SEATTLE — May 22, 2012 — On May 10th 2012 longtime Seattle fashion industry advocate Steven Paul
Matsumoto spoke to an audience of industry leaders, government officials, and small business owners
at the Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce’s annual State of Style Advocacy Day on the
Hill. Held at the Rayburn House Office Building, the panel discussed President Obama’s small
business agenda, the importance of incubators to revitalizing the creative economy, the American
Textile Technology Innovation and Research for Exportation (ATTIRE) Act H.R. 2275, and the Small
Business Lending Enhancement Act of 2011 H.R. 1418/S.509.
“It was an honor to be asked to participate in the panel, and bring national attention to
Seattle’s fashion and apparel industry,” says Mr. Matsumoto, “We are actively working with the
Department of Commerce on educational and advocacy issues related to the industry. We’re pleased to
announce that they will be presenting a seminar on ‘Getting Your Business Export Ready’ at Seattle
International Textile Expo in the fall.”
The “American Textile Technology Innovation and Research for Exportation (ATTIRE) Act”
establishes a grant program to fund textile research and innovation in the U.S. textile and fiber
products industry and to promote increased U.S. textile exports. Entities eligible for
funding would be institutions of higher education, like Washington State University’s school of
Apparel, Merchandising, Design & Textiles, and not-for-profit research institutions, including
not-for-profit industry associations whose mission is to support textile research and innovation.
Currently, credit unions are required to limit member business lending to 12.25 percent of
the credit union’s total assets. The Small Business Lending Enhancement Act amends the
Federal Credit Union Act by raising that cap to 27.5 percent of total assets, and increasing the
minimum business loan subject to the cap from $50,000 to $250,000. This measure makes capital
more accessible and makes it a little easier for future business owners to achieve the promise of
America.
The distinguished panel of industry leaders moderated by Lauren Rothman, Huffington Post
Contributing Style Editor also included:
- Janet E. Heinzen, Director Office of Textiles and Apparel, US Department of Commerce
- James V. Hunter, Legislative Aide, Representative David Price (D-NC)
- Jacqueline B. West, Field Operations Specialist, Office of Field Operations, Small Business
Administration - Adriana Pavon, Co-Founder, Detroit Fashion Collective
In addition to providing an educational opportunity to learn about the fashion industry and
the policies that shape decisions the panel urged those in attendance to be a part of change by
voicing their support of both H.R. 2275 and H.R. 1418/S.509 to their congressional leaders.
Christine Brooks-Cropper, President of the Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce, also
announced the formation of a National Coalition of Fashion Incubators at the event. Among the
initial 13 founding member incubators is Seattle Fashion Incubator, of which Mr. Matsumoto is a
co-founder. The coalition will pool resources to support its members, and provide a unified
voice of advocacy on Capitol Hill.
We would like to thank Congressman Jim McDermott’s office for taking time to meet with Mr.
Matsumoto to discuss these important issues for the industry in Seattle, and across the nation.
Posted on May 22, 2012
Source: Shows Northwest LLC
