• Advertise
  • Donate
  • Write
  • Intern
  • Events
  • About
  • Contact

The Austinot

Discover Austin Texas! An Austin blog with hundreds of unique articles.

  • Things To Do
    • Things To Do This Weekend
    • Things To Do This Week
    • Things To Do This Weekend With Kids
  • Discoveries
    • Austinot Loves
    • Activities
    • Day Trips
    • Local Business
  • Food & Drink
    • Food
    • Drink
  • Entertainment
    • Events
    • Film
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Theatre
  • Culture
    • Arts
    • History
    • Museums
  • Et Cetera
    • Non-Profits
    • Podcast
    • Archives

Austin Fashion Initiative Inspires Collaboration and Growth

December 3, 2018 by Brittany Ballard Leave a Comment

Austin Fashion Initiative Meetup

Austin Fashion Initiative hosts monthly meetups where members can connect (Credit: Austin Fashion Initiative)

One of my favorite things about Austin is the atmosphere of collaboration. There’s a professional organization for practically every industry. So when you need people to network with and learn from, your tribe isn’t far away.

Austin Fashion Initiative is a relatively recent addition to the Austin scene. The organization is bringing members of the fashion community together in order to provide new connections, valuable knowledge, and seeds of inspiration for growth.

What Is Austin Fashion Initiative?

Jennifer Millspaugh Austin Fashion Initiative

Jennifer Millspaugh has a PhD in fashion entrepreneurship (Credit: Austin Fashion Initiative)

Austin Fashion Initiative is a for-profit social impact venture. It’s supported by members and sponsors, and is a continual community effort by and for the local fashion community.

Not only does it provide a fantastic place for business owners to network and make new connections, but Austin Fashion Initiative also hosts monthly events and round tables to allow members to learn from various viewpoints in the industry.

Founder Jennifer Millspaugh, a passionate and goal-oriented woman, launched Austin Fashion Initiative after completing her PhD in fashion entrepreneurship in London. After she returned home to Austin, Millspaugh decided to put her research to work by highlighting the amazingly talented people who work within the fashion industry here.

The seed for the idea was planted during SXSW 2017, exactly one week after Millspaugh submitted her PhD thesis. After many long nights and hard work, she hosted the first Austin Fashion Initiative event in the summer of 2017.

Austin Fashion Initiative Membership

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Austin Fashion Initiative (@austinfashioninitiative) on Sep 25, 2018 at 5:15pm PDT

When Millspaugh initially started the venture, she thought members would be interested in seeing a lot of online resources and content. But she quickly learned the community enjoyed connecting in real life.

To provide the experience her members were aching for, she launched a monthly membership round table where the discussion is entirely member-driven. Millspaugh says she’s been blown away by how valuable these round tables have turned out to be. She’s seen diverse groups of academics, designers, and artists come together for deep discussion.

In addition to private member round tables, Austin Fashion Initiative hosts public events at various venues throughout Austin. If you find yourself attending one of these events, you’ll be impressed by the welcoming atmosphere. I recently attended an event at League of Rebels on 2nd Street, where the founder of the store, Ato, discussed how he started his business and how he manages operations.

After talking more with Millspaugh about Austin Fashion Initiative, I was excited to hear about the flexible experiences she can provide for members. She speaks with everyone when they join, to find out what they would like to see and how she can help meet their needs. She’s open to finding new ways to provide members with the best experience.

Could Austin Be the Next Fashion Hub?

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Austin Fashion Initiative (@austinfashioninitiative) on Jun 1, 2018 at 1:05pm PDT

“Austin is in such a unique position,” Millspaugh told me. “Globally, the fashion industry is under immense pressure. It really feels like it’s being pulled in two.”

Millspaugh was referring to the two main components of fashion: fast fashion and sustainable fashion. Fast fashion puts pressure on the supply chain to make clothes cheaper and faster, to the detriment of workers and the environment. On the other hand, sustainable fashion comes at a much higher cost and lacks the skilled labor needed to make segments of the industry work.

“Austin has an opportunity to connect these seemingly competitive elements together through innovation,” Millspaugh shared. Our city doesn’t have a “traditional” fashion industry, which means we don’t have to retrofit our labor force. At the same time, we have a lot of fabulous talent coming in from fashion capitals like New York, Los Angeles, London, and Paris.

