#112: Deb Johnson

Moving the Needle Toward a More Holistic and Ethical Fashion Industry

The Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator (BF+DA), a Pratt Institute initiative, is a hub for ethical fashion and design that provides design entrepreneurs, creative technologists and industry professionals with the resources they need to transform their ideas into successful, triple bottom line businesses.

Approximately 15 emerging design businesses are selected to work from the BF+DA. Each year, the BF+DA also serves over 70 apparel production clients, 300 digital fabrication clients, and 4,000 event, tour, and educational program attendees. It’s also recently launched sustainability consulting offerings to further its mission and reach.

Debera Johnson is the BF+DA’s Founder and Executive Director. She also founded the Center for Sustainable Design Strategies at Pratt Institute and has been leading the integration of sustainability into Pratt’s art, design and architecture programs for over 15 years.

Bard MBA’s Lindsey Strange spoke with Johnson about BF+DA, its function as a hub for ethical fashion and responsible technology, and how it promotes triple bottom line values by linking financial success to an ethical and sustainable supply chain.

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