Tracy Reese

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Tracy Reece, born on February 12, 1964, is an American fashion designer from Detroit who specializes in women’s ready-to-wear clothing, accessories, and linens. Reese is also a board member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America since 2007. [1]

After spending decades in the fashion industry, Reese voices out the disparity she experienced during her time in the industry. "While being somewhat ignored by industry organizations and the media, not being taken seriously by funders and lenders, being shunned at textile fair booths", Reese describes the micro-and macro-aggressions she has to face as a black woman. [2]

Reese admits that she is somewhat inspired by the younger generation of Black designers. She sees how nowadays, more Young black designers nowadays have the strength and gut to demand equality, and Reese agrees that now is not the correct time to just be patient.

Applying Sustainability Manufacturing in Detroit

Tracy Reese Teaches Screen-Printing

In recent months, Reese has decided to come back to her hometown and she has been fulfilling her promise to be available, especially for the next generation of fashion designers. She has been mentoring for some students, as well as leading workshops with students from Detroit’s Duke Ellington School of Music & Art about using prints to make designs.

Reese is also involved in an initiative with the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center, which is led by Jennifer Guarino. [3] As the member of ISAIC’s board of director, it is Reese’s intention to built a factory in Detroit which is totally worker-centric. The factory should have development opportunities for workers to acquire new technology such that employees are at the cutting edge of the industry's success. Reese is very opinionated about sustainability, as she feels that currently, the industry has been polluting the planet as well as exploiting the workforce.

Hope for Flowers

Tracy Reese with a dress from Hope for Flowers

Reese started a sustainable line, which she named Hope for Flowers, based in Detroit. She has been making her collections in more inclusive sizes, and price them at $400-$500 apiece. "The reason it costs so much is because it is made responsibly and made to last."[4] However, Reese is committed to tackling the problem of making its collections more accessible while preserving sustainable production. She needs more Detroiters to wear her clothing on the riverfront.

As a major fashion industry player, Reese definitely has a huge roadmap for her own brand, as well as for Detroit. While she admits that a lot of works need to be done to unify Detroit as a city, Reese is hopeful that Detroiters get to be the beneficiaries of the kind of fashion industry which she is planning to develop.

References

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