Columbus Fashion Initiative

Through general programming and community engagement we hope to meet the needs of those in all phases of their journey as a creative. Though there isn't one formula for all, learner experience can be placed in categories and increase their engagement based on personal needs. Workshops Workshops are 1-3-day sessions with a subject matter expert on a variety of topics to help the creative along their journey. Workshops are separated into LEARN & MAKE. Learn Series LEARN series workshops are informational sessions with a subject matter expert that cover a variety of topics including: Entrepreneurship in the fashion industry Careers in the fashion industry Marketing fashion businesses Small business 101 Financial Wellness (with community banking partners) Career Services (Resume/Portfolio building, soft skills, interviewing, etc.) Post-Secondary education exploration w/ education partners Make Series MAKE series workshops are sessions with subject matter experts taking you through hands on demonstrations in various fashion design projects. Examples of make workshops include, but are not limited to the following: Upcycling & Repurpose sessions Content Creation Workshops Constructing Custom Pieces Workshops (Specialty classes such as denim work, leather work shoes, etc.) Accessory design Crash course graphic design classes Courses/Classes A 4-6-week deeper dive into apparel & graphic design with a subject matter expert to help the creative along the journey. Future of Fashion The Future of Fashion Summer Internship at the Columbus Fashion Alliance (CFA) is a 9-week summer intensive for African American youth ages 14-18, that provides exposure into the fashion industry through the lens of fashion retail and fashion entrepreneurship. Interns learn about the product development lifecycle from conceptualization of an apparel collection to creating a retail experience at the end of the program. Interns get exposure to career pathways within corporate retail such as the roles of the Designer, Product Developer, Merchant, Visual Merchandiser, and Marketer. Each week the program features African American/minority experts within the retail industry to help CFA youth build power skills, gain exposure to education options within the industry while they develop their collection and work towards a retail pop-up experience ran by the interns. Made to Grow Made to Grow is a CFA youth immersion program that consists of young adult creatives who have successfully completed the Future of Fashion Summer Internship, and have the opportunity to gain more skills in apparel design and a deeper understanding of the business of retail the while working on product development for the Made to Grow apparel brand. Creatives will earn certificates for each class (elective) that is completed within the program, as well a certificate of completion after completing the full year program. During the program creatives will also have professional development workshops (resume writing, portfolio building, interview skills, career & education planning, etc.) to help prepare for post-secondary education and/or careers in the fashion industry. Young creatives will also have the opportunity to independently work towards industry recognized credentials. Program Length: 32 weeks during the school year Ambassador Program CFA's Ambassador program goal is to give African American creatives the opportunity to grow their fashion careers, brands, and businesses all while sharing the opportunity with others on how to get involved in CFA programs to further build the CFA ecosystem. New Ambassadors will be selected annually. The backbone of the program is aligned with the company mission to move fashion-forward and enhance culture into one that equips, fosters, and supports emerging fashion creatives through the CFA's four pillars: LEARN- the opportunity to increase knowledge base through learning, to take skill sets, career, brand, and/or business to the next level MAKE- utilize CFA spaces to create and build connections through the Resource Hub INNOVATE- take the steps toward leveling up through individualized action plans and exclusive time with fashion industry experts EXPERIENCE- the opportunity to participate in exclusive workshops, networking events, and travel Ready to WERK Ready to WERK is a retail readiness and leadership program for adults 18-24 interested in learning the fundamentals of retail taking place in a marketplace setting. Program participants will receive a stipend for participating in the program on the retail track. Participants will be learning how to operate the marketplace, market for the brands in the space, and merchandising the space for local brands. Participants are required to complete a 4-week fashion boot camp learning about the fundamentals of retail and how cross-functional teams work in a retail setting in the areas of: Merchandising Marketing Visual Merchandising Production* (understand the product development lifecycle) Design*(understand the design processes in a retail setting)