Do It: The Art of Giving Recap

In case you missed it, last Thursday, May 26, the Art of Giving had its annual event at The Stand Gastro Bistro in Birmingham. Each year they benefit a different charity. This year it happened to be your's truly, DGG. It was truly an unforgettable and memorable night.

The event featured an amazing silent auction with items from Tigers and Red Wings tickets, to a vacation in Florida. There were also beautiful pieces of jewelry Darakjian Jewelers. Almost everything was sold, and all of the proceeds went to us. There were pieces from our designers-in-residence, as well as the paper dresses designed by Matt Richmond you may have seen on Fox 2 and channel 7.

A big hit was the Paint by Number, which was a painting of David Bowie. You could by a ticket and then you got to paint whichever square you wanted to. The painting turned out amazing, thanks to everyone that participated. There were also shirts available with the painting on it.

It was a great night with tons of laughter, smiles and amazing people. We just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everyone that came out and supported us! We greatly appreciate every donation, that goes to help our programming stay alive to help Detroit's fashion community.

On the Town: The Countdown to Fash Bash® 2015

Image from DIA Founders Junior Council

It's the time of the year again. The countdown to the DIA's most fashionable fundraiser is upon us, and we can't stop thinking about what we would wear. For those of you who don't know about Fash Bash® (Where have you been?), we'll give you a quick rundown.

Image from DIA Founders Junior Council

The Founders Junior Council of the DIA throws this summer celebration of fashion and art once a year, complete with a runway showcasing fall and winter's most chic trends. Guests will enter at the John R Entrance for a cocktail reception full, head into the Great Hall for the Art of Fashion runway show and then head outside for an after party under the stars with drinks, dancing and late night bites.

Image from DIA Founders Junior Council

Tickets have been on sale, but unfortunately the event is mostly sold out, however, if you are interested in attending the after party, you're in luck! The Afterglow is $95 per ticket, and reservations can be made through the ticket office at 313.833.4005 or at www.dia.org/fjc. Tickets will not be mailed, all guests will register upon arrival. Fash Bash® is going down Thursday, August 13.

Image from DIA Founders Junior Council

And stay tuned for our outfit posts because, like we said, we can't stop thinking about what we would wear!

It's Flu Season, So Why Not Cough It Up for The Collection™?

If you have ever attended a fundraising event, you know there comes a time during the evening when the nonprofit tugs at your heartstrings with a meaningful video or speeches from individuals or families who have benefited from the organization in order to encourage you to make a donation. This is not a practice that I am condemning in any way, as an emotional connection is often what is needed to get a person or company to open their wallets and generously give. However, if you are without these necessary tools, raising money can be quite the challenge.

DG3 is without these tools. Imagery, our annual report, and our enthusiastic explanation of what 2015 holds for the fashion and cut and sew industries in Michigan is all we have to work with. The stories we share aren’t sad. They aren't wildly emotional. They are stories filled with excitement, encouragement and hope. They are stories about something that has not yet been done in the state: creating a true garment industry and creating a pool of skilled industrial sewers to fill the needs of businesses while encouraging others to locate here. They are stories about job creation, making a living wage, creating a new industry for economic growth in the state and new opportunities for the people who live here. Unfortunately, these are not the stories that get people to open their wallets so easily.

And yet, an open wallet and a giving spirit is exactly what we need to survive and to thrive.

Our plans for 2015 are HUGE. Here is a succinct rundown:

Adding both pattern making and sewing machine repair pathways to our cut and sew educational opportunities at Henry Ford College M-TEC. We’re also adding an evening class option for the Industrial Sewing Certificate Program, and working with many organizations, from Detroit to Flint, to either help them implement their own programs or work on initiatives to get the people they service into our program.

Creating an official garment district in Southwest Detroit in partnership with the Governor’s Office, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Mayor’s Office and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation.

Partnering with the Detroit Historical Society/Museum to coordinate a Detroit fashion exhibition this fall.

Hosting another exciting FashionSpeak 1-day conference in October once again focusing on the business of fashion.

Launching The Collection™, our multipurpose facility in Southwest Detroit, which will include a full-service cut and sew manufacturing facility, a 12-designer incubator, education space for monthly workshops, a retail store to sell the wares of the incubator designers, as well as other Detroit brands, and DG3’s offices. We will be hiring up to 30 graduates of the Industrial Sewing Certificate Program to work in the manufacturing facility, and giving vetted designers the workspace, machinery, mentorship and other necessary resources to take their collections from concept to making sales.

Plus, a couple other partnerships that we can’t yet discuss.

Clearly, we are making a difference: for people, for industry, for Detroit and for Michigan.

I hope you can recognize what our efforts are accomplishing, and that you will see not only why funding is needed, but why it’s worth it for you to contribute.

Asking for money is not our favorite thing to do, but ask we must. As a 501(C)(3), your donation is tax deductible. You will receive a contribution letter within 24 hours of making a donation. You can click here to make a donation via Paypal now.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. And we can’t wait to show you all we’ve accomplished come the end of 2015.

Let’s put the Detroit fashion scene on the map!