ReDesigning the Future of Work

BIPOC and immigrant women face challenges and lack opportunities to earn fair wages doing work they enjoy.  Often with no choice, many are forced to take whatever work they can get.  The thought of leadership or business ownership aspirations are not considered because these concepts have never been presented as an option.

There is a need for skilled manufacturers in the domestic garment industry. Many businesses understand the urgent necessity to repair current industry practices by supporting environmental and humanitarian sustainability, racial equality and fair wages.

Developing a successful model of Worker-Owned Cooperatives for the garment industry will allow us to partner, teach, and slowly transform the current unsustainable infrastructure.  This will ensure equity, stability, and status for BIPOC, immigrant, and marginalized women. In addition to empowering our clients, this model also provides businesses and consumers with options that benefit the planet as well as humanity. 

Racial inequity in education, business and industry persists, leaving BIPOC and immigrant populations disproportionately disadvantaged.  Pathways for immigrant women to earn living wages in the US are limited.  Immigration status, educational qualifications, cultural literacy, and work experience significantly narrow employment and earning options.

The $2T fashion industry perpetuates humanitarian and environmental injustice at every level of the supply chain. In NYC, the garment industry accounts for a third of all manufacturing jobs, generating $10.9 billion in wages and tax revenues of $2 billion. The predominantly female labor force is the most underpaid. 75% of garment workers are immigrants, often working 70 hours a week without minimum-wage and overtime-pay protections, earning less than any other US demographic- at approximately $.21 to $2.73 per hour. 

The rise of fast fashion in the 1990’s and migration of manufacturing overseas, created a loss of precious domestic manufacturing capabilities, putting Americans at risk, as demonstrated by the PPE shortage in March 2020 and our inability to effectively initiate domestic manufacturing of PPE. There’s a dire need to re-evaluate infrastructures, systems and policies. This current moment has sparked opportunity for the fashion industry, particularly in the US, to create long overdue impactful positive change.

Custom Collaborative (CC) aims to ensure that the women whose labor constitutes the working capital of the fashion industry are afforded dignity in their work and a proportional share in the wealth they create. In 2019 we launched Fashion That Works Production (FTWP), a worker-owned manufacturing cooperative whose mission provides opportunity for skilled artisans to pool resources and enhance strengths through business ownership in contract manufacturing. FTWP currently comprises graduates from our Training Institute with plans for expansion to outside artisans. As CC supports FTWP to establish a successful business, our long term strategy envisions CC as a teacher and industry partner, with FTWP as the pilot model to follow.

We envision FTWP as an important amplifier of both the resources and voices of workers across the garment industry, and a central component in CC’s economic and social justice efforts. In collaboration with other community based organizations, we will develop and implement a policy/advocacy arm of FTWP that will reflect and respond to the needs and goals of all CC participants, partners, and allies so that FTWP is poised to become an evidence-based amplifier of the resources and the voices of workers across the apparel industry.

We empower women from low-income, BIPOC and immigrant communities including victims of abuse, those caught up in the criminal justice system, undocumented, homeless and/or single moms.

FTWP’s 6 members are all stepping into leadership positions for the first time in the US. With the support of CC’s extensive network of corporate, academic, and artisanal advisors, we are currently working to develop FTWP’s democratic structure. Our cooperative training education and our experience teaching business and vocational skills have prepared us to provide technical assistance including legal, financial, and business planning services to the FTWP cooperative. The CC Team’s Entrepreneurship Coach, Lead Instructor, and Career Coach guide FTWP members to success by supporting their professional and personal development. Our Entrepreneurship Coach works with members to develop the vision for their business and create their business plans. The Lead Instructor brings thirty years of experience as a designer and fashion educator in the industry to advise on the design and production process. Our Career Coach provides one on one support to our members, helping them to address, navigate, and problem solve personal and professional challenges. 

Our guidance will allow marginalized women to overcome barriers that prevent their success and independence.

We’re a workforce development program, training and empowering women from low-income, BIPOC and immigrant communities to design, sew, and sell sustainable fashion and achieve living-wage work. Participants receive a stipend to attend our technical skills training which incorporates business, leadership, and career coaching. We ensure participants understand all possible career options rather than limiting them by dictating their paths. We provide industry partners with anti-racism training to ensure graduates are entering safe work environments. Our surveys indicate a dire need for workers with these skills and our model will transform the garment industry, filling these needs ethically, fairly, and sustainably.

