Celebrating the Graduates of the the First Fashion the Future Forward Program

Last weekend we hosted a celebration to honor the graduates of our first ever Fashion the Future Forward program. A celebration was in order not only for all the hard work that they have put into the craft of sewing but also for pouring energy back into themselves over these last few months. It was a truly revolutionary and refreshing experience that we can't help but recap for you.

For starters, let's discuss the societal challenges each of our beloved graduates faced, an experience quite similar to many other systems impacted women, prior to entering our program.

 

Formerly incarcerated women face unique challenges upon their release from prison. One of which being the barriers they face when in search of educational and vocational opportunities, which leads to higher risk of reoffending.

 

Fashion the Future Forward, was our response to addressing just a single piece of the pie which makes successful reentry astronomically difficult for many. Now, our 14 week program, in partnership with the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative has come to a close! 

 

We are overjoyed and incredibly proud of the work our first cohort put into learning and working alongside us. This was 14 weeks not just focused on instructing the women how to sew but 14 weeks dedicated to inviting them into a new relationship with work that prioritized their professional and personal well-being. We spent time introducing them to new self-care practices each week from yoga to meditation, even introducing them to the art of horticulture. And the most rewarding part of the journey was that our graduates completed this experiment expressing their gratitude for the safe space that we have cultivated and have committed to continue fostering as they transition from student to seamstress as part of our design team. 

 

We are so proud of our graduates, Miss Maggie and Tee Tee for all that they have achieved over the course of this program. Their hard work, perseverance, and dedication throughout has been extremely admirable and we are so excited for them to be part of our team! This post is to celebrate all that you have accomplished Miss Maggie and Tee Tee and also to extend a sincere thank you for trusting us in this process! We couldn't be more honored to continue this journey with you both!