Meet the Makers

In New York’s fast-paced fashion ecosystem, Custom Collaborative offers no/low-income and immigrant women a truly viable pathway into garment-making and the fashion production industry. Each fifteen-week cohort combines rigorous technical training, access to industry mentors, and a close-knit, supportive community, enabling participants to quickly acquire the language and craft of apparel construction. From foundational sewing techniques to more advanced skills like corner seams, necklines, and finishing methods, students gain not only technical knowledge but also a renewed sense of connection to the act of “making” through hands-on practice. Custom Collaborative also sells graduates’ handmade clothing, bags, and other sewn goods, helping Training Institute alumni earn income while building their brands.

For many participants, the program is more than a place to learn skills—it is a space to regain confidence, expand a budding business, and grow within a network of women who share similar goals and support one another’s ambitions.

Jennifer, a Brooklyn-based maker, joined Custom Collaborative with a deep self-taught foundation and a desire to push herself further. “I started sewing ten years ago,” she explained, “but I want to be able to make gowns and more intricate outfits.” Although she had just completed multiple tech certifications and was considering pivoting into that field, the moment she learned about the upcoming cohort, she felt compelled to choose differently: “I decided to take the chance and go with my heart, my passion.”

The experience quickly proved transformative. Certain techniques—like corner seams—looked simple at first, only to become unexpectedly challenging. Jennifer recalls the moment when “all of us ended up having to do it twice,” a realization that mastery requires failing at first. Unlike her years of improvising and learning on her own, here she found structure: “It’s great to get the education instead of just on-the-fly learning.”

For the first time, she wasn’t figuring things out alone—she was surrounded by peers whose progress fueled her own. “You see everyone’s designs, and it looks so amazing,” she said, describing how inspiring it was to walk around the room and witness what her classmates were creating.

One of Jennifer’s proudest moments came when she completed her first-ever piece for herself: a tote bag. “I’ve been wearing it every day,” she said, a small but meaningful symbol of what it feels like to invest in her own growth. The journey—and seeing her own progression week by week—has become one of the most exciting parts of the program.

What makes Custom Collaborative remarkable to Jennifer goes beyond the classroom. “What I like about this program is they have mentorship,” she said. Alumni frequently return to teach workshops, offer guidance, and build connections, creating a sense of continuity and shared purpose. Being surrounded by women who “have your back,” she noted, makes it easier to stay focused on her goals. “Seeing the close-knit community here, seeing how all the women really try to lift one another up—I love that. It’s a beautiful spirit.”

Looking toward the future, Jennifer remains optimistic about the fashion industry. “People are always gonna wear clothes,” she said with a smile. For her, garment-making is clearly an art form, one that still depends on human hands. After visiting the Steve Madden factory, she saw firsthand how many steps require careful human attention, like “someone making sure everything is centered correctly and put in properly.” While she recognizes that the industry is increasingly tech-driven, she believes the heart of fashion still lies in craftsmanship, precision, and the human touch.

Sarata, a graduate of Custom Collaborative’s Training Institute, first discovered the program through a friend—a recent graduate whose experience left a strong impression on her. Hearing how transformative the program had been, Sarata realized it might finally be the place where she could turn her long-held wish into reality. Before joining, she already excelled in makeup, styling, and creative coordination. “But with sewing, I don’t have no skill—nothing.” What she did have, though, was confidence in her ability to learn quickly: “I’m a very fast learner, and I’m a very talented person.”

In the cohort, one technique immediately stood out. “The gather—yes, without using elastic,” she says, still delighted. “I was even telling my friend, I’m gonna be using this gather a lot, because I have some ideas already.” Learning how to turn imagination into finished garments made sewing feel not only possible, but exciting. “Dresses and tote bags are my favorite things to make. They’re very flexible in terms of fabric and pattern,” she explained.

For Sarata, sewing is deeply intertwined with both family and community life. As a mother of two, she struggled to find modest children’s clothing—especially for cultural celebrations like Eid. "We’re always dressing up,” she says. “When that time comes, you spend a lot.” Being able to sew for her children and herself felt practical, empowering, and culturally meaningful. “It feels great not to just go to the store and buy right off the rack,” she says.

Looking ahead, Sarata dreams of creating her own modest clothing line for both kids and adults. "I already have my name and the logo,” she says. Her next goals include building a website and more marketing—the foundational steps that will help her turn her ideas into a real business. She knows it requires dedication and motivation, especially while she continues making everything by hand, but she is energized by the journey and the possibilities. And as she says with conviction: “Fashion is not going anywhere.”

When asked whether she would recommend the program, she doesn’t hesitate. For her, in-person training changed everything after years of unsuccessful attempts to learn online. “If you could do an in-person training anywhere, I would recommend Custom Collaborative,” she says. “I’ve been looking for the longest time, and thank God my friend found it. This is it.”