The first in a series of two digital dialogues during Made in NYC Week 2021, Local Making Reimagined will bring to the spotlight Made in NYC members who have and continue to innovate and reimagine the future of making in NYC. The conversation will be moderated by Imani Ellis, Founder of Culture Con and The Creative Collective NYC. Learn about new products, ownership models and community engaged manufacturers.
Explore the full Made in NYC Week 2021 event lineup at MadeinNYCWeek.com
Imani is the CEO & Founder of CultureCon and The Creative Collective NYC.
The Creative Collective is a community and creative agency dedicated to facilitating brave spaces for creatives of color. It was born in Imani’s one-bedroom apartment as a means to foster meaningful connection and has become the fastest-growing community devoted to creatives and young professionals of color.
CultureCon is a first of its kind ideas conference that caters to all aspects of creative life. Past speakers include Tracee Ellis Ross, Will Smith, Regina King, Lena Waithe, Spike Lee, John Legend, Nick Cannon, and more.
Named a "2020 Diversity Champion" by Adweek, Imani has also been recognized by Forbes as a "Cultural Force.” Imani graduated from Vanderbilt University with a major in communications and a double minor in German and Film. She currently resides in New York City.
Fawziyya Sugai is a Global Merchandising and Planning professional with a 15+ year record of delivering consistent growth and product improvements while keeping the customer first. She honed her expertise in strategic product development, inventory management, and forecasting working for companies like Ralph Lauren, TJX and the Gap. Her passion is to create high-quality products that enhance the lives and experiences of consumers.
“The food we eat has a significant impact on our health and well-being. I wanted to create clean foods that actually help you to function better without all of the nasty ingredients that can harm you long-term. We can do better for ourselves and our families. Our goal at Gwell is to make it easier. Although shifting to CPG from fashion might seem like a huge shift, for me it was simply a continuation of a lifelong passion to help people feel their very best.”
Marion was born and grew up in France. She came to New York City about 14 years ago with no other expectation than to improve her English and she fell upon the fashion industry. She evolved in this field by working for Couture design houses like J.Mendel, Marchesa, Christian Siriano, in their production and manufacturing processes.
Then came 2020. A couple months into NYC's lockdown and Marion’s
niece is born. Her sister-in-law experienced breastfeeding for the first time. The “breastfeeding world” with all of its joys and complexities opened up a new world to her, as well. Marion was able to make clothes, she lived in New York City where she knew many highly skilled people to work with and her head was overflowing with ideas in anticipation of helping unique and playful moms in creating original nursing clothes. This is how the first drops of Voilacté have started filling the glass.
An experienced creative director and apparel manufacturing manager with over 30 years of experience in the professional dance community and apparel industry, creating ballet-inspired knitwear collections including RTW fashion, Yoga, Dancewear, Spa-wear and Fitness apparel. Co-Founder of KD dids Inc, his knitwear has a large celebrity following and has been used in Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Fitness and has made appearances in movies and television shows including “Black Swan”, “Shall We Dance”, NBC’s “Smash”.
Made in NYC Week is an annual celebration of New York City’s vibrant manufacturing community. We amplify the products and stories of more than 1,500 member companies that produce everything from airplane parts to craft whiskey and zippers— from all five boroughs.
Learn more at MadeinNYCWeek.com
Made in NYC is a non-profit organization that supports local manufacturers and makers in New York City. We provide skills-building programs, marketing services and promotional platforms, and small business assistance and resources for free to the Made in NYC community. We build a strong community of makers, facilitate local collaborations, and advocate for manufacturing in the City.
Learn more at MadeinNYC.org
