The Runway: Launching Designers In Lansing

Feb. 19, 2016

From Project Runway and NBC’s Fashion Star to Bravo’s The Fashion Show and Launch My Line, as well as Ovation TV’s The Fashion Fund, television has long had a fascination with aspiring fashion folk. Now, a Lansing organization is bringing the runway to real life, with a fashion incubator project to help talented Michigan designers get a foothold in this competitive industry.

Called The Runway, the project has been several years in the making, with a shifting cast of downstate design insiders collaborating to make it happen.

“It’s an initiative that’s actually funded through the City of Lansing and that works through LEAP (Lansing Economic Area Partnership),” explained Quin Stinchfield, The Runway business incubation manager. “The program started in August of 2014 and its aim is to help accelerate the careers of burgeoning designers and those interested in the fashion industry, whether that’s clothing, shoes, jewelry or accessories.”

Stinchfield’s role is to work with the designers to make sure they’re a good fit for the three-year Designer-In-Residence program.

Located inside the Knapp’s Center, an art deco multi-use building in downtown Lansing, The Runway charges designers $250–350 per month to be part of the program’s in-house roster. This grants them office space plus use of the open main floor, which includes industrial sewing machines, conference rooms, WiFi and computers with Optitex fashion design software, plus 24/7 access to the facility so they can work whenever the muse strikes. “Designers in the program also benefit from our consultations and mentorship, plus the chance to make lots of connections and to take advantage of networking and funding opportunities,” Stinchfield said.

Designers go through an application and vetting process, which they can begin via The Runway’s website.

“This is so we can understand who they are as designers and what they’re trying to do with their skills,” Stinchfield explained.

If the designer’s not quite ready for prime time (aka the Designer-In-Residence program), they can be considered for the Virtual Space program, which costs $100 per month.

“It’s similar in they get the consultations, mentorship, connections and such, just not the physical space in the building,” Stinchfield said.

Soon to be added is the Road to Retail program, a three-month crash course to help designers who are further along in the process get their product into stores.

“At the end of it, we matchmake designers with retailers — from local shops to big box stores — to help them get a foothold,” Stinchfield explained.

All the designers in the program are individuals interested in starting their own fashion lines; Stinchfield said a significant amount are students from Michigan State University, Central Michigan University and Lansing Community College, and that most of them are primarily focused on everyday wear.

“We do see students who are interested in learning more about couture (high fashion) lines,” she said, “but, at the moment, most of them are working on more functional fashions. This is really a way to house some of the talent we already have in the Lansing area under one roof.”

She added that Detroit is reportedly also launching a fashion incubator program similar to The Runway, which has become part of Stinchfield’s motivation to make more designers aware of what the Lansing program has to offer.

“We don’t want people to have to move far away, or even have to travel to Detroit, to work on their fashion lines,” she said.

Lauren Aitch is one of the up-and-coming designers. Her company, Our Own Apparel, focuses on high-performance fitted undershirts for men and women, an idea Aitch conceived while playing sports.

“I played basketball for Michigan State and then went over to Copenhagen, Denmark, to play professionally,” Aitch explained. “I started designing over there in my spare time and then, when I returned to Michigan, I was looking for resources to grow my business.”

After launching a line of women’s suits, Aitch was looking to branch out and found The Runway’s resources invaluable.

“It’s a great multipurpose space,” she said. “The cutting and sewing tables are really beneficial for my seamstresses and there are also a lot of people we can talk to to figure out factories, sources, how to run our finances. It’s very important to learn how to do things as a business owner.”

Iian Mull is another designer who arrived at The Runway via a completely different road. “I started out in fashion working in retail as a manager and buyer for a women’s high-end clothing store,” Mull explained. “Then I graduated with a degree in fashion merchandising from CMU and I’m now on the faculty there. I was one of the original group that started at The Runway back in October of 2014.”

Mull’s company, Beauhawk: Ties For Modern Guys, focuses on men’s bow ties, long ties and stylish lapel pins.

“I saw bow ties starting to get big as a trend, but there weren’t a lot of cool bow ties out there, so I thought it was a good niche for me,” he said. “And I’ve since designed the Duet Tie, which uses two different fabrics so that you get two bow ties in one.”

Mull is set to renew his lease at The Runway soon and said that he’ll likely stay, as he enjoys the collaborative, helpful environment, as well as the designing software and work areas.

“I think the biggest benefit is that you have this place where fashion people are trying to make it, so you can all share your experiences with others trying to do the same thing you are,” he said.

Stinchfield agreed that the proximity of the designers to each other is one of The Runway’s biggest assets.

“We haven’t had any breakout successes among the designers yet, but keep in mind that we are only on year two of our very first three-year program,” she said.

Does she think anyone in particular will be poised for that breakout moment?

“Hopefully they all will!” she said.

To learn more about The Runway, visit runwaylansing.com.