Lenese Griffin

Adjunct Instructor | Fashion Business Management

Business and Liberal Arts Center, Room B320

Education

BFA, Columbia College

Biography

Lenese Calleea Griffin is a fashion industry professional, educator, entrepreneur, and product development specialist with extensive experience spanning apparel design, product development, production, sourcing, costing, and fashion business strategy. A graduate of FIT, Griffin holds a Master’s degree in Global Fashion Management and has built a career connecting creative design with the technical and business processes required to bring products to market. Her professional experience includes product development and costing within the fashion industry, where she works across design, sourcing, manufacturing, vendor management, costing, and production strategy.

Griffin is the founder and CEO of LC Apparel Consulting, a New York–based fashion product development consultancy that supports emerging and established designers in transforming concepts into production-ready products. Through her work, she has guided entrepreneurs through sourcing, patternmaking, sample development, fittings, manufacturing preparation, production management, and the operational realities of building a fashion brand.

As an educator, Griffin brings real-world industry experience directly into the classroom. Her teaching focuses on product development, merchandising, sourcing, supply chain strategy, vendor communication, fashion entrepreneurship, and responsible production. She is passionate about helping students understand not only how the fashion industry operates, but how to think critically, make informed business decisions, and successfully navigate an evolving global marketplace. Her work is rooted in expanding access to fashion industry knowledge and resources, supporting emerging creative talent, and advocating for more responsible and sustainable approaches to product development and manufacturing.

Research Interests

education reform and fashion education — access to industry-relevant education, experiential learning, curriculum development, and bridging the gap between academia and professional practice
diversity, equity, and inclusion in the fashion industry — particularly access, advancement, and entrepreneurship for Black and historically underrepresented fashion professionals
fashion entrepreneurship and small business development — how emerging designers build sustainable businesses, access resources, scale operations, and navigate product development
apparel product development and innovation — evolving product development processes, technology, costing, commercialization, and bringing concepts from design through market
global sourcing and supply chain management — domestic versus international sourcing, vendor relationships, manufacturing strategy, supply-chain transparency, and responsible sourcing
sustainable and ethical fashion production — responsible manufacturing, material sourcing, waste reduction, localized production, and ethical supply-chain practices
domestic manufacturing and the U. S. fashion industry — strengthening American apparel manufacturing, workforce development, and the role of local manufacturing ecosystems such as New York’s Garment District
fashion industry workforce development — preparing students and emerging professionals for changing industry roles and closing gaps between academic training and employer expectations
access and economic mobility in fashion — examining how education, mentorship, professional networks, entrepreneurship, and industry resources can create greater economic opportunity within fashion