Threads by DEFI

(DE-FI) does a lot! We incubat designers, we develop models, we have a boutique for independent designers, we have a magazine, we have brick and mortar spaces, and we're expanding! In order for us to communicate more effectively and to help our target audience find us, we are temporarily streamlining our social media presence. Check out where you can find us!

The next level is here!

Happening this Saturday, as a part of the Black Design Collective-Midwest 's Streetwear Symposium!

Good Evening Everyone! We know that we haven't been super active on social media the past few weeks, but we've been super active behind the scenes and will be sharing all of the details of what we've been working on soon!

We wanted to take a few moments to share details about the Streetwear Symposium taking place in Cincinnati this weekend. This event will be hosted by our friends at the Black Design Collective Midwest . We want to see your face in the place and be sure to tell them that (DE-FI) sent you!

As we mentioned yesterday, we are making some major changes to how our website is being used and operates to improve the benefits for our members and talent within the incubator. We're taking our Member Experience to the next level!

Are you ready to experience fashion networking, career growth, and professional development, like only (DE-FI) can deliver? Well, get ready, a change is coming!

The next level is here...

Please Excuse Our Mess: System Migration In Progress

We are in the process of migrating several of our website features to a new platform to make our website a lot more efficient and easier to navigate. The new platform will allow us to set up our Directory the way that we want it to be set up, help us to track the all of the Invitation Requests better, and make the Membership Application and Experience much smoother. Membership Applications will re-open on May 11th. Thank you for your patience, and we apologize for any inconvenience.

Happening this Friday! We'll be there...will you? We heard a rumoe that VIP Tickets are officially sold out, so get your General Admission tickets while they last for the 3rd Annual Hocking College Fashion Design & Retail Merchandising Program

The Model Casting Call for the 3rd Annual Fashion at the Fountain will take place this Saturday, April 20th, 10a-1p. that (DE-FI) Global INC's Owner/Director Caressa L. Brown will be on the judging panel. We want to see your face in the place and be sure to let them know that (DE-FI) sent you!

The next level is here.

Save the Date! We want to see your face in the place this Friday, April 19th, 4p-6p, for the Grand Opening of our new home and headquarters inside of the Midwest Apparel Creative Center (MACC)!

The MACC is a collaborative effort between The House of (DE-FI)ance: A Fashion & Design Co-working Experience , The Black Design Collective-Midwest , and Valor & Virtue Productions . Three amazing organizations led by like-minded, faith driven fashion professionals with shared values, visions, missions, and goals. MACC's hours of operation will be Mon-Fri by Appointment Only, Saturday, 9a-7p, and Closed Sunday.

The next level is here... BlackDesignCollective

Are you an independent boutique owner who could benefit from the Cincinnati Threads and Dayton Threads Boutique Support Program? Apply today!

Do you have your tickets yet? We wanna see your face in the place as our friend AKA Sweet Sistah Splash presents the AFROSWAG Hair & Fashion Show in Cincinnati on May 25th! Get your tickets today, and be sure to let them know that (DE-FI) sent you!

Are you ready for the inaugural Fashion Hive Cruise ? Mark your calendars for next Tuesday, April 16th at 7pm EST for a little virtual get-together where we’ll go over ALL things Cruise related and have an Open Q & A session.

Please register at the link on the flyer to receive the Zoom dial-in info! Tell your friends! All are welcome to join! 🛳️🛳️

Congratulations to our friends over at the Columbus Fashion Alliance and Franklin County on the Grand Opening of The Gallerie and The Ready to WERK program over the weekend! We made a quick road trip to Columbus to show our support!

The Ready to WERK program is dedicated to empowering People of Color within the retail and fashion industries and revolves around an operational brick-and-mortar store that serves as their training facility.

With our new season officially launching in March, invitation requests for aspiring and emerging fashion designers to attend (DE-FI) Fashion Week have officially opened too! (DE-FI) Fashion Week is a pre-requisite to be eligible to apply for The Cincinnati Fashion Incubator and the Dayton Fashion Week Designer Incubator.

The search is on for individuals to serve on our Juried Judging Panel to support the designer selection process! This panel will be called upon at least three 3x during our 2024-2025 season. Applications to join our panel are now open!

The next level is here...

We have so many wonderful collaborations in the works both nationally and internationally. However, nothing beats those collaborations that are right here at home! Save the date, because on June 30th, our friends over at Valor and Virtue Productions is bringing Fashion at the Fountain Cincinnati back for the 3rd year in a row!

