Threads of Change: How Detroit is Leading the Future of Sustainable Fashion
Detroit is combating landfills one garment at a time. Learn how the region is emerging as a quiet but mighty global epicenter for climate resilience, transforming fast fashion and soft goods through new manufacturing technologies, processes and talent.
As part of the University of Michigan's Climate Week 2026, the U-M Center for Innovation in Detroit (UMCI) will bring together leaders from industry and Detroit’s innovation ecosystem for a conversation about sustainability and innovation in the soft goods industry. The panel will explore how companies are rethinking materials, manufacturing and design across industries including apparel, footwear, protective equipment, uniforms, interiors and other textile-based products – and how innovation can help create a more sustainable future.
Program Details:
September 29, 2026
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Meet the Panelists
Norihiko (Nori) Taniguchi
CEO, ASICS Institute for Sport Science America
Co-Director, ASICS x Michigan Sport Innovation Center
Nori moved from Kobe, Japan to Ann Arbor to co-direct the ASICS x Michigan Sport Innovation Center (AMSI) with Ken Kozloff. Nori is an engineer and researcher specializing in carbon fiber composites and thermoplastic epoxy resins. With a Ph.D. in engineering, his work focuses on the mechanical behavior of advanced composite materials, particularly under dynamic loading conditions. He has contributed to the development of high-performance materials for applications in sports science, automotive, and aerospace engineering. Nori’s wife Keiko and 2 college-age children live in Kobe.
Gretchen Valade
Director of Sustainability, Carhartt
Representing the fifth generation of Carhartt, Gretchen R. Valade currently leads Wylie Welling, a Carhartt vintage studio based in Detroit that she launched in 2026, after developing a deep understanding of the industry, from consumer insights to product conception, from garment creation to product delivery.
Valade’s most recent projects include leading the Carhartt Sustainability team for the past 6+ years, development and launch of Carhartt Reworked, Carhartt’s branded resale channel (2022) and Carhartt’s Repair program (2021), both of which are dedicated to extending the life of Carhartt workwear and reducing clothing waste. In 2020, Gretchen worked to launch the Carhartt Workshop, a community space offering a free tool lending library and free community meeting spaces, located on the floor above Carhartt’s flagship store in Detroit.
Valade also owns eugenie, a fashion boutique based in Detroit and in 2021, she was featured in Crain’s Detroit’s 40 under 40.
Josh York
Founder, Soft Goods
Josh is the founder of Soft Goods knitwear factory and brand in Corktown, Detroit. After leaving a production role at Abercrombie & Fitch in 2017, he is a self-taught production sewer and has bootstrapped the operation over the past 9 years. He is also co-founder of luxury menswear brand, Aaron Levine.
Facilitator
Jen Guarino
President, CEO, Co-Founder, Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center
Jen Guarino, CEO, Co-Founder, and President of the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC), is leading the shift toward more sustainable and responsible supply chains. Based in Detroit, ISAIC is a national institute working to transform domestic manufacturing and advance human-centered, practical solutions across the $2 trillion global apparel and textile industry. Jen is a passionate advocate for quality domestic manufacturing and for restoring the value of skilled trades and the people behind them.