| This listing includes resources that provide advice and training, networking opportunities, funding & startup resources for entrepreneurs, and in other ways help independent designers and arrtisans start & promote their businesses in California. Please email amy@acclothingandbags.com with corrections, suggestions, & info not included here. |
| Designer Resources |
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| How to Create Your Designs (Jewelry Making, Pattern Drafting, Sewing, Screenprinting, Etc) -See also Production (below) The Craft Kitchen -Santa Ana We have a wide variety of classes in several genres of arts and crafts. All of our classes are taught by qualified patient instructors with expertise and experience. www.thecraftkitchen.com Indie Mart Workshop -San Francisco For all things D.I.Y. Offers affordable DIY classes to the public. Classes range from the single class for the commitment-phobics, to the more detailed, multi-day classes for those truly desiring to learn their craft. Workshop is equipped with a complete silk screening facility, sewing machines, button machines, and lots of tools for cutting, printing, building, and making. Workshop also offers a library stocked with how-to books, design books, and old magazines to turn the light bulb over your head to ON Rock Paper Scissors -Oakland a volunteer-run organization that fosters creativity and collaboration in order to strengthen local communities and encourage sustainable practices and alternative models. We promote the sharing of ideas, skills, & resources through the celebration of art, craft, education, & performance. www.rpscollective.com The Sewing Workshop -San Francisco For over 20 years, TSW offers classes ranging in subject from beginning sewing to jewelry construction to corsetry to home decoration to dyeing techniques www.thesewingworkshop.com Stitch Lounge -San Francisco We keep the virtual lounge alive and post free downloadable tutorials to keep you up to date with the goings on in the sewing and fashion world & with the crazy Stitch B*tches! www.stitchlounge.com/site/.... Networking Innovative Fashion Counsel -San Francisco Networking & event opportunities for emerging and established designers www.ifcsf.com Lightbox -San Francisco First, a support system for emerging artists seeking help in marketing themselves to clients. Additionally we are working toward creating a workspace and gallery that will house a select group of artists in an ideal creative space. Lightbox will provide the support, services, and resources our artists need as they work to build a solid client base and create their brand. RAG (Resident's Apparel Gallery) -San Francisco Blakely Bass & her crew of impassioned indie designers send out regular email updates about what's going on in in Bay Area design community: designer forwards, shop & event happenings, etc. Sign up for emails & keep on top abreast of all things indie in the Bay.... www.ragsf.com Production MIO / Made in Oakland -Oakland MIO offers high-quality, artisan sewing sample development and local production to the garment, home furnishing, and other industries. MIO doesn’t require minimums and as a not-for-profit social venture enterprise of the Unity Council www.madeinoakland.org Patchwerk Press -Oakland Collectively owned and operated community screen-printing shop. Offering classes, lab time, custom printing services, apprenticeship and membership www.patchwerkpress.org Selling Your Designs -See also California Shops -See also Fairs and Events -See also Online Shops Etsy: The Storque How-To -various tutorials and workshops including subjects such as: photography for your online shop, pricing, etc http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to Get Crafty -How To: Prepare for a Craft Fair Tips, supplies list, photos, etc http://getcrafty.com/stories/how_to... Indie Craft Shows -a directory of independently-run craft shows featuring handmade goods www.indiecraftshows.com Missing Piece -San Francisco An artist representative agency promoting the most talented clothing and costume designers www.missingpiece-sf.com Startup: How to Fund & Run Your Business East Bay Fashion Resource -Oakland Educates students, designers, and entrepreneurs in the fundamentals of the fashion business. www.eastbayfashionresource.com Fashion Business Inc -San Francisco and elsewhere The Fashion Business Inc. is an educational non profit, which has in place programs and services to assist new apparel manufacturers and small minority owned businesses. FBI has the tools and resources to take your business to the next level. http://fashionbizinc.org Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center -San Francisco Provides programs and services that support the life cycle of a business, and provides access to the tools, information, networks and resources for every stage of business development from concept evaluation through start- up, growth and expansion, and beyond. We assess and meet the needs of small business owners to help ensure their success in today's economy. www.rencenter.org SBDC (Small Business Development Centers) -Programs and services to help you start, grow and succeed. The Office of Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) provides management assistance to current and prospective small business owners. SBDCs offer one-stop assistance to individuals and small businesses by providing a wide variety of information and guidance in central and easily accessible branch locations. The program is a cooperative effort of the private sector, the educational community and federal, state and local governments and is an integral component of Entrepreneurial Development's network of training and counseling services. www.sba. gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/sbdc/index.html SCORE -Counselors to America's Small Business Planning to start that business you’ve been talking about? SCORE can help. The largest provider of FREE business counseling to small businesses and a resource business partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), SCORE helps 20,000 new businesses get off the ground each year.www.score.org WISE: Women's Initiative for Self Employment -San Francisco Bay Area A one-stop shop where high-potential, lower-income women receive training to start and grow their business. The business management training, technical assistance, and financial services we provide — in English and Spanish — improve the quality of life for the women we serve, their families and our communities. www.womensinitiative.org |
