ISAIC Honors 2026 Celebrates Industry Leaders, Innovation, and the Future of Sustainable Apparel Manufacturing
DETROIT, MI, April 28, 2026 — The Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC) welcomed industry leaders, innovators, and community members to its fourth annual ISAIC Honors Award Ceremony on April 23, marking a defining moment in the organization’s growth. Held in ISAIC’s newly expanded home at the College for Creative Studies’ A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education, the evening celebrated both a physical expansion and the people driving meaningful change across the apparel and textile industry.
The event opened with a ribbon cutting led by Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, who underscored ISAIC’s role in shaping the city’s future:
“ISAIC is where talent meets opportunity. Textiles and apparel manufacturing is an industry with strong potential for growth in our city and this expanded space reflects that. It means more Detroiters will have access to training, technology and the equipment that they need whether they're looking for a job, building a business or growing in their own craft. This is a place where people can prepare for careers in manufacturing apparel or take that leap into entrepreneurship. And beyond that, ISAIC continues to position Detroit to become a national hub for apparel manufacturing, attracting people from across the country.”
Detroit Mayor, Mary Sheffield, conducts the official ribbon cutting ceremony with ISAIC President + CEO, Jennifer Guarino
ISAIC Honors has become a platform for elevating the often-unrecognized pioneers shaping a more ethical, sustainable, and resilient future for fashion. This year’s ceremony brought together leaders from across the country for an evening grounded in recognition, collaboration, and forward-looking ideas.
Reflecting on the significance of both the event and the new space, ISAIC CEO and President Jen Guarino shared:
"This year feels just really, really beautiful to us. We're not only celebrating the history of leaders tonight but also this new space that is open to Detroiters. We're going to provide access to everything we do to Detroiters. We're going to create a lot more hands-on opportunities for training for job seekers, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals all through. With this extension, we're able to serve more people, grow programs, and strengthen our role as a national hub for innovation, skill, and the workplace culture."
The 2026 ISAIC Honors Award recipients reflect the breadth and impact of leadership across the industry:
Manufacturer of the Year: Eduardo Dominguez, Goodwill Industries of South Florida
Champion of the Year: Molly Hemstreet, Industrial Commons
Innovator of the Year: Dustin White, LAB Denim
Future Leader of the Year: Tiffany Radon, Carhartt
Alumni of the Year: Majesty Hope Bland, Majesty Hope
The evening itself was as dynamic as the honorees, featuring a cocktail reception, live entertainment, and interactive showcases from local and national partners highlighting cutting-edge technologies and emerging talent shaping the future of apparel manufacturing.
A live fundraising moment further amplified the night’s impact, surpassing ISAIC’s $25,000 goal. These funds will directly support expanded access to equipment, global expertise, extended building hours, and programming in the new space for 50 community members—removing barriers and creating meaningful pathways into workforce development.
One of the evening’s most powerful moments came during the presentation of the Innovator of the Year award to LAB Denim. Accepting the honor, Dustin White spoke to the decades of work behind the company’s breakthrough in sustainable textile processing:
“I accept it on behalf of the team at Lab Denim. This is the result of 30 years in the biochemistry industry trying to figure out how to do two things: convert the textile industry from petrochemicals to biochemicals and convert it from analog to digital. And it's those two things working together that's unlocked this incredible chemistry, this incredible technology that truly will allow us to bring the colorization and the finishing of textiles to the United States, to Europe. For over a century, every textile with color, especially cellulosic fiber, has required intensive chemical processing and large amounts of water. This technology eliminates 100% of the water needed, meaning you can literally make textiles in the desert. But this doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s only possible with organizations like ISAIC and companies like Tukatech, bringing together innovation, design, cutting, and sewing. When you connect all those pieces, you open the door for young people from any background to enter this industry, create great products, and succeed. Without innovation centers like this, where would they access these opportunities? I’m incredibly grateful to be part of it and to be here tonight.”
Dustin White accepts Innovator of the Year award on stage
Beyond celebration, the event also marked the formal introduction of ISAIC’s expanded facility and its co-location with the College for Creative Studies, an intentional move designed to bridge design education and advanced manufacturing. In a first-of-its-kind model, ISAIC now shares space with CCS’s fashion program, immersing students directly in a real-world production environment.
The impact of this collaboration was immediate. The following day, CCS fashion students presented their final-year collections within the ISAIC space, demonstrating not only their creative vision but a tangible pathway from concept to production. This integrated approach begins to address one of the industry’s most persistent challenges, closing the gap between design and manufacturing, while establishing a new model where students can develop viable routes to production from the outset.
Co-hosted by SPESA (The Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas), the evening also reinforced the importance of industry-wide collaboration in building more sustainable and resilient manufacturing systems.
As ISAIC continues to grow, ISAIC Honors is emerging as a nationally recognized platform for celebrating excellence, innovation, and the people moving the industry forward.
From sponsors and volunteers to honorees and attendees, the evening was made possible by a community committed to progress—an energy that will continue to shape ISAIC’s work in Detroit and beyond.
To see all photos from the event, click here.
To see all Photo Booth photos from the event, click here.