Fashion That Works

Custom Collaborative expands access to quality education and skill-building for no/low-income and immigrant women, equipping them to thrive in the sustainable fashion industry and create lasting economic change.

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Learning. Leading. Creating.

Based in New York City, Custom Collaborative builds pathways to economic opportunity through three interconnected programs — the Training Institute, Business Incubator, and Worker-Owned Cooperative Development — supporting women at every stage of their fashion careers.

125

women trained across 14 cohorts

60%

of graduates have started their own business

34%

are working for companies within the fashion industry

Sarata, Cohort 14:

"For many of us, this wasn't just about fabric or fashion — it was personal. It was healing. It was about reclaiming confidence, dignity, and dreams we thought were out of reach."

A woman wearing a navy blue hijab, holding a microphone, with a soft pink and cream striped background.
  • Group of diverse women holding signs with various cohort numbers, gathered indoors for a group photo, some smiling at the camera.

    Training Institute

    Custom Collaborative's comprehensive 15-week Training Institute teaches the art, technique, and business of fashion design. Our training includes extensive instruction in fashion business basics, including marketing, sourcing, ethical manufacturing, and sustainability, along with personal finance. Students graduate equipped with the toolkit to begin a career in fashion.

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  • A woman smiling as she looks at a rack of shirts in a store.

    Business Incubator

    Custom Collaborative offers management consulting, mentorship, technical assistance, advanced training, and professional equipment to Training Institute graduates and others in the fashion industry. Our goal is to maximize work opportunities and improve socio-economic outcomes for all women.

    About the Program
  • Group of diverse women posing together at an indoor event, smiling and dressed in fashionable clothing.

    Worker-Owned Cooperative

    Custom Collaborative develops employee-owned businesses. In support of equitable economic development and ownership opportunities for all, we train people in cooperative principles and practices and incubate their employee-owned businesses.

    About the Program

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100%

of the women we serve are ambitious.

97%

are racial/ethnic minorities.

70%

are immigrants or first generation Americans.

75%

are primary caregivers.

51%

lack permanent housing.