Detroit retailer offers 10,000 dollar award to sustainable local designer

Eugenie, an elevated boutique for sustainable fashion located in the West Village neighborhood of Detroit, was founded in 2020 by wife-husband duo Gretchen R Valade and Kevin Steen, the latter also a founder of Rathaus Production company. This month the couple announced that they are combining their fashion and film powers to award Detroit-based designers and creatives with two individual $10,000 grants. The Eugenie and Rathaus grants will each have one winner who will be awarded financial compensation to pursue a proposed project when the application process closes on November 10, 2023.

Eugenie's thoughtfully curated selection of clothing, accessories, jewelry, fragrances, and home goods includes brands such as Hope for Flowers by Detroit native Tracy Reese, as well as Alabama Chanin, 7115 by Szeki, and Wol Hide, among other independent designers celebrated for their craftsmanship and style. The store's assortment is both super-local and international, influenced by Valade’s early career and love of her hometown. During the summer, FashionUnited spoke to Valade about her mission to position Eugenie as a new paradigm for the fashion experience guided by the sentiment of appreciation over consumption, with clothing as a tool to connect with the earth and cultivate a new sense of identity. She described how Eugenie works to elevate local designers through monthly pop-ups, workshops, collaborations, and community outreach, so the news of the designer grant seems a natural next step in her mission.

“Having that Detroit community mindset, but having lived in other cities before coming back home, I personally felt we should not be compelled to leave the city to shop for great product,” Valade told us. “I also wanted to be able to tell a story around what individual brands are doing because I realized that many of those I connect with most also happen to be sustainable. So when I knew I was going to open a retail store, I knew it had to be purposeful and intentional. The guidelines were set for having everything be environmentally and socially responsible.” While brands often approach her, Valade researches and reaches out to brands she admires, and the conversation always starts with their approach to sustainability.

Eugenie, the local store that spotlights global brands through a Detroit lens

“Often Detroit retail stores focus on and celebrate Detroit, which they should, because there's like a lot to celebrate here,” said Valade. “But we do it in different ways. The local brands we carry want that global perspective. So we have products from everywhere, from New York, LA, Alabama, but also we have a lot of Spanish, some French and quite a few Australian and New Zealand brands.”

The grant, however, designed in tandem with Rathaus - which has offices in Brooklyn and Detroit for creating progressive films, branded content, and music videos - is for homegrown applicants only. Sharing Eugenie’s community-values, Rathaus is dedicated to telling bold stories that create positive change, and offers the grants with the aim of inspiring and amplifying local talent, fueling local artistry and innovation.

“This grant represents our shared commitment to the power of sustainable fashion and visual arts to drive social and environmental reform,” Valade said. “We look forward to supporting Detroit’s visionaries and witnessing the transformative projects that will emerge from this call.”

The grants will provide funding for project development and/or production, enabling the two recipients to bring their visions to fruition and make a lasting impact on their respective industries with environmental responsibility and social impact. Both applications require the submission of a project summary with visual references reflective of the project. Finalists will be decided by a panel of judges, and in the case of the Eugenie grant, comprised of notable local fashion industry leaders including Tracy Reese; Jen Guarino formerly of Shinola, now President of the city’s Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center; Roslyn Karamoko, founder and CEO of Détroit is the New Black; and Ben Ewy, Vice President of Global Product Design, Research and Development at Carhartt. The Rathaus grant applicants will be judged by renowned filmmakers and members of the Rathaus Film collective.  Interested individuals are encouraged to visit Eugenie’s and Rathaus’s websites respectively for more information, eligibility criteria and application details.

“I think Detroit's really interesting right now,” said Valade. “Brands like to have a presence in the city.” And with this latest investment in local talent she clearly intends to keep her city interesting.