Fashion DesigneR professional DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Part of Rightfully Sewn’s mission is to propel Kansas City fashion designers to market so they can supply the burgeoning demand for high-quality, American-produced garments. Our Fashion Designer Professional Development Program features two-year-long fashion designer residencies, public events and workshops geared to enriching designers of all ages, and curriculum alignment roundtables to area secondary and post-secondary educators.

FASHION DESIGNER RESIDENCIES

On a bi-annual basis, Rightfully Sewn awards five fashion designers residency status. Recipients must work predominantly in sewn product, have substantial online presence and experience in runway shows, and reside in the five-county Kansas City metropolitan area. They are selected by an external, credentialed panel of retail owners/buyers, established designers, and marketing and legal professionals via an application-based competition. The residency includes access to studio space and high-quality sewing machines and grading software, a full-ride scholarship to attend Kauffman FastTrac® NewVenture™ in order to develop a business plan, invitations to participate in promotional events, access to workshops and media opportunities, and more. Sign up for our e-newsletter to receive notification of all future opportunities.

public events and workshops

Are you a young designer or new to the Kansas City area? We'd love to help you, too. We offer fabric trade shows, professional development workshops, speaker series, documentary screenings, and other related events to the fashion community at large. Sign up for our e-newsletter to receive notification of all future opportunities. 

Youtube channel

We have launched the Rightfully Sewn YouTube Channel to explore fashion design entrepreneurship and domestic manufacturing. Episodes will feature special guests from the fashion community but also interdisciplinary industries, such as: Jordan Williams of Keefe Cravat, Cara Price of Hoffman International Model Agency, Keith Gary of BioNEXUS KC, Danny O'Neill of The Roasterie, and Molly Bingaman of Ladybird Styling. Topics will include surviving the rigors of entrepreneurship, perfecting your poise and elevator pitch, growing your social media followership, developing a size chart, managing staff, using industrial sewing machines, and much more. Be sure to subscribe today so you don't miss a single session!

Thank you to SkillBuilders Fund, Summer House Films, and YellowShark Visuals for making this project possible.

curriculum alignment

We are working with the Kansas State Department of Education to reintroduce sewing and fashion design in up to 455 high schools around the state. In addition, each year we convene secondary and post-secondary educators to discuss curricula alignment based on industry feedback, thereby creating a solid pipeline of talent and job connections. 

2018-2019 Rightfully Sewn resident Designers

2016-2017 Rightfully Sewn resident Designers