Designer Pitch's took place on March 9th and now that the designers have been selected, it's time to cast the models! The Model Casting Call will take place on Saturday, April 20th. that (DE-FI) Global INC's Owner/Director Caressa L. Brown will be on the judging panel. We want to see your face in the place and be sure to let them know that (DE-FI) sent you!

The next level is here.

Last night, the designers in the Dayton Fashion Week Designer Incubator had their orientation with Sandra Bowden and her business partner Ciara Jolee of OTHER BY IMI llc as a part of the Dayton Threads Threadsbydefi Boutique Support Program. The Fairborn based Other by Imi will serve as the residency location for the designers over the next 6 months, both in-person and remotely.

It's so important for the designers to learn from other fashion designers who run brick and mortar locations and not just a boutique owner that orders their inventory from a vendor with mass-produced products. Other by Imi creates patterns, does custom orders, offers alteration services, as well as designing for the brand, Other.

Everyone is excited! Over the past year, we've watched our designers grow business wise, and we're looking forward to watching our designers grow creatively and continue to build their businesses on the solid foundation that has already been laid.

Tickets are officially on sale for the 3rd Annual Hocking College Fashion Design & Retail Merchandising Fashion Show!

It's and we want you to save the date! On Saturday, April 6th, 4p-8p, our friends at the Columbus Fashion Alliance and their Ready to Werk program are launching the Gallerie by CFA!

Gallerie by CFA is a community focused retail space serving as both a hands-on work/study training lab for their Ready to Werk retail workforce development program, as well as serving as a vital & accessible bridge to retail commerce for new & emerging fashion/beauty/lifestyle brands.

Members of the CFA were in the house for the Grand Opening of The House of DEFIance: A Fashion & Design Co-working Experience and Dayton Threads Threadsbydefi in 2020, so you better believe that we'll be in Columbus to show our support for their amazing initiative! We wanna see your face in the place and be sure to let them know that (DE-FI) sent you!

The next level is here!

For the first time since 2022, the Creative Directory is returning to The House of DEFIance: A Fashion & Design Co-working Experience !

Our Creative Directory is a centralized location for people to easily find the who's who of the creative, business, and fashion based talent around the nation. Created for individuals within the (DE-FI) network locally and nationally who are looking to grow and expand their market and develop skills.

Find the resources, talent, support, and pieces of the puzzle that you need for collaborating and bringing your project to life.

Our curated directory consists of individuals, organizations, and businesses who have been hand selected and vetted by our team.

Request Your Invitation to be a part of our Creative Directory today; it's goes live in April!

The next level is here!

We know that it's been a while since we've worked with models and sadly, we can tell that our work has been missed. In reviewing some of the invitation requests from models to be considered for DEFIance Magazine Cover Model Search, we've been taken aback by some of the images that have been submitted with many models referencing so-called "Model Coaches" that they credit for the images. The images have been nothing short of soft core p**n and are completely unacceptable.

When working with a Model Coach, we highly recommend that you vet them first. Ask them what qualifies them to be a model coach? Ask them who their clients are. Last but certainly not least, ask them for a list of models that they've not only developed but have also helped get signed. If they are unable to answer these questions, then you may want to consider taking your talents elsewhere.

Image is everything in this industry, don't let the Yaaasssss-Lighting of social media hype and people lining their pockets with your dreams cost you legitimate chances at pursuing your career as a fashion model. Having a timeline filled with overtly sexual or explicit images or of you flipping people off will limit your opportunities to advance.

For more Do's and Don'ts for models, please visit our website and click on (DE-FI) Models.

The next level is here...

Step into the world of (DE-FI)'s Model Membership, where your modeling aspirations meet limitless opportunities. Our meticulously designed membership program celebrates your distinct style and individuality, providing a platform to showcase your skills on the runway like never before.

Become a member today!

The next level is here!

The love, support system, comrardery, and hospitality that (DE-FI) has been shown by the fashion community in Cincinnati has been unmatched. We are forever thankful to the people of Cincinnati and can't wait to share the details of everyone involved in this initiative. Southwest Ohio and the Midwest, we're about to solidify our spot in the global fashion spotlight as an economic driving force.

The next level is here!

It's which only means one thing, it's time to introduce you to up and coming leaders in the Southwest Ohio fashion scene!

Spring has sprung and Me By Lee Custom Designs is getting ready for summer with their first sewing class of the season! Choose your fabric. Create a pattern from your measurements.And leave with a custom bikini! Only 15 Spots are available. Reserve your spot today and be sure to let her know that (DE-FI) sent you!