1 full-time

4 part-time

We are a black woman founded organization. Four of our five board members are BIPOC.  Our staff is 100% BIPOC and 100% of our senior staff members are BIPOC. Our members are adult women ages 21 - 60 from 20+ nations who primarily reside in New York City and have at least elementary English-language skills. 98% are members of racial/ethnic minority groups, 70% are immigrants/first generation, 96% have income below the US federal poverty guidelines, 80% are primary caretakers of young children and/or elders, 52% are without permanent housing, 27% have survived domestic violence, and 25% have a history with the criminal-legal system.

Our model of training, production, and consumption practice both environmental and humanitarian sustainability while challenging racial inequity in the fashion industry. We work closely with partner organizations and businesses to ensure they understand our expectations for safe work environments and provide antiracism assessments and training when needed.

Inverse to current fashion industry models, ours centers BIPOC women as leaders, business owners, and decision makers earning fair wages.

There are few pathways for most immigrant women to earn living wages in the US.  Women are active in the labor force but earn less than any other demographic. Immigration status, educational qualifications, cultural literacy, and work experience limit employment and earning options creating high vulnerability to economic exploitation and civil- and human- rights abuses.

Current garment manufacturing models promote unfair wages, unsafe and demoralizing working conditions, keeping the mostly immigrant and minority workers at the bottom of the workforce hierarchy and societal status. We aim to disrupt current practices and offer an approach that will raise these workers “rank” in the supply chain.

Of the 600 cooperatives operating in the US the few that produce clothing are disconnected, but successful. BIPOC women want to lead but are rarely given opportunity. Despite having long used and developed environmentally sustainable practices, their ideas are rarely solicited or heard. 

The garment industry is notoriously competitive and companies are secretive when it comes to sharing information that could bring success to competitors. Creating a successful and replicable garment industry Worker- Owned Cooperative model, enabling marginalized women to be leaders and business owners while providing a much needed service, and then sharing that model with potential competitors and industry leaders, will completely change the system and current infrastructure to one that benefits all levels of the supply chain and does away with hierarchical mindsets.

Our solution is a new business model supported by technologies old and new. These technologies are fundamental to our day to day function, from sewing machines to make the garments, to design, CRM and management softwares, cloud based data storage and the social networks that provide marketing and exposure, all ingrained into our solution. The core technology crucial to our model is the Ecommerce Digital Platform. It is a low cost solution to connect our organization, services, and products to consumers aligned with our values across the country, and integrates most of the aforementioned technologies.

Ecommerce Digital Platforms are a proven successful technology and over the years have driven many successful businesses to change their strategy and close their brick and mortar businesses. The low overhead, mass accessibility/ global reach, and 24/hour access make this the ideal platform for showcasing a business, storytelling, interacting with customers and selling products all in one place. 

Building on the digital platform to make it even more efficient, we are planning to integrate at least one of the following technologies in the next development phase. These edging technologies already identified by the apparel industry as key to a successful future, will provide highly marketable skills to the women our solution supports:

1- Blockchain technology software

Transparency and traceability are key elements of a sustainable supply chain. Blockchain will enable tracking and transparency. It will also enable an easily replicable model.

2- Information management software for the garment factory: https://www.tc2.com/myfactory-...

A cloud-based software designed for apparel manufacturing made of several applications that are integrated or can stand alone depending on client's needs.

3- An online shopping website including try on software 

for example- https://www.tc2.com/fashion.html

Reduce returns and improves performance for both general product development and direct to consumer business.

Custom Collaborative envisions a world in which all women possess the skills, confidence, and agency to design their futures and contribute to a sustainable world regardless of race or socio- economic background.

