The New York Fashion Innovation Center (NYFIC) has awarded $120,000 in its fourth grant round, giving $10,000 each to 12 projects that turn New York-grown wool, flax, hemp fiber and agricultural byproducts into usable textile materials. Recipients include Brooklyn startups Cellsense and MushLume Lighting, Syracuse University researchers and Bronx Fashion NYC.
Key Takeaways
- Brooklyn-based Cellsense will produce two commercial capsule collections using compostable beads and embellishments made from algae and cellulose.
- MushLume Lighting, also in Brooklyn, will develop a compostable acoustic wall system built from mycelium, hemp fiber, regenerative wool and in-state agricultural byproducts.
- Syracuse University researchers Li Jiang and Lihong Lao will convert low-grade wool into BioWool batting and liners for quilted garments and bags.
- With this class, the New York Fashion Innovation Center has supported 36 projects since its first awards in September 2024.
- Round five, the final scheduled round of $10,000 grants, opens October 30, 2026, and closes January 6, 2027.
Brooklyn Founders Target Plastic in Sequins and Interiors
Two of the New York Fashion Innovation Center’s most visible fourth-round awards go to Brooklyn companies working on the same problem from different directions: replacing petroleum-based materials in products people see every day.
Cellsense, founded by Aradhita Parasrampuria, is positioning its algae-and-cellulose beads as plastic-free alternatives to conventional sequins and beading. Embellishment is one of fashion’s stubborn plastic problems. Sequins shed, resist recycling and rarely appear in sustainability conversations that focus on fabric. The grant will fund two commercial capsule collections, a step beyond lab samples and toward garments a buyer could place on a rack.
MushLume Lighting takes the idea into interior design. The company will build and test a compostable acoustic wall system that combines mycelium, the root structure of fungi, with industrial hemp fiber, regenerative wool and agricultural byproducts sourced within New York State. Acoustic panels are a practical fit for a city of open-plan offices, restaurants and apartments with thin walls, and a compostable version offers designers an end-of-life option that foam panels lack.
Upstate Farms and Researchers Rebuild the Regional Wool Supply Chain
The New York Fashion Innovation Center’s fourth round leans heavily on wool, a fiber New York farms produce but struggle to sell into fashion and home goods. Low-grade fleece often goes unused because it is too coarse for apparel yarn and there are few regional processors equipped to handle it.
At Syracuse University, Li Jiang and Lihong Lao aim to change that equation by turning low-grade wool into BioWool batting and liners for quilted garments and bags. On Long Island, Hog Farm plans to connect local growers with home-textile production, while Mama Farm will launch a farm-to-fiber program for fashion and textile students. The round also funds a study of the barriers that keep more New York wool out of the textile supply chain, research that could shape where future investment goes.
Plant fibers get attention too. Adrienne Carlile of Flax Fiber Farm in Cochecton plans to adapt small-scale mill equipment to spin flax and industrial hemp grown in the state, with a goal of four prototype bast-fiber yarns. Bast fibers come from plant stalks and have long been used for linen and rope, but New York currently has limited equipment to spin them at scale.
Bronx Fashion NYC and Community Sewing Programs Expand the Workforce
The New York Fashion Innovation Center is not only funding materials. The fourth round supports an expansion of Bronx Fashion NYC’s youth workforce program and an upcycled apparel and community sewing program from The Bad Juju Design. Both address a gap that material innovation alone cannot fix: New York needs trained people who can cut, sew and produce locally if regional fibers are going to become regional products.
That workforce question connects to how New Yorkers already shop. The city’s appetite for vintage and secondhand fashion shows demand for clothing with a longer life, and upcycling programs turn that demand into skills and small-business opportunities.
A $10,000 Check Comes With Mentorship, an Accelerator and Lab Access
The New York Fashion Innovation Center’s grants are modest on their own, and most funded products remain at the prototype or small-batch stage. The value sits in what comes with the money. Grantees join a cohort with mentorship and sourcing connections, plus a three-month accelerator focused on customer discovery, business planning and go-to-market strategy.
Recipients will also gain access to NYFIC’s textile innovation lab at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which is set to open to the public this fall with equipment for fiber prototyping, testing and product development. For a founder in Brooklyn or a farmer in the Hudson Valley, shared equipment removes one of the costliest early barriers to commercializing a new material.
The center is run by a consortium led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alongside the Fashion Institute of Technology, Hudson Valley Textile Project, SUNY Morrisville, Made X Hudson and The Field to Fiber Company. It is backed by state funding that Governor Kathy Hochul first announced in 2022.
Round Five and New Adaptive Fashion Grants Are Next
The New York Fashion Innovation Center will accept applications for its fifth and final scheduled round of $10,000 Sustainable Textile Innovation Grants from October 30, 2026, through January 6, 2027, with awards expected in early spring 2027. Applicants can choose a General Topic track or a Special Focus track, and NYFIC will host a virtual Q&A on November 9.
A separate program follows in 2027. NYFIC plans to award six Adaptive Fashion Innovation Grants of up to $10,000 for projects that make clothing more accessible and functional for people with disabilities, with applications expected to open in January 2027.
FAQs
What Is the New York Fashion Innovation Center?
The New York Fashion Innovation Center is a state-backed initiative led by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute that connects farmers, researchers, designers and manufacturers to develop sustainable textiles using New York-sourced fibers and biomaterials.
How Much Are NYFIC Grants?
NYFIC grants are worth up to $10,000 per project. The fourth round awarded $10,000 each to 12 projects, totaling $120,000.
Who Can Apply for NYFIC Grants?
New York State-based businesses and organizations can apply, including farmers, researchers, manufacturers, designers, brands, retailers and educators, for projects conducted primarily in New York.
When Does NYFIC Round Five Open?
Round five opens October 30, 2026, and closes January 6, 2027, at 12:00 p.m. ET. Awards are expected in early spring 2027.