It's been a long journey for the participants in the Dayton Fashion Week Designer Incubator, but they have completed Stage 1 of the incubator! Stage 1 Foundation Building is the most difficult stage for the designers because it's very introspective and requires long looks in the mirror and having uncomfortable conversations with self, family, and friends, all while laying the foundation, vision, mission, goals, branding, and identity for their brands.

Stage 2 Team Building is a real-time experience that reactivates The House of DEFIance: A Fashion & Design Co-working Experience and the return of Our House's signature experiences including The Build-A-Brand Experience, Brain Dayton, The Business Club's Edible Edification Experience, and The Dreamforce.

The return of the House of (DE-FI)ance also marks the reactivation of the Associate Incubator. The fashion experience within our incubators are not just for designers, it's also for photographers, models, business professionals, makeup artists, pattern makers, stylists, illustrators, videographers, fashion show producers, writers, sewists, tailors, bespoke, textile makers, and more.

Team and brand building are the keys to success for the designers in our incubator. Our mission is to provide consistent opportunities for Business to Business, Business to Customer,Customer to Business referrals, and more to nourish relationships that form naturally. Our House helps to foster and create meaningful relationships among our members because member introductions and one on one meetings offer unique opportunities to share who we are and how we can benefit one another.

The next level is here!

Do you have what it takes to become the next Cover Model of DEFIance Magazine ?

Previously models who have either appeared on the cover or in the “Remember My Name” section of (DE-FI)ance have gone on to appear on Project Runway, in the pages of Vogue, signed to some of the world's top modeling agencies including Factor, Red, and Next, and have walked for New York, Paris, and Milan Fashion Week for designers like Versace, When Smoke Clears, and Saint Jesus just to name a few.

This casting is open to models ages 14 and better. Experience is not required. There are no height or size restrictions and we know beauty only gets better with age. We celebrate beauty in all forms regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender.

Complete the Invitation Request on our website and upload (1) clear head shot and (1) full body image. Images MUST be recent but do NOT need to be professional. Images may be taken with a cell phone. DO NOT GO OUT AND SPEND MONEY FOR PROFESSIONAL IMAGES TO SUBMIT FOR THIS CASTING.

Your hair should be pulled out of your face. If your hair is shoulder length, it MUST be pulled back into a ponytail. No makeup should be worn in either image. Wear solid colors, form fitting attire. No print or logos should be worn in your images.

Selected models will be invited to a private in person casting call.

The next level is here...

Are you a member of The House of DEFIance: A Fashion & Design Co-working Experience ? Memberships for our 2024-2025 season opened on March 1st and with locations both in Cincinnati and Dayton, if you are seeking a career in the fashion industry, then Our House is where you want to be!

Since 2013, (DE-FI) has worked to foster and empower individuals regardless of their demographics by providing grassroots educational, entrepreneurial, and artistic opportunities. For over 10 years, we've consistently dedicated our time and resources into developing an inclusive and supportive community that nurtures creativity, critical thinking, and innovative problem-solving. Membership to the House of (DE-FI)ance provides a passport to a vibrant community where your passion for fashion and community outreach is celebrated, and your individuality takes center stage. Welcome to a community where your passion for fashion and community outreach is not only acknowledged, it’s celebrated.

With locations in Dayton and Cincinnati, experience the joy and empowerment that comes with becoming a member of a community that celebrates individuality, fosters creativity, and champions diversity of thought while celebrating beauty in all forms and abilities. Whether you're looking to network, learn, or simply immerse yourself in the world of fashion, the business of fashion, or community outreach, this membership is your key to unlocking a wealth of opportunities and connections.

Become a member today!

The next level is here!

Calling all aspiring and emerging fashion designers! Have you requested your invitation to (DE-FI) Fashion Week yet?

With a different Fashion Show popping up every week that garners applause as models sashay up and down the runway, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype of lights, cameras, and action BUT the fashion show is just the tip of the iceberg and only makes up 5% of the Fashion Industry; what happens next? (DE-FI) Fashion Week is here to fill in the gap and bring you the other 95% with immersive, educational, hands-on opportunities to explore and launch your career in Fashion.

A required precursor for those interested in joining The Cincinnati Fashion Incubator or the Dayton Fashion Week Designer Incubator; (DE-FI) Fashion Week is designed to help prepare you for your time in our incubators and ultimately your success in the fashion industry.

No experience is required. There are only 20 seats available for (DE-FI) Fashion Week, and once filled, there will be no additional seats added, so request your invitation today!

The next level is here!