➡️ Keep reading: 8 Austin Jewelry Designers to Consider as You Shop Local

Creating Connections

Millspaugh believes innovation happens at the intersection of things that weren’t previously connected. And Austin can be that connection point through fashion tech, entrepreneurship, and our “Keep Austin Weird” aesthetic.

The local leader hopes to help build this connection point with Austin Fashion Initiative. She realizes changing the industry is something that must be done through a network. By creating collaborative relationships and planting the seeds of inspiration for innovation, everyone in local fashion wins.

To learn more, visit Austin Fashion Initiative’s official website.

 

@theAustinot wants to know:

Do you participate in the Austin fashion scene?

Filed Under: Discoveries, Local Business Tagged With: fashion

Best of The Austinot

We always have unique content on The Austinot and we love to give things away. You know, like concert tickets, gift cards, and other cool stuff. We only send out our “Best of the Austinot” newsletter twice a month. It’s where we give you a recap of our best articles and give stuff away. Interested? Subscribe to Best of The Austinot here!

Subscribe
Login
Notify of
guest
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Connect with Us

    Hyperlocal Blog About the City of A...

    To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

    Hyperlocal Blog About the City of Austin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Things to do

Things to do in Austin this week

10 Fun Things to do in Austin this week of July 4, 2022 include Round Rock Express Vs. Albuquerque, Cedar Park Fourth, and more!

Austin is now among the fastest-growing metroplexes in the US! Keeping up with the growth, luckily there’s plenty going on in Austin all days of the week. There are things to do on Monday in Austin, of course, things to do in Austin on Saturday night, and everything in between! Some of you may be […]

Things to do in Austin with kids this weekend

Top 10 Things to Do in Austin with Kids this Weekend of July 1, 2022 include Bastrop Patriotic Festival, Family Game Night, and More!

If there’s one thing about this city, it’s that there is always something going on. So, if you’re looking for fun things to do in Austin with kids this weekend of July 1, 2022, there’s plenty of fun to be had, including Dive In Movies – Wells Branch, Bastrop Patriotic Festival, and more!   Top […]

Things to do in Austin this weekend | Brick Rodeo

10 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend of July 1, 2022 Include Brick Rodeo, Party at Independence, and More!

  For summer camp information, check out our page for Best Summer Camps in Austin for 2022!  If you would like to discover more Things to do in Austin this Week & Things to do in Austin with Kids this Weekend, check out Facebook for immediate notifications.

texas swimming holes near austin

Texas swimming holes near Austin – 10 watering holes for a fun swim this summer

If you have been looking for free places to swim in Austin or googling ‘swimming holes near me’, you are in the right place! Texas is known for a lot of things and one of them is relentlessly hot summers. The temperatures are rising in Austin and across the state. Luckily, there are also many […]

Austin trampoline parks - Urban Air Adventure Park (Cedar Park)

Austin Trampoline Parks – Best Indoor Jumping Places for Kids and Adults!

Trampoline parks were among the decade’s most unique leisure attractions. They offer a playful atmosphere where people can defy the laws of physics and have a good time hurling themselves around. It consists of a large room filled wall to wall with trampolines. On the weekend, you may get rid of your boredom and have […]

Recent Posts

  • 10 Fun Things to do in Austin this week of July 4, 2022 include Round Rock Express Vs. Albuquerque, Cedar Park Fourth, and more!
  • Top 10 Things to Do in Austin with Kids this Weekend of July 1, 2022 include Bastrop Patriotic Festival, Family Game Night, and More!
  • 4th July events in Austin: Independence day 2022 fireworks, parades, concerts & other celebrations!
  • 10 Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend of July 1, 2022 Include Brick Rodeo, Party at Independence, and More!
  • Texas swimming holes near Austin – 10 watering holes for a fun swim this summer

Welcome to The Austinot

We are all about Austin: the vibe, the people and the uniqueness of the city. We love to explore. Get to know us! We’ll respond if you comment. Heck, we’ll probably invite you to come and hang out with us!

Follow along to help support and learn more about local businesses, artists, and events.

-The Austinot Team

Privacy Policy

Trending Posts

  • 4th July events in Austin: Independence day 2022 fireworks, parades, concerts & other celebrations!
  • 10 Best Lakes in and around Austin
  • 20 Restaurants Open Late in Austin – Best Late Night Food Places For Tasty Eats
  • Guide to Austin’s Dirty Sixth Street
  • 8 Laid-back Waterfront Restaurants in Austin (Besides The Oasis)

Copyright © 2022 · Log in

wpDiscuz