DFI - Dunedin Fashion Incubator.

The Dunedin Fashion Incubator (Dfi) is an organisation established July 2001, to help emerging fashion designers into business, stimulate entrepreneurial activity and encourage small business growth to the benefit of the local economy. The Upstart Business Incubator remains a stakeholder while more recently the Dfi has established stronger links with education as part of the Otago Institute of Design.

If you are a committed, talented designer eager to start your own business, or want assistance in growing an existing one, then the Dunedin Fashion Incubator can help. We provide the kind of industry specific assistance that can really make a difference.

The Dunedin Fashion Incubator provides comprehensive facilities and services, to help you through the myriad of issues and problems that can beset new ventures, and in so doing, enhance your chances of business success. The end goal being for designers to leave the Incubator with a successful, viable fashion business.

Full Time (Residency)

For designers wishing to grow their businesses on a full-time basis. Designers accepted into the Dfi full time programme can either become tenants of the Incubator and locate their businesses at the Incubator premises or be satellite clients with their own studios/premises. Both resident and satellite clients have priority access to the full range of services and facilities offered by the Incubator. All designers interested in joining the Incubator must lodge a full application, including; completed application form, portfolio of work, current CV, and business plan. For an application pack and further information email: dfi@oid.co.nz

Part Time (Outreach Membership)

Outreach is a Dfi service designed to help fashion designers, and those aspiring to enter the industry, by enabling them to access the facilities, services and networking opportunities provided by the Dfi on a part time basis.

What will it cost?

Charges are set for services provided however we are able to tailor our charges to the needs and resources of each client.

Tracy Kennedy: Manager

Tracy comes to the Incubator after a long association with the School of Fashion at Otago Polytechnic where she has liaised closely with the fashion industry, running student projects with fashion retailers, setting up student work placements and industry visits. She has also taught professional practice, communication and design theory and practice. Tracy has run her own knitwear label and previously worked as a designer for Tamahine Knitwear.

Annette Cadogan: Client Advisor

Annette Cadogan is currently employed as a lecturer at the School of Fashion with strengths in pattern making, construction and design. In 2008 she was part of the Dfi team, delivering technical workshops around the region. Annette has considerable industry experience working for a number of top NZ designers and has her own successful fashion label, Iris, which was selected for the iD Dunedin show this year.

Ross Gamble: Client Advisor

Ross Gamble has many years commercial fashion experience through his involvement as Design, Marketing and Sales Director and later CEO of Tamahine Knitwear. Ross has extensive experience at all levels of the fashion industry. In recent times Ross has been an active member of the iD Dunedin committee and enjoys mentoring others in the industry.