San Francisco Fashion Incubator Announces New Class of Designers
Macy’s Fashion Incubator Program San Francisco (FISF) announced the initiation of six local fashion apparel designers into the second session of its “Designers in Residence” program.
The six designers are Michelle Byrnes, Jake Wall, Sarah Liller, Diana Mitchell, Bree Hylkema and Kyra.
It is the second year FISF has been operating out of a 3,500-square-foot design, education and showroom facility in Macy’s offices at Union Square. Here designers are provided with training and motivational tools to create their own clothing lines and successful businesses.
Each year six “Designers in Residence” are chosen to move into the FISF facility and encouraged to develop an apparel line that could be swimwear, custom bridal, women’s business apparel, activewear, contemporary womenswear and men’s suits.
Additionally, each month, FISF offers public seminars hosted by leading figures in the fashion industry where members of the local design community can learn about the business end.
“Following on the heels of our inaugural year in 2012, the newly selected class of ‘Designers in Residence’ is as diverse as San Francisco itself,” said Jeanne Allen, FISF executive director. “They bring to the program their unique vision, experience as entrepreneurs and a commitment to the city’s progressive fashion culture,” said Allen, former owner of Jeanne-Marc fashion line, a collaboration with her husband, Marc Grant.
—Sarah Wolfson
