AZ FASHION INCUBATOR'S PIVOT TO PPE MANUFACTURING HITS MILESTONE OF 200K REUSABLE MEDICAL GOWNS PRODUCED
Sustainable Initiative Diverts 20M Gowns from Landfill, Supporting Nearly 200 Jobs During Pandemic
Tempe, AZ August 26, 2020 – FABRIC, with the support of the 501(c)(3) non-profit, AZ Apparel Foundation (AAF), has manufactured 200,000 FDA-approved reusable, level 2 and 3 isolation gowns for Arizona medical professionals. This amazing manufacturing milestone was made possible when FABRIC assembled a team in March to take on the growing PPE shortage for large and small healthcare facilities and the Navajo Nation. Simultaneously, AZ Apparel Foundation partnered with local foundations to raise the funds necessary to fill these emergency needs. Working with an FDA consultant, doctors, AZ Commerce Authority’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (AZMEP), and funds from AAF’s donors, FABRIC converted its fashion show catwalk to a PPE factory and pivoted its mission. As a result, REUSA™, the PPE division of FABRIC was born.
“Pivoting from helping support hundreds of apparel startups to creating an American-made, sustainable alternative to disposable PPE, has enabled FABRIC to successfully and sustainably mitigate the state’s PPE shortage and provide essential jobs during the pandemic” says FABRIC Co-Founder Sherri Barry. “This pivot not only provides a solution to this immediate emergency need, it provides a long-term solution for retaining business and attracting a new and exciting industry to our state by reshoring apparel manufacturing, as well as solving supply chain issues realized during the shutdown.”
FABRIC’s focus has always been on sustainable fashion. So, with that in mind, the reusable gowns can be worn and washed 100 times, which is equivalent to keeping 20 million disposable gowns out of the landfill.
Support has been provided by the following organizations: Flinn Foundation; Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust; Pakis Center for Business Philanthropy; Tempe Innovation Development Association; Thunderbird Charities; BHHS Legacy Foundation; Silicon Valley Bank; PCA Skin; AZ Community Foundation; and AZ Bio. This allows the AZ Apparel Foundation to acquire the equipment necessary to ramp up PPE manufacturing efforts at FABRIC and to secure even more PPE from additional sources.
Support provided by AZ Commerce Authority’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership enabled FABRIC to set up four unique, lean, socially distanced, production lines on FABRIC’s fashion show catwalk. The ACA’s support also helped to recruit more than 60 additional team members growing the FABRIC staff from approximately 20 to over 80 employees in a few months. FABRIC has also taken four additional factories under its wing, provided guidance to ramp up, and partnered on filling orders. As of today, FABRIC has created nearly 100 additional jobs at the Tempe location and the combined factories are supporting over 200 new essential jobs.
These gowns are a sustainable and affordable alternative to disposable PPE. They can be washed 100 times making the per-use price lower than a disposable gown, including the price-per-wash, and they are supplied to the healthcare facility directly from the manufacturer and not from a wholesale supplier. Like offshore apparel manufacturing, disposable PPE was clearly a tired solution for a modern problem. What doctors, nurses, first responders and healthcare workers needed was not just more PPE, but better, modern, sustainable PPE that was made domestically.
FABRIC (FASHION AND BUSINESS RESOURCE INNOVATION CENTER) is a fashion incubator where emerging designers can grow their abilities and their businesses. Featuring co-working and event spaces, workshops and classes as well as mentorship, micro-manufacturing and marketing opportunities, FABRIC allows designers to take their idea from concept to sewn to sold. The facility is a unique partnership of the City of Tempe, the 501(c)(3) Arizona Apparel Foundation, and the entities under the FABRIC umbrella including LabelHorde and Arizona Fashion Source, and is located in downtown Tempe just off of Mill Avenue and on the Arizona State University footprint as well as online at fabrictempe.com.
ARIZONA APPAREL FOUNDATION (soon to be The FABRIC Foundation) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) with the mission to provide Arizona’s emerging designers and brands with innovative, small batch manufacturing and strategic business resources, so they can build sustainable fashion businesses locally. With the help of over 700 fashion community volunteers and a prestigious board of directors, AAF provides affordable access to industry resources for apparel entrepreneurs through Designer in Residence scholarships, free classes, free events, vocational training for disadvantaged workers and many fashion related programs and services to the community. AAF’s signature events include AZ ECO FASHION WEEK (www.AZEcoFashionWeek.com), Cultivate Fashion Show featuring the Designer in Residence recipients, and the anniversary fundraiser. AAF can be found on AZApparelFoundation.org.
FABRIC MEMBERSHIP Make FABRIC work for you and benefit like only members can
UPGRADED DIRECTORY LISTING Get better visibility for your business in AZ's fashion directory with a photo, 1000 word description, home page presence & more