(DE-FI) serves as the crown jewel holding company under the (DE-FI) Global INC LLC umbrella. For nearly a decade the Dayton Emerging Fashion Incubator (DE-FI) LLC served as the first of its kind one stop organization that addressed and supported the fashion industry as a whole. An organization so influential in its practices, strategy, and proven results that it reshaped how other regional fashion organizations across the country operate. Affectionately known as (DE-FI) and pronounced "defy", our focus has been removing barriers into the fashion industry. Today, the fashion incubator is lead by our sister company the House of (DE-FI)ance: A Fashion & Design Co-working Experience which is located inside of the Dayton Mall.
Privately owned and directed by Dayton, OH native Caressa L. Brown, whose leadership has transformed (DE-FI) into a gate busting, door holding, accepts you as you are and where you are kind of organization that has built a solid reputation for developing world class talent and producing uniquely immersive fashion experiences with a style that is raw, in your face, open, honest, transparent, and (DE-FI)ant. A style that paved the way for fashion professional to live out their dreams throughout various stages of life.
When (DE-FI) first launched, the goal was to serve as a springboard for Miami Valley talent to connect with other regional fashion weeks and opportunities, however, making that connection wasn't as easy as leadership had hoped and found that those other outlets weren't interested in sharing the spotlight regionally. Locally, (DE-FI) leaders found themselves being dismissed, ignored, blocked, mitigated, gate-kept, and even sabotaged by the various competing small business owners and powers that be that were uncomfortable with (DE-FI)'s outside the box operations, refusal to conform, and our in your face (DE-FI)ant attitude. So, we gathered our supplies, built our own platform and blazed a path and legacy of our own that those who refused to acknowledge us, now duplicate our blueprint.
In doing so, we also built a sense of community, we curated ideas, we disrupted the status quo, we identified the problem then we initiated change. We've (DE-FI)ed all odds, every naysayer, every critic, every doubt, every fear, and every rejection. and made the next level our floor. In short, we did not re-invent the wheel, we changed how the wheel is used ultimately putting a global spotlight on Dayton’s emerging and advancing fashion industry and talented work force.
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