Grantee Database
Oakland Style Lab
Grant Year
2026-27
Grant Program
General Operating Support
Award Amount
$30,000.00
Project Description
With support from the California Arts Council, Oakland Style Lab will provide part-time staff salaries for our small but mighty team of co-leaders to sustain and grow Oakland Style Lab’s fashion justice programming, which serves hundreds of youth and adults across the Bay Area. What started 5 years ago as a one week summer camp to fill the void of affordable fashion arts programs in Oakland, has grown into a robust sustainable fashion hub. Rooted in the intersecting injustices facing our communities, we’ve built a groundbreaking program that reduces textile waste, supports designers of color and others historically excluded from fashion spaces, and cultivates a network of justice-focused fashion artists. Funding the staff that makes it all happen will ensure we can strengthen our organizational capacity and expand our programs to reach more people.
Organization Summary
Olivia Cueva and Jeff Perlstein co-founded Oakland Style Lab in 2021 to connect existing, emerging, and aspiring fashion designers, while centering sustainable practices and racial and economic justice. We teach all aspects of fashion arts and design to boost the technical and entrepreneurial development of historically under-resourced communities for success in the growing creative workforce. We offer no/low-cost classes and workshops in sewing, mending, fashion design, patterning, sneaker repair and resoling, upcycling, biotextile production, and much more. We also produce dynamic events to inspire and educate the public about fashion waste and regenerative practices, including upcycling fashion shows, maker mixers, and gallery exhibits. We provide affordable workspace, gear, and materials to increase community access to knowledge and practices.
Organization
Oakland Style Lab
Address
302 12th Street
Oakland
94607
County
Alameda
Region
Bay Area – Other
