Detroit’s sustainable fashion revolution: Empowering minority youth and redefining the city’s identity

This story was written by Christian O. Spencer. It is the eighth in a series of nine stories funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation that aims to highlight stories written by emerging writers in Detroit.

This is sponsored content in collaboration with W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

A promising new frontier is on the horizon in Detroit: a cross between sustainable fashion and racial empowerment, most notably for the youth of the Black community.

Spearheading this transformative shift to a hub for eco-conscious apparel production and innovation is ISAIC (Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center), located in Midtown above Carhartt’s flagship store.

Co-founder, president, and CEO of ISAIC, Jennifer Guarino, is positioning the nonprofit, which was founded in 2020, to become the driving force behind Detroit’s sustainable manufacturing movement, making way for the city’s identity to shift from automotive manufacturing to a center for sustainable fashion production. Guarino’s vision is centered on a new type of innovation — one that has an abundant representation of young minority workers.

“We’re replacing, changing, and challenging an industry and showing that this is how it should be. And so we are really a showcase. This industry can be responsible,” Guarino said.

In its 2023 impact report , ISAIC highlighted its valuable apprenticeship program. Last year, eight apprentices focused on domestic textile and apparel manufacturing. This group was majority Black, female, and local, with 75% of participants hailing from Detroit.

ISAIC promotes productivity through community partnerships, workshops, and tours while supporting students and small businesses to thrive. The organization aspires to promote environmental stewardship, and aims to create a cleaner world and facilitate equity, particularly for minority communities. Thanks to investments from funders like W.K. Kellogg Foundation and others, ISAIC is about to expand its impact.

“We are just growing our facility here. It’s a beautiful one, but we’re popping at the seams, pun unintended. So we are launching a big campaign to anchor a hub in Detroit,” Guarino said. “We will be moving to a larger facility and into a place that will have room for other tenants in the industry to be around, so that we can create an ecosystem where there will be support for everybody’s needs.”

Focus on minority youth

Guarino believes that the future of the fashion industry lies in giving back to young workers of color and recognizing the responsibility that both fashion and Detroit have to offer.

“We can share services. We can share staff and expertise. We’re really going to be able to gradually expand our programming in the year 2025,” the president added.

As Outlier Media previously reported , the fast fashion industry faces increasing scrutiny for its unsustainable practices, and a significant shift towards more environmentally friendly alternatives is underway. One such innovation gaining traction is the use of biomaterials, marking a departure from the wasteful reliance on petroleum-based plastics. The eco-friendly transition signals a pivotal moment in the industry’s evolution as fashion brands seek more ethical and sustainable methods of production to mitigate their environmental impact.

“[Fashion sustainability] creates great opportunities. We know when we go to recruit students into our program, we work with partners to meet with communities to share this opportunity with them. We have a lot of community partners, a lot of development organizations, and youth organizations to ensure that the Detroiters are offered this opportunity first and foremost,” Guarino said, emphasizing the importance of promoting racial equity.

Detroit’s fashion future: Sustainable and inclusive

Amanda Sweet, a Filipino-American thrift store fashionista, has also noticed a cultural shift in Detroit as it becomes a hub for the intersection of sustainability and fashion. In addition to being an avid thrifter, Sweet is an innovator in her own right, repurposing thrifted clothing via her organization The ReVamp . Sweet’s organization shows how local impact can create global impact, and ReVamp’s sustainable fashion practices go beyond fashion and into community, by “providing opportunities for locals to reup their wardrobe & network with other creatives.”

Sweet’s path to sustainable fashion began when she, as a plus-sized woman, struggled to find clothing. Recognizing that others faced similar challenges, she initiated clothing swaps to unite her community by focusing on plus-sized individuals. The scope of her initiative expanded beyond this demographic, blossoming into a sizable, sustainable program. Initially driven by a desire to cultivate friendships with those who shared her passion for fashion and sustainability, it evolved into a platform for individuals to forge connections.

Sweet is well traveled, but she declares there is no other place like Detroit for its fashion sense and motivation to be the fashion hallmark for sustainability.

“I really do believe that Detroit is one of the hottest fashion capitals in the world, we have our distinct style that is just it’s uncopyable. I feel like Detroit has so much swag. And I feel like there are so many more organizations that are giving money to people to focus their energies on creating that fashion and sustainable fashion practices,” Sweet said.

Despite acknowledging Detroit’s progress, Sweet feels that the process is slow and emphasizes the need for more inclusive funding for small organizations like The ReVamp. “It’s a little slow going, I think there could be a lot more grant money and sponsorships of people, especially small creators who are building sustainable programs,” she said. “But I do like to see that there’s movement in general. I would love to see more money funneled toward smaller organizations that are building a large opportunity for sustainability. I do love that it’s happening. I just wish it would happen a little bit more.”

With her conviction that sustainability can only advance significantly when prioritized at the leadership and governance levels in Michigan cities, Sweet asserts that the current driving force for sustainability is in the grassroots efforts of her community. Recognizing this, she emphasizes the urgent need for quicker action and greater leadership involvement to bring about meaningful change. What she desires is for cities to prioritize sustainability by allocating grant money and resources to initiatives, ensuring the necessary pace for progress.

“You can put a sustainable edge on anything, like giving a discount on clothing by bringing in new and old clothing. I know larger companies practice this, but on a smaller scale or in smaller businesses, you could definitely consider trade-in options or trade-in credit. Even stores not solely focused on sustainability can implement small sustainable tactics like trading and bartering, bagless systems, paperless programs, among others. I think these little things go a long way. But again, it starts with leadership and making sustainability a priority.”

The importance of grassroots partnerships in sustainable endeavors relies on collaboration and community effort, Sweet said. Through initiatives like clothing swaps, The ReVamp’s excess products are donated to nonprofits such as Destined for Greatness , which supports more than 700 families in the Detroit metro area.

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