Pittsburgh · Expanding Nationwide

Building America's
Next Generation of
Skilled Fashion &
Textile Professionals

Community-based vocational training that transforms unemployment into entrepreneurship, one stitch at a time.

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100+ Individuals Trained Annually
20+ Micro Fashion Businesses Launched
12 Week Core Program
4 Core Program Tracks

About the Institute

A new kind of
vocational institution

Craft & Couture Institute is a community-rooted vocational training organization dedicated to rebuilding America's textile and fashion workforce from the ground up — starting with underserved communities that have the most to gain and the most to give.

✦

Mission

Equip individuals with hands-on skills, business knowledge, and career pathways in fashion and textile production.

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Vision

A nationally scalable model — replicable in any city — that powers domestic garment production and community economic mobility.

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Why It Matters

As U.S. textile manufacturing declines and youth unemployment rises, vocational pathways in fashion offer a meaningful, dignified alternative to a four-year degree.

The Problem We Are Solving

Four converging
crises

01

Declining Skilled Workforce

America's textile and fashion manufacturing sector has lost hundreds of thousands of skilled workers over decades of offshoring, creating a critical gap in domestic production capacity.

02

Youth Unemployment

Young people in underserved communities face systemic barriers to employment and enterprise. Traditional education pathways leave many behind without viable economic alternatives.

03

Lack of Vocational Pathways

The cultural push toward four-year degrees has hollowed out vocational education infrastructure, leaving trades like tailoring and garment construction chronically underfunded and undervalued.

04

Weak Domestic Garment Pipeline

The U.S. imports over 97% of its apparel. Rebuilding a domestic production pipeline requires training a new generation of makers, pattern-cutters, and fashion entrepreneurs.

"Vocational training in textiles is not a consolation prize — it is a strategic investment in community resilience and national economic independence."

Our Solution

A complete
program model

I

Vocational Sewing & Tailoring

Hands-on training in machine operation, hand stitching, garment fitting, alteration, and professional finishing — the foundational craft of the industry.

  • 12-week structured curriculum
  • Industry-standard equipment
  • Certificate of completion
II

Fashion Production Skills

Pattern making, grading, garment construction, and textile selection — skills that bridge the gap between a design concept and a finished product.

  • Portfolio of completed garments
  • Technical drawing basics
  • Production workflow training
III

Entrepreneurship Training

Business planning, pricing, brand identity, e-commerce, and client acquisition — everything needed to launch and sustain a fashion micro-enterprise.

  • Business model canvas workshops
  • Market access support
  • Mentorship from industry leaders
IV

Job Placement & Career Pathways

Connections to employers, co-ops, and fashion businesses — so every graduate has a clear next step, whether employment or self-employment.

  • Employer partner network
  • Resume + interview coaching
  • Alumni community access

Programs

Four pathways.
One mission.

Whether you are 17 or 47, employed or not, our programs meet you where you are and take you further than you imagined.

Ages 12–24

Youth Training Program

For young people seeking skills, confidence, and economic independence. Combines technical training with mentorship and career coaching.

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Adult Learners

Workforce Reskilling

For adults seeking a career change or re-entry into the workforce. Flexible scheduling, practical skills, and real employment outcomes.

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Founders Track

Entrepreneurship Incubator

For aspiring fashion entrepreneurs ready to turn their skills into a sustainable business. Includes pitch coaching and market access support.

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Open to All

Community Workshops

Short-form sessions on sewing basics, garment care, upcycling, and fashion fundamentals — open to the entire community.

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National Impact & Expansion

Starting in Pittsburgh.
Built for America.

Pilot: Pittsburgh

Rooted in the Homewood and Wilkinsburg neighborhoods — communities with deep histories of resilience and creativity that deserve investment, not extraction.

Homewood Wilkinsburg Pittsburgh Metro

The Expansion Model

Every element of Craft & Couture Institute — curriculum, partnerships, community engagement — is designed to be replicable nationwide. We are building the playbook now so other cities can adopt it.

Pittsburgh
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase 4

Economic Impact

Direct Job Creation

Graduates employed in fashion production, tailoring services, and retail — adding skilled workers to local economies.

Small Business Formation

Fashion micro-businesses launched by program graduates, generating revenue and employing others in their communities.

Domestic Textile Ecosystem

Every trained maker strengthens the case for onshoring apparel production — and demonstrates it is possible.

Multiplier Effect

Spending by employed graduates and micro-business owners circulates back into underserved communities, compounding impact over time.

Partnerships & Collaborations

Stronger
together

🏫

Schools & Universities

Partnering with educational institutions to offer vocational pathways and dual-enrollment options for students.

🤝

Community Organizations

Working with trusted local organizations to reach participants and build community trust.

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Workforce Agencies

Collaborating with workforce development boards and agencies to align programming with job market needs.

👗

Fashion & Textile Brands

Engaging small businesses and emerging brands as mentors, employers, and market access partners for graduates.

Interested in becoming a partner?

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founder
Valedictorian Master of Social Work
University of Pittsburgh

About the Founder

Ifeoluwa
Orebiyi

Ifeoluwa Orebiyi founded Craft & Couture Institute at the intersection of two worlds she knows deeply: community development and the transformative power of skilled trades. Her Master of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh — where she graduated as valedictorian — gave her the analytical frameworks to design programs that actually work for real people.

Her work with underserved communities taught her that economic empowerment is never abstract — it lives in someone learning a skill, building a business, and seeing their own life change. The Institute is her answer to the question: what would it look like to build that change at scale?

Community Organizing Program Design Youth Development Workforce Readiness Economic Empowerment

Get Involved

Join the
movement

01

Enroll

Ready to build skills and launch your future in fashion? Apply for our next cohort and take the first step.

Apply Now
02

Partner

Schools, businesses, community organizations, and workforce agencies — let's build something together.

Partner With Us
03

Support

Fund a scholarship, sponsor a cohort, or donate equipment. Every contribution directly changes lives.

Support the Mission

Contact

Let's build
something great

Whether you're a prospective student, potential partner, funder, or simply curious — we want to hear from you.

Thank you! We'll be in touch soon.