Sustainable Fashion Wins Big at Rev-Up MKE
Small business competition winner lands cash, consulting and retail space for her up-cycling focused brand.
Christina Lopez-Prado of Casita Prado. Photo Credits: OH Snap! By Shell Photography.
Christina Lopez-Prado was announced as the first-place winner of Near West Side Partners‘ annual Rev-Up MKE small business competition on Wednesday night, in front of an audience of supporters, community members and other finalists.
Lopez-Prado is the founder of Casita Prado, an apparel company that produces small-batch children’s streetwear with reclaimed deadstock fabrics. With fashion designed in Milwaukee and manufactured in the Midwest, the company’s modus operandi is upcycling, recirculation and environmental sustainability.
As the first-place winner, Casita Prado will receive $5,000 in cash; business coaching and consulting services; and a three- to six-month complimentary lease in a retail space at Concordia 27, 809 N. 27th St.
“This is such a big opportunity for us … we can now build our headquarters and have our inventory, operations and retail all under one roof,” Lopez-Prado told Urban Milwaukee. “But ultimately, this is an opportunity for us to give back to the community.”
Casita Prado hosts fashion education workshops for youths to connect and learn about sewing, fashion and art. “We reduce waste while showing the next generation that creativity and sustainability can go hand in hand,” reads the business’ website.
Lopez-Prado said she will use the support from Rev-Up MKE to expand youth programming, build organizational capacity and further champion local artists. She hopes to launch a workshop centered on Día de los Muertos and host a fashion show in the near future.
Casita means “little house” in English, and the name Prado comes from Lopez-Prado’s grandmother, who immigrated to the United States from Ecuador. Lopez-Prado said winning the competition as a Latino-owned brand during Hispanic Heritage Month is especially rewarding.
Lopez-Prado told the Rev-Up MKE audience that she worked as a fashion designer in corporate fashion for several years before being laid off shortly after returning from maternity leave. She said she has seen firsthand how corporate fashion systems produce massive amounts of waste. For her, Casita Prado is a way to produce and engage with intentional, sustainable fashion.
Each year, Rev-Up MKE offers the competition’s finalists an opportunity to present their businesses to the community expo-style before the winners are announced. The event allows them to interact with potential customers, make business connections and form relationships with their fellow entrepreneurs.
Arts as an Outlet Wisconsin was named the runner-up and will receive $1,500 in cash and a six-month Fruition MKE co-working membership.
Brilliantaires Inc. was named the “Audience Choice” winner and will receive $500 in cash and a three- to six-month Fruition MKE co-working membership.
Jivana Wellness received the Jones Family Foundation Emerging Venture Award and $1,000.
“Nine years in, Rev-Up MKE keeps showing what’s possible when a community puts real resources behind real entrepreneurs,” said Lindsey St. Arnold Bell, executive director of the Near West Side Partners.
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