Economic Development
GWFCC will help DC, MD, and VA fashion designers, businesses, students, educators, and entrepreneurs leverage their creativity and businesses to advance economic development in the region and help the cities to identify and leverage resources that can be transformed into actualized revenue and jobs.

Workforce Intermediary Liaison
GWFCC helps its members to promote their business development and growth in the District by recruiting businesses that could bring work opportunities to Washington, providing assistance to start-up companies and helping existing businesses form mutually beneficial networks and avenues for cross-fertilization and connecting local businesses with qualified employees in the fashion sector, including designers, retail staff, and manufacturing workers.

Government Affairs
GWFCC alerts its members to government laws, regulations foreign and domestic administrative and trade policies and procedures that will have an impact on the fashion industry. GWFCC also creates advocacy and outreach campaigns to encourage members to engage their elected representatives on the issues that impact them, and advocates for the creation of fashion-and small business-friendly policies and legislation. GWFCC will work in tandem with the Commission on Fashion Arts and Events

International Development
GWFCC will work with the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Commerce, ambassadors and other national and international executives to plan meaningful trade and reverse-trade missions. The purpose of these missions would be to create opportunities for members and sponsors to expand their reach globally; help our constituents learn new practices; create valuable trade and business alliances; encourage international fashion businesses to consider D.C. as prime location for their U.S based headquarters; and would also encourage other international associations to host their international conferences in DC; educate the industry of the global ethical fashion movement; and create foreign suppliers and manufacturing relationships

Marketing & Communications
GWFCC promotes the Greater Washington area as a destination via advertising, media relations & promotions. This includes maintaining the GWFCC website, producing fashion guides, sponsoring events and producing print and electronic newsletters.

Technical Assistance and Consulting Services
Serves as the preeminent fashion think-tank by commissioning major reports & surveys, Offers limited fashion consulting services to individuals & organizations based on their areas of expertise, such as fashion needs assessments, program development or sponsorship development

Economic Development Initiatives:

Fashion BID/District

To increase the frequency and duration of business visits/tourism to DC, unique communities need to be created, “The Fashion District” which will be comprised of fashion designers, fashion retailers, textile suppliers and apparel manufacturers. To accomplish, programs are needed to improve the district's appearance, safety and revitalize a neighborhood and to make DC a world-class city for Fashion (a unique street/corridor something DC does not have, will add value to DC’s landscape.

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Fashion Marketing/Branding Initiative

GWFCC will launch innovative marketing tools that highlight Washington, DC as a serious destination for high-fashion shopping. Commissioned marketing items would include an official fashion/retail website, fashion survey/needs assessment, fashion ads and media promotion, a fashion/retail resource guide (annual), a fashion business video/look book and a quarterly newsletter that highlights boutiques, local designers and employment and educational opportunities within fashion and retail.

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Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce (GWFCC) Launches the first ever “Fashion Census” in Washington, DC

February 2009 (Washington, DC).  GWFCC is pleased to announce the creation of a new initiative called the “Fashion Census”.  The Fashion Census is the first market research study of its kind that will attempt to accurately survey the needs of the Fashion and Retail industry in Washington, DC.  By launching this survey, GWFCC aims to gauge the size of the industry and identify the resources that are needed to support this emerging creative economy. The survey will be launched in mid-February and there will be a formal launching of the “Census” at the next GWFCC sponsored Fashion Hour on February 18th, 2009.  For more information about the initiative or to be notified when the survey is launched, please visit http://gwfcc.org or send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to be added to the listserv.

The GWFCC is a 501c6 membership-based organization that is dedicated to growing, strengthening, and promoting the local Fashion and Retail Industry in Washington, DC.