If we :

• Provide interventions to train, support, and advocate for meaningful participation and leadership in sustainable fashion

By:

• Targeting low to no income women in New York City seeking to build skills in sustainable fashion

And we:

• Assess participants and connect them to in-demand skills training and needed support services

Then we will:

1. Develop self- confident, empowered women entrepreneurs with skills and capacity to participate in an equitable industry

2. Catalyze members’ ability to generate revenue through sustainable fashion talent and business acumen

3. Position an often overlooked and marginalized population to achieve parity and success in the industry

Ultimately leading to:

• A more equitable industry where women have access to advanced opportunities regardless of background

• Independent, financially- stable women who control their own destinies

• Women’s leadership in sustainable fashion and contributions to community and societal sustainability

Our goals for next year include successful completion of our pilot phase for FTWP and development of a shareable business model for industry partners. Our long-term goal is to implement a three- five year growth strategy which will enable us to expand our operations both locally and nationwide.  On the local level we aim to triple the number of women we currently serve and expand programming to other boroughs of New York City. On a national level, we will launch in two additional cities and work with other organizations to expand the coop production model, acting as hubs for US clothing design and manufacturing.

Each location will have the following:

• Dedicated space (approx. 5000 sq. ft.) to house a Training Institute, Business Incubator, Worker Owned Co-Op, and daycare facilities

• Expansion of current programming to include evening and multilingual trainings and dedicated program specialists

• State-of-the-art equipment and access to cutting-edge technology/software for participants

We will train apparel industry business to follow our lead in creating Worker-Owned Cooperatives as well as work with existing businesses to transform their current model to worker-owned.

Custom Collaborative will become a strong revenue generating social enterprise with great recognition yielding new business, larger contracts and greater revenue. The growth of the cooperative and business incubator will lead to increased financial wealth for the women we work with and their communities, as well as a transformed, healthy, sustainable domestic garment industry.

Black woman owned/founded organizations are historically and notoriously underfunded. Ours is no exception. We are proud of the work we have managed to accomplish with such limited resources and frustrated, knowing how much more we could be doing with access to proper resources. We actively advocate for ourselves and pursue partnership and funding opportunities, but find many funders want data showing large operating budgets and sophisticated impact analysis before they will consider us, limiting our path to larger scale success, and limiting society’s access to innovative solutions from marginalized people. Since our work focuses on creating opportunity for BIPOC women, it is all the more important to address these barriers.

By telling our story, being vocal, challenging companies and organizations to think outside the box and partnering with organizations on advocacy and policy change, we strive to overcome these barriers. Funders can be leaders in important social change, by investing in a smaller organization with a big vision, versus playing it safe and investing in organizations that have been doing the same work for decades, already have large budgets, and are not innovating or change making.

A comprehensive Evaluation and Outcomes System process that takes data from our Salesforce system and turns it into useful information so we can evaluate our outcomes and make adjustments when needed would be invaluable. This would include the ability to document and track our graduates’ individual skill level and professional work experience as well as the ability to identify employers and track their ongoing workforce needs to increase the number of job opportunities available to our graduates. 

With this data we could increase the number of graduates successfully matched to jobs and the number of women who secure financial independence. Evaluation and program management are undoubtedly linked and ensure that the quantitative metrics and qualitative measures that track, and monitor, the efficacy of partners/programs/services are aligned with the organization's mission and strategic plan.

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All women of color with diverse backgrounds as leaders in business, fashion, and non-profit, our team is the perfect curation of experts to deliver this solution.

Executive Director and Founder Ngozi Okaro left her law career to advocate for socioeconomic justice, aiming to bridge gaps between fashion-industry workers who want fair compensation, thoughtful consumers who want quality clothes, and the natural environment.

Lead Instructor Angelique Terrelonge is an FIT graduate with an eponymous brand, bringing 30 years experience as designer and fashion educator. She previously taught fashion design at Broward Correctional Institution in Florida, instructing incarcerated women on fashion sketching, patternmaking, draping and sewing. She brings her knowledge and craftsmanship to Custom Collaborative to help empower women through design.

Entrepreneurship Coach Veronica Jones has led a storied career in fashion as a buyer of contemporary sportswear for major department stores. Veronica transitioned from retail to wholesale to become a Vice President, later opening her own showroom selling American designer clothing. She is currently a fashion retail consultant advising emerging designers & retailers.

Career Coach, Mohini Tadikonda is a Parsons School of Design graduate with over 20 years combined experience in fashion design and non-profit. Her time as Design Director at Fortune 500 companies exposed her to the extreme environmental and humanitarian impact of the fashion industry, motivating her career change into non-profit. Now a Sustainable Design Consultant and Career & Business Strategy Coach, she supports businesses, non-profits, artisans and individuals.

