About FABRIC

FABRIC is a fashion incubator, business accelerator, design studio, academy, and manufacturer that is sustainably disrupting, redefining and reshoring the fashion industry for the modern apparel entrepreneur.

About FABRIC Incubator

Welcome to FABRIC, the Fashion and Business Resource Innovation Center. Founded by apparel entrepreneurs Sherri Barry and Angela Johnson, FABRIC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incubator dedicated to democratizing access to the fashion industry. Our mission is to support apparel entrepreneurs by removing barriers and providing essential resources, empowering them to create sustainable and ethical small-batch productions domestically using state-of-the-art technology.

Why FABRIC Exists

The fashion industry is dominated by large brands that often rely on overseas production, resulting in unsustainable practices and ethical concerns. Small brands face significant challenges in producing domestically in small batches, which is a more sustainable option. FABRIC was established to address these challenges and provide a nurturing environment for emerging fashion brands and established brands trying to re-shore and venture into batched-on-demand manufacturing.

Our Founders' Journey

Angela Johnson, a fashion graduate, designer, and production manager in the 90s, discovered the secrets of small-batch domestic manufacturing. During this time, she grew a streetwear brand called Monkeywench in LA, which gained international acclaim. The brand sold worldwide and was worn by dozens of celebrities. However, after moving back to Arizona in 2001, Angela found a lack of local resources and had to shut down her brand. While starting a new brand upcycling T-shirts into ballgowns, Angela dedicated the next 15 years to nurturing and growing a fashion industry in Arizona by teaching, consulting, and producing some of Arizona's most iconic fashion shows to bring the fashion community together.

Sherri Barry, after earning an MBA from Arizona State University, ventured into the fashion industry to start her own brand. With experience managing over 300 retail stores for one of the biggest brands in footwear, she had a solid foundation in the industry. However, she soon faced the stark reality of not being physically near her manufacturers. This geographical distance posed challenges in maintaining hands-on quality control and production management, essential for successful manufacturing processes. These obstacles motivated Sherri to explore innovative technological solutions to address these issues firsthand to help others. Sherri now runs her own successful brand Adea Everyday Luxury in addition to FABRIC.

Angela and Sherri collaborated in 2016 to create FABRIC, a unique incubator dedicated to democratizing access to the fashion industry.

Resources We Offer

At FABRIC, we provide a comprehensive range of resources to support apparel entrepreneurs:

1. Free Resources: Understanding the high costs of starting a brand, we offer a free industry directory, a calendar of industry events, free educational networking events, a free wholesale sourcing library, a classifieds section for job postings, an industry newsletter filled with opportunities, educational manufacturing tours, and more.
2. Consulting Services and Classes: We offer affordable consulting and every Friday it's only $5, making professional advice affordable for all. We also offer classes in skills that aren't typically taught in fashion school as supplemental education.
3. Roadmap: Our step-by-step guide helps entrepreneurs navigate starting a brand, from obtaining licenses to product development and small-batch manufacturing domestically. This invaluable resource, worth $70,000, is available to 290 entrepreneurs each year through our scholarship program.
4. Advanced Technology: We utilize state-of-the-art, end-to-end phygital technology to enable on-demand and small batch manufacturing. This environmentally and financially sustainable approach allows brands to test the market with small orders, ensuring they only produce what is needed and reducing excess inventory. We use CAD pattern making software, 3D avatars, digital product passports, and guide entrepreneurs in the secrets of small batch customization and on-demand manufacturing.
5. Maker's Space: We provide access to state-of-the-art industrial equipment so that fashion designers, pattern makers, students, seamstresses, costume designers, and brands have access to the technology needed to make their products.
6. Certifications/Apprenticeships: FABRIC provides specialized Industrial Sewing Certification training, focusing on participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our program covers essential sewing techniques, ensuring proficiency in both basic and advanced skills. Our hands-on Apprenticeship Programs, guided by industry professionals, foster expertise in industrial sewing and quality control, empowering individuals for successful careers in fashion, emphasizing craftsmanship and excellence in garment manufacturing.

