When brothers Justin, Troy, and Deontae McKinstry founded Kopa Apparel in 2014, they set out to build more than a streetwear brand.
Rooted in Detroit, Kopa was created around the idea that fashion could serve as both cultural expression and a vehicle for positive change. The company embraced sustainable practices from the beginning, repurposing vintage garments and working within a circular economy model that emphasized responsible production and thoughtful consumption.
JUSTIN, TROY AND DEONTAI MCKINSTRY
Turning that vision into a growing business required creativity, persistence, and access to resources that many emerging apparel entrepreneurs struggle to find.
That challenge is familiar to designers across the industry. Moving from an idea to a finished product often requires technical expertise, manufacturing knowledge, specialized equipment, and trusted partners – resources that can be difficult to access for small and growing brands.
ISAIC was created to help bridge that gap.
While headquartered in Detroit, the organization operates with a national perspective, combining industry-wide manufacturing expertise with hands-on support for local designers, entrepreneurs and brands. Through workforce development, technical training and production support, ISAIC helps connect emerging companies with the knowledge and resources needed to bring products to market.
Earlier this year, Kopa was selected as one of the recipients of ISAIC’s 2025 Design2Manufacturing grant program, an initiative designed to help emerging apparel companies move from concept to production through financial support, mentorship, and manufacturing resources.
For Justin McKinstry, Kopa’s Co-Owner and Head of Operations, the recognition represented more than a grant.
ISAIC
“It validated the design effort, the business effort, and the vision behind what we’re building,” he says.
The grant will support Kopa’s upcoming collection while also connecting the company to ISAIC’s broader network of expertise and production resources.
“ISAIC heard what we wanted to do and helped break it down into something actionable,” McKinstry says. “They understand both the creative side and the manufacturing side.”
In many ways, Kopa represents the type of company ISAIC hopes to support: a Detroit-grown brand combining creativity, entrepreneurship, and a commitment to responsible manufacturing.
For Jennifer Guarino, ISAIC’s President, CEO, and Co-Founder, helping entrepreneurs navigate the space between design and manufacturing remains one of the organization’s most important roles.
“There are a lot of people who know how to design a product, but very few who understand how to design for manufacturing,” Guarino says.
The distinction can determine whether an idea becomes a viable business.
Successful apparel production requires far more than a strong design concept. Entrepreneurs must understand sourcing, pattern development, production methods, costing, and quality control – areas Guarino says are rarely covered in traditional design education.
Through workforce development programs, consulting services, open lab access, production support, and initiatives like the Design2Manufacturing grant, ISAIC provides resources that help designers move from concept to execution.
“We want to be the place where people can come with an idea, a challenge, or a question and know there’s someone here who can help them figure out the next step,” Guarino says.
PINGREE TEAM
The goal extends beyond supporting individual companies. ISAIC is working to build the infrastructure necessary for a stronger apparel ecosystem in Detroit – one where designers, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs have access to the tools and expertise needed to grow sustainable businesses.
Detroit has long been recognized as a city of makers. ISAIC’s mission is to ensure that identity continues to evolve.
“We want people to recognize that innovation and manufacturing can happen across industries beyond automotive, including apparel,” she says.
Pingree Detroit is another example of how collaboration can help local businesses grow.
Founded by Jarrett Schlaff, Pingree has built a reputation for handcrafted leather goods while emphasizing local production, workforce development, and social impact. Along the way, the company has worked closely with ISAIC on projects, manufacturing initiatives, and workforce training efforts.
Schlaff says collaboration has become one of Detroit’s greatest competitive advantages.
“We’re greater together than we are apart,” he says.
That philosophy extends well beyond apparel. Schlaff believes Detroit’s creative community has developed a culture that encourages people to share knowledge, build relationships, and solve problems collectively.
“The creative space in Detroit is rooted in collaboration and in genuinely trying to solve complex problems by looking at them from different angles,” he says.
That mindset creates an environment where emerging brands can access support that would otherwise be difficult to find.
Pingree says the relationship with ISAIC has delivered both practical and intangible benefits.
“They helped create capacity we couldn’t have built alone,” he says. “But they also helped create community.”
The impact of that community can be seen in companies like Kopa.
McKinstry’s relationship with ISAIC stretches back years. Before growing Kopa into the company it is today, he spent time learning and developing skills within ISAIC’s ecosystem, experiences that helped shape both his professional development and the brand’s trajectory.
Today, he sees the organization as an important part of Detroit’s creative infrastructure.
“It feels like home,” he says.
ISAIC is helping build the relationships and resources that allow Detroit’s apparel community to grow. Designers gain access to technical expertise. Entrepreneurs find guidance. Manufacturers connect with emerging brands. Established companies share knowledge with the next generation of creators.
Together, those relationships help strengthen an ecosystem that benefits everyone involved.
For the McKinstry brothers, the Design2Manufacturing grant represents another step forward in a journey that began with a vision for a different kind of apparel company – one rooted in sustainability, culture, and community.
For Detroit, it represents something larger.
As organizations like ISAIC continue investing in local talent and manufacturing infrastructure, they are helping create pathways for creative businesses to start, grow, and scale without leaving the city.
Schlaff believes those efforts are helping shape Detroit’s next chapter.
“People are proving that Detroit is a lot more than automotive,” he says. “That chapter is part of our DNA, but it’s creatives, artists, engineers, organizers, and entrepreneurs who are writing what comes next.”
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