Title: Restoring Dignity
manufacturing parts.”
Author: Edward Brown
Forest discovered a lack of local retail options for folks who wanted to support safe and well-paying garment factories, so she decided to create her own.
Photo Credit: Erin Stetson Throughout her adolescence, Meghan Forest stayed up to date with fashion trends, not as a means of touting her fashionista clout but rather as a way of helping her friends or perfect strangers find their own voice through personalized clothing. Meghan’s interest in fashion “started when I was in middle school,” she recalled. “I was fascinated by how people dressed. I started picking up fashion magazines. One year at summer camp, all the girls wanted to dress cutely. We were talking and trying to figure out what to wear. I realized I can help people decide what to wear. I liked helping people.”
After an initial Kickstarter campaign raised $62,000, Forest moved into her current location on Fort Worth’s South Side. The Bright Factory founder is still fundraising for her for-profit venture that aims to begin releasing ethically made T-shirts this spring. Purchasing all the equipment needed to cut and sew the shirts is a big undertaking, so Forest and her team plan to begin selling shirts that are made off-site by a trusted company for the initial run. By selling blank tees, Forest will provide the option of sourcing shirts that can then be customized by individual businesses. Rather than competing with retailers, Forest aims to collaborate.
Re storing Dignity
The founder of The Bright Factory, a new clothing manufacturing factory, finally found her niche in the garment industry. By the spring of 2023, her Fort Worth-based startup will begin fabricating T-shirts for distribution here and across the country. The materials will be ethically sourced, and The Bright Factory will be staffed by formerly incarcerated women.
Forest’s journey to becoming a missionminded entrepreneur began in the mainstream fashion world. After graduating in 2014 from the University of North Texas with a degree in fashion merchandising, the aspiring stylist — a job that entails curating clothing for models — interned for Throughoutstylist her adolescence, Meghan Forest Dallas-based Jeanette Chivvis. Farmer stayed up to date with fashion trends, as ato means herintern fashionista clout “I not started work of fortouting her as an and then but rather as a way of helping her friends assistant,” Forest recalled. “That job trainedor me on perfect strangers find their own voice through how commercials and fashion shows work and how clothing. to personalized work with models. It was a fun experience.”
“From a marketing aspect, people like missional things,” Farmer said, referring to the perks stores can enjoy when printing on The Bright Factory shirts and products.
Another important component of The Bright Factory’s work is the employing of women who have been released from jail or prison. Farmer’s time volunteering in jails brought her into close contact Edward Brown with many womenbywho are determined to turn their photo by Erin Stetson lives around.
“Visiting people in jail is so sobering and hard,” she said. “These ladies have so much hope. A lot of them discussed how they wanted to get a job and businesses offered employees a safe working support theirthat kids. They had a lot more hope than environment and livable wages. I expected. I realized that it is not that easy to find a job when you are incarcerated. Either you have a “I hadon already seen some of the felony your record, or you havenot-so-good had a large parts gap [of the clothing industry],” she said. “The clothes in your work history.” that I was purchasing at Target contributed to [thoseshe types of tragedies]. a blind While hasn’t had to dealI couldn’t with the turn consequences Meghan’s interest in fashion “started when I was in eye. I changed the way I shopped… If it was a Her next job was as a stylist for Neiman Marcus, of a criminal record, Farmer said she, like many middle school,” she recalled. “I was fascinated by new product, I would email the company and where she worked until 2019 before working as a people, knows what it is like to make a mistakelook how people dressed. I started picking up fashion for transparency on their websites. There work are a for lot freelance stylist. and be given a second chance. Providing magazines. One year at summer camp, all the more [ethically-minded clothing stores now], but these women will hopefully restore a semblance ofit girls wanted to dress cutely. We were talking and was hard findLike at the time.” factories in “third“It was a corporate environment,” she said. “There dignity to to them. in garment trying to fi gure out what to wear. I realized I can were certain rules to follow, like never blending world” countries, life can be undignified and even help people decide wear. had I liked Friends noticed change in wardrobe and competing brands. Thewhat endto photos to helping go on a dangerous for theMeghan’s women who create textiles and people.” would ask where she shopped. That prompted website.” clothes in the United States, Farmer said. That is conversations ethicallyand sustainably-sourced something Theon Bright Factory aims to change. The founder of The Bright Factory, a new clothing clothing, but she noticed most people were unable In 2019, Forest learned about the 2012 Dhaka manufacturing factory, fi nally found her niche in the or unwilling to do the extensive research needed garment factory disaster. A fire swept through a Farmer’s business plan allows for expansion and garment industry. By the spring of 2023, her Fort to vet businesses on their working conditions. T-shirt factory, killing at least 117. The deadly fire growth. For the next several months, though, Worth-based will basic beginsafety fabricating T-shirts and subsequentstartup news that protocols she will be focused on hiring and maintaining 10 for distribution here and across the country. The “Most consumers don’t how were not followed