The Save the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator campaign is live, and the nonprofit behind it says it is “nearly out of funds.” Eight designers are three months into a twelve-month residency, and the city grant that helped pay for the program did not come through this year.
The Philadelphia Fashion Incubator (PFI) has worked with local designers since 2012 and says it has helped more than 70 fashion businesses get started. The residency mixes workshops, retail critiques, pop-ups and trunk shows. This spring PFI produced the FashCon Philly conference at Moore College, and we covered its ILLUME exhibition back in 2021.
What Led to the Save the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator Campaign
For years, PFI’s designer program ran on support from Macy’s, according to Executive Director Jennifer Lynn Robinson. That meant money and operating space in the Wanamaker Building near City Hall. When Macy’s left that space, a City of Philadelphia grant took over.
A few weeks ago, the city’s Department of Commerce told PFI it would not be among the organizations funded for 2026–27. Robinson says it is the first year the incubator has been awarded nothing.
The current designers started July 1 and finish June 30, 2027. They signed on expecting mentorship, business education, industry access and hands-on guidance for the full year, and PFI says it is determined to honor that. The emergency campaign is how it hopes to keep the doors open until June.
What the $150,000 Would Pay For
The goal of the Save the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator campaign is $150,000, which Robinson describes as roughly what it takes to run the program for a year. That covers scholarships for the eight designers, operating and administrative costs, and a lease on dedicated space for the cohort. It also covers what a young brand can rarely afford alone: trade show booths, conferences and events, and help with Amtrak travel to get there.
The GoFundMe is not the whole plan. PFI is also looking for corporate sponsors and partners, and applying for other grants to close whatever gap the campaign leaves.
The Eight Designers Inside the Residency
The residency runs July through June and meets four times a month: one in-person session, two virtual sessions and a monthly event. Designers also get one-on-one consultations, and the calendar includes pop-up shops, fashion shows and trunk shows. This year’s class is a broad mix of what Philadelphia makes.
Top row, from left: Jennifer Meertens, Alli Ferrara, Joseph Halcomb
Bottom row, from left: Joseph William, Key PhantaCee, Mary Lynn Harris, Lindsay Gradel
Alli Ferrara makes womenswear with painterly prints, a look that comes from her training as a painter in Paris. Sanai Simmons’ Infini reworks traditional American garments for women and men. Mary Lynn Harris’ Hymn is a line of belts and scarves that draws on 1970s and ’80s Black glamour. Jennifer Meertens makes hand-crocheted handbags and limited-edition accessories.
On the menswear side, Joseph Halcomb runs Nova Astrum and Zenith Jeanz, and Joe Ward’s Joseph William blends workwear, streetwear and tailoring. Key PhantaCee’s VLVP, founded in 2016, is Philadelphia streetwear built on upcycled and deadstock fabrics. Lindsay Gradel’s Sew Much Cooler is handmade children’s clothing in bold prints.
How to Save the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator Beyond Donating
Money is not the only way in. Robinson says sharing the GoFundMe, introducing PFI to potential sponsors and partners, hosting a fundraiser and helping the group get press all count. Her priority, she says, is “standing by our eight current resident designers.”
Donations to Save the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator go through PFI’s GoFundMe. Companies or foundations interested in partnering can reach Robinson through the incubator’s website.
PFI spent more than a decade teaching designers how to build a business that lasts. Now it is asking the city whether it can last itself.
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