fashion-incubator-wants-to-help-local-designers-build-their-own-businesses/