Join us for a panel discussion featuring regio nal representatives from the creative\, production\, and retail sides of the fashion industry—including \;designer and entrepreneur \;Tessa \;Clark \;of&n bsp\;OTR’s \;Idlewild\; \;nonprofit CEO \;Shailah Maynard \;< /span>of \;the \;West End’s \;Sew Valley \;garment factory and incubator\; \;and \;artist\, educator\, and author \;Amber Ostaszewski\, president of the Wea vers Guild of Cincinnati \;and board member of the Rust Belt&nb sp\;Fibershed—as they examine \;themes that Elizabeth Ha wes grappled with throughout her career in fashion and which remain relev ant to us today. \;

About the panelists: \;< /h3>\n

Tessa Clark \;earned a Bachelor of Science in Design from the University of Cincinnat i's College of Design\, Architecture\, Art\, and Planning. In 2019\, she competed as a designer on Project Runway Season 17\, an experience that d eepened her creative rigor and broadened her perspective on the fashion i ndustry. \;

For the past eigh t years\, Tessa has owned and operated Idlewild\, a multi-brand boutique< span> \;located \;in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborho od. With over 50 carefully curated labels\, she has built a destination f or discovering emerging and established designers from around the world\, bringing a diverse and considered mix of fashion to the Midwest. Her buy ing is informed by a genuine understanding of how clothes \;ar e made\, \;from design conception through production. With more than a decade of personal and editorial styling \;expertise\, she is dedicated to building thoughtful\, enduring wardrobes grounded in craftsmanship and intention. \;

Shailah Maynard \;is the Co-Founder and CE O of Sew Valley\, a nonprofit garment factory and incubator in Cincinnati ’s West End neighborhood. With over 18 years of experience in the fashion industry\, she is dedicated to building a more ethical and environmental ly responsible apparel manufacturing industry\, one that strengthens loca l economies while contributing to broader global sustainability efforts. Under her leadership\, Sew Valley provides essential resources—including production services\, space\, equipment\, and \;training —to apparel brands and entrepreneurs\, empowering them to bring their des igns to \;market responsibly. By integrating sustainable material \;sourcing\, circular economy principles\, and training opportunities\, Shailah is bridging the gap between local impac t and global change\, creating scalable solutions that \;benefit \;both people and the planet. \;

Amber Rose Ostaszewski is an artist\, educator\, and author who has been fascinated with textiles s ince childhood. She draws on her heritage to inspire her creative practic e and is passionate about regenerative\, natural materials\, including pr ocessing and spinning fiber\, natural dyes\, and the creation of mindful\ , intentional textile work. Her work has been published with the New York Botanical Garden's Steere Herbarium\, Wovenutopia\, and PieceWork magazi ne. She recently has shown work at Wave Pool Gallery via the One Year\, O ne Outfit Project as Artist in Residence with the Rust Belt Fibershed\, t aught at the National Education &\; Fiber Conference in Burlington\, K Y\, Convergence in Wichita\, KS presented by the Handweavers Guild of Ame rica\, and regularly teaches at Sew Valley and the Weavers Guild in Cinci nnati. She is the President of the Weavers Guild of Greater Cincinnati an d a board member of the Rust Belt Fibershed. \;

If you n eed \;accessibility accommodations\, please contact us in advance at& nbsp\;access@cincyart.org \;or fill out \;the accessibility request form.