brought the working conditions employees who have fewconsider prospects formany gainful work. materials will be ethically sourced, and The Bright industries our shirts touch,” Meghan said. “I had of clothing factories to international attention. Factory staffedprompted by formerly gotten good with at thelocal end-game Forest saidwill thebe tragedy herincarcerated to buy clothes “We arereally partnering nonprofistyling ts andof women. solely from businesses that offered employees a safe working environment Meghan’s journey to becoming a and livable wages. mission-minded entrepreneur began in“Ithe mainstream fashion had already seen someworld. of the After graduating in 2014 from the not-so-good parts [of the clothing Universityshe of said. North“The Texas with athat industry],” clothes degree in fashion merchandising, I was purchasing at Target contributed aspiring — a job Ithat to the [those typesstylist of tragedies]. couldn’t entails curating clothing turn a blind eye. I changedfor themodels way I — interned Dallas-based stylistI shopped… If itfor was a new product, Jeanette would emailChivvis. the company and look for transparency on their websites. There to [ethical-minded work for her as an are“Iastarted lot more clothing intern and then stores now], but it assistant,” was hard toMeghan find at therecalled. time.” “That job trained me on how commercials and fashion shows work and noticed how to work with models. It Friends Forest’s change was a fun experience.” in wardrobe and would ask where she shopped. That prompted conversations nextand job sustainably was as a stylist for Neiman Marcus, fashion, but I who had not dived into the designing onHer ethical sourced clothing, organizations are already in that space of or where she worked until 2019 before working as a manufacturing parts.” but Forest noticed most people were unable or walking alongside women who are coming out of freelance unwilling to stylist. do the extensive research needed to vet jail and prison,” Farmer said. “We will go through a Meghan discovered a lack localladies retail feel options for businesses on their working conditions. hiring process to make sureof these ready “It was a corporate environment,” she said. “There –folks who wanted to support safe and well-paying mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically. wereconsumers certain rules to follow, likehow never blending garment so she to create “Most don’t consider many When youfactories, are working withdecided populations who her have competing brands. The end photos had to go on a own. industries our shirts touch,” Forest said. “I had had promises made [to them] and broken, you want website.” gotten really good at the end-game styling of to be careful. We want to restore dignity through After an initial Kickstarter campaign raised fashion, but I had not dived into the designing or that job.” In 2019, Meghan learned about the 2013 Rana $62,000, Meghan moved into her current location Plaza disaster. An eight-story garment factory on Fort Worth’s South Side. The Bright Factory collapsed, killing 1,134 people. The deadly founder is still fundraising for her for-profit venture collapse and subsequent news that basic safety that aims to begin releasing ethically-made T-shirts protocols were blatantly ignored brought this spring. Purchasing all the equipment needed the working conditions of clothing factories to cut and sew the shirts is a big undertaking, so to international attention. Meghan said the Meghan and her team plan to begin selling shirts tragedy prompted her to buy clothes solely from that are made off-site by a trusted company for
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the initial run. By selling blank tees, Meghan will provide the option of sourcing shirts that can then be customized by individual businesses. Rather than competing with retailers, Meghan aims to collaborate. “From a marketing aspect, people like missional things,” Meghan said, referring to the perks stores can enjoy when printing on The Bright Factory shirts and products. Another important component of The Bright Factory’s work is the employing of women who have been released from jail or prison. Meghan’s time volunteering in jails brought her into close contact with many women who are determined to turn their lives around. “Visiting people in jail is so sobering and hard,” she said. “These ladies have so much hope. A lot of them discussed how they wanted to get a job and support their kids. They had a lot more hope than I expected. I realized that it is not that easy to find a job when you are incarcerated. Either you have a felony on your record, or you have had a large gap in your work history.”
I had gotten really good at the end-game styling of fashion, but I had not dived into the designing or manufacturing parts.
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While she hasn’t had to deal with the consequences of a criminal record, Meghan said she, like many people, knows what it is like to make a mistake and be given a second chance. Providing work for these women will hopefully restore a semblance of dignity to them. Like in garment factories in “third-world” countries, life can be undignified and even dangerous for the women who create textiles and clothes in the United States, Meghan said. That is something The Bright Factory aims to change.
Meghan's business plan allows for expansion and growth. For the next several months, though, she will be focused on hiring and maintaining 10 employees who have few prospects for gainful work. “We are partnering with local nonprofits and organizations who are already in that space of walking alongside women who are coming out of jail and prison,” Meghan said. “We will go through a hiring process to make sure these ladies feel ready – mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. When you are working with populations who have had promises made [to them] and broken, you want to be careful. We want to restore dignity through that job.”