Sustainability and Innovation

FABRIC is committed to transforming the fashion industry into a more sustainable model. Our efforts include organizing Eco Fashion Week, an annual event that celebrates and promotes sustainable fashion. Our vision extends to creating an Eco-Fashion Park, a scalable circular fashion supply chain that minimizes waste by optimizing production based on demand.

Our Legacy and Vision

With a passion for the fashion industry and a dedication to sustainability, we have supported over 2,500 entrepreneurs in launching their brands. We believe in the power of creativity and personal expression through fashion, and we aim to shape a circular model that benefits both creators and the planet. Our vision is to continue supporting apparel entrepreneurs who will lead the future of fashion, creating beautiful and responsible products that reflect their unique artistry.

At FABRIC, we are committed to making the fashion industry better, one innovative and sustainable step at a time. Join us in our mission to empower creators and protect the planet.

Our Story

FABRIC launched in 2016 with a temporary home in Mesa, using a vacant space offered by a designer in its network. Rather than delay, the organization chose to activate immediately, installing newly purchased equipment and beginning manufacturing while finalizing a long-term agreement with the City of Tempe.

Once that agreement was secured, FABRIC moved into TPAC: Tempe Performing Arts Center (at 132 E. 6th St, in Tempe). This 26,000 sq. ft. space enabled a hybrid model: a fashion incubator sustained by event venue revenue. In partnership with the City, rent was exchanged for impact, delivering over $600,000 annually in documented free and subsidized programs, including no-minimum manufacturing, accessible education for apparel entrepreneurs, and more. This model made it possible to serve underserved founders in a way few incubators could.

That model was upended by COVID-19. With events halted, FABRIC rapidly transformed into a PPE manufacturing facility, mobilizing staff and equipment to meet urgent healthcare needs. Operating at emergency capacity, the team produced over 800,000 FDA-approved reusable gowns, diverting an estimated 80 million disposable gowns from landfills while protecting frontline workers. These efforts even earned an in-person visit from President Biden and Vice President Harris. Despite the impact, the performing arts facility was not designed for industrial production, creating significant operational challenges.

To sustain both missions, the manufacturing entity that had always been embedded within the FABRIC incubator model was spun off into a separate location to meet the PPE demands. This entity had historically provided the specialized skills, workforce, and equipment required to manufacture apparel, capabilities that a nonprofit incubator alone could not support. Following the transition, it continued PPE production independently, with proceeds helping to support FABRIC as events gradually returned. However, recovery was uneven. Event revenue lagged, and when global supply chains resumed, domestic PPE demand dropped abruptly, leaving behind high overhead, a large workforce, and significant capital investment.

At the same time, the City announced plans to sell the TPAC building, requiring FABRIC to relocate. FABRIC moved into a smaller adjacent space next door (at 117 E. 5th St. in Tempe) without event capabilities, prompting a fundamental shift in its model. The PPE factory was closed, and the equipment was moved into the new FABRIC facility so that the organization could pivot toward technology-driven, on-demand manufacturing, integrating advanced equipment and positioning itself at the forefront of a new production paradigm. While innovative, this approach proved capital-intensive and ahead of market readiness.

In August 2025, FABRIC evolved again, moving and downsizing space (to 711 W. Broadway Rd. in Tempe at NOVO Broadway Apartments Maker's Space), staff, and equipment to align with a more sustainable future. The current model replaces a centralized workforce with a network of affiliate partners, independent skilled professionals such as pattern makers, cutters, and sewists. This approach reduces overhead while expanding opportunity, enabling these experts to grow their own businesses and offering entrepreneurs greater flexibility and choice.

Each pivot has been a response to real-world constraints, and each has strengthened FABRIC’s commitment to serving apparel entrepreneurs through resilience, innovation, and community. Ultimately, despite these hurdles, FABRIC has donated over $15 Million in free and discounted programs and services to help over 2500 Apparel Entrepreneurs.

Take an educational tour to check it out!