Alisa Otto

2012, M.F.A., Fashion Design
Visiting Assistant Professor, CVAD Fashion Design
Ottomatic Threads

Fashion design alumna Alisa Otto launched Ottomatic Threads in 2020 to produce sustainably made women's athletic apparel. Her company takes the slow production approach opting to keep the whole process onsite in a 1,800-square-foot facility in Cross Roads rather than contracting out to a larger manufacturer.

"A lot of people think that clothing is only made in these massive factories because that's what we've seen in the last few decades with the rise of fast fashion, but traditionally clothing has been made in much smaller spaces, and that's the method that we take," Otto says. "With a micro-factory, we have more control over what happens and can be more intentional about sustainability."

Beyond using recycled fibers and reusing fabric scraps, Otto's brand focuses on size inclusivity offering options from XS to 6X. The company's tagline gives "a voice to underrepresented bodies in the outdoors, one garment at a time."

"A big part of consumer waste is they throw away or return clothes when they don't fit, and many of those items end up in a landfill," Otto says. "I want to make sure that when they purchase something from me, it's true to size and is high-quality, so it will last a long time."

Through community education workshops at Ottomatic Threads and her work as a senior fashion design lecturer at UNT, Otto is also dedicated to educating consumers and students about their part in improving sustainability in the fashion industry.