1. Legal Momentum- Policy partners to promote positive workspaces and laws for marginalized women.

2. Garment Worker Center- Policy partners to advocate for fair wages and laws that protect workers

3. Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) - Develop programs for our population and lecture their students on sustainability and leadership

4. Democracy at Work Institute- They help with our cooperative’s development and we help them with their curriculum

5. Garment District Alliance (GDA) -  Partner on strengthening the apparel manufacturing sector, the competitiveness of the neighborhood’s workforce and industry, and improve the quality of life and economic vitality of the garment district.

6. Gucci- Program funding and recognition

7. Hanky Panky, Lafayette 148, Mara Hoffman, Role Models Management, Many as One, Nest, CEGO Custom Shirtmaker, and NiLu - Brand collaborations to produce PPE for civilians.  Partnerships included co-branding, 2 for one donations for essential workers, bulk discounts.

8. One432- Continued learning and brand development opportunities for program graduates

9. Slow Factory- Incubator program for CC graduates to develop case study for scaling the initiatives that create job opportunities, further women's economic advancement, and contribute to circular models.

Our business model revolves around training, not just for the women we serve, but for our industry partners as well.

Our 3 main programs: 

Training Institute- Paid full-time 14-week course in the art, technique, and business of fashion from which graduates emerge with marketable skills and an employment/business plan

Business Incubator - Supports the entrepreneurial and career efforts of Training Institute graduates through partnerships with small/emerging designers interested in sustainable sampling and small batch production.

Worker-Owned Cooperative - Fashion That Works Production (FTWP) is our worker-owned cooperative pilot composed of 6 Training Institute graduates. These women will eventually earn income as business owners through this program, with the facilities/equipment, guidance and connections of Custom Collaborative.

For industry partners we have supplemental programming including Anti-Racism Training. We train vulnerable women to enter the workforce and are responsible for sending them into “safe” work environments. Our anti- racism work supports our partners and other fashion companies in creating awareness and positive change. We offer a unique approach to Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity, as a successful organizational model to follow. Once we successfully complete the pilot of FTWP and develop a shareable model, we will train industry businesses to develop their own Worker- Owned Cooperatives.

When NYC shut down in March 2020 due to Covid-19,we immediately pivoted all operations to remote programming. We created a work from home model to produce PPE for civilians, earning income for our participants while most of the country was filing for unemployment. 

In addition to maintaining existing funding, applying for grants, providing services to industry, selling products through our website, and receiving individual donations, we are launching a large scale fundraising campaign.  Through this campaign we aim to form partnerships with large corporations whose interests lay in the successful future of the garment industry, or who have expressed commitment to supporting BIPOC businesses and anti-racism.  

We’ve been awarded a $25,000 grant from Center for Cultural Innovation’s AmbitioUS initiative Grant & Loan Fund for Early-Stage Arts, Creative, and Cultural Cooperatives on October 30th, 2020 for this project and are awaiting receipt of funds. We are currently in the process of applying for additional grants to support this project.  

$250,000 in grants by early-mid 2021

Estimated $600,000 includes:

• Facilities

• Dedicated program specialists

• State-of-the-art equipment and access to cutting-edge technology/software 

• Marketing/ Communication

• Data Collection/ Analysis/ Solution Model Development

In order to successfully complete our garment industry Worker-Owned Co-Op pilot, develop a teachable model with potential to transform the industry, and launch our solution to industry partners and leaders, we need adequate and reputable funding through partners who can also provide development and implementation support, technical coaching opportunities, and high profile exposure. Due to the barriers mentioned around funding opportunities, we’ve found ourselves limited to smaller grants ranging from $10k-$50k that do not enable or safeguard our long term implementation and expansion goals.

The Reimagining Pathways to Employment in the US Challenge is aligned with our financial goals as well as our values, mission and vision. We have conceptualized a solution that provides employment opportunities with leadership roles and sustainable wages for BIPOC women. This solution will be led by a diverse leadership team of BIPOC women. The Worker-Owned Co-Op is a proven business model in other industries with demonstrated scalability and impact potential. Our approach is innovative, in that it has not been applied or attempted as a large scale solution to domestic manufacturing.

We would like to partner with organizations that can provide impactful financial services, particularly mission aligned corporations in the garment industry or organizations who have expressed commitment to anti-racism and supporting BIPOC businesses. In addition to financial support, we look for partners who can assist with marketing, executive mentoring, product collaborations, and employment opportunities for our program graduates.