top of page

THE ADU DRIVE

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR ENTIRE PUBLIC DATABASE

AUTONOMOUS DESIGN UNION IS A NETWORK OF ARTISTS AND TEXTILE WORKS IN DETROIT, MI. FOUNDED IN 2018 WITH THE GOAL OF PROVIDING MEMBERS WITH ACCESS TO INDUSTRIAL SEWING EQUIPMENT, SUPPORT AND CONSULTATION.

WE ARE FRIENDS, CREATIVES, COLLABORATORS, AND FREELANCERS WHO:​

​

WISH TO COLLECTIVELY UTILIZE MATERIAL RESOURCES SUCH AS SPACE, MACHINES, AND TOOLS IN ORDER TO ENHANCE AND BRING EASE TO OUR PERSONAL VENTURES, BRANDS, AND PROJECTS. 

 

​FURTHERMORE, WE KNOW THAT OUR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS ARE OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSETS, AND OUR PEERS ARE OUR MOST VALUABLE TEACHERS. ​

 

WE ALSO HONOR THE OTHER BENEFITS TO OUR CRAFT OFFERED BY WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR PEERS; WHO INSPIRE US, ENCOURAGE US, AND SUPPORT US EMOTIONALLY IN OUR VULNERABLE MOMENTS AS MAKERS AND PEOPLE. ​

 

ONCE WE HAVE DEVELOPED OUR INTERNAL SYSTEMS FOR AUTONOMY, WE WISH TO CREATE MORE CONNECTIONS ACROSS OUR INTERSECTING COMMUNITIES, SHARING OUR SKILLS WITH THOSE WHO WISH TO JOIN OUR EFFORTS SO THEY MAY ENJOY ALL THE RESOURCES PROVIDED SAFELY AND WITHOUT CREATIVE LIMITATION (BESIDES THE ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS OF THE COLLECTIVE).​

 

WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, AS A MEANS OF SUPPORTING OUR HOLISTIC LIVELIHOODS, THE CAPITALIST MODEL OF EMPLOYMENT IS INADEQUATE AT BEST AND OPPRESSIVE AT WORST. ​

 

HOWEVER, WE ARE FORCED TO ENGAGE WITH CAPITALISM IN ORDER TO SURVIVE, AND THEREFORE WE MUST BUILD WEBS FOR RESILIENCE, TO ENABLE EACH OTHER TO THRIVE DESPITE ECONOMIC OPPRESSION. ​

 

FINALLY, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS NO ONE RIGHT WAY TO WORK TOGETHER, AND ALL AGREEMENTS MADE WILL BE LIVING DOCUMENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE UPON A VOTE OF ALL ACTIVE MEMBERS.

​​

WE ARE FRIENDS, CREATIVES, COLLABORATORS, AND FREELANCERS WHO:​

​

WISH TO COLLECTIVELY UTILIZE MATERIAL RESOURCES SUCH AS SPACE, MACHINES, AND TOOLS IN ORDER TO ENHANCE AND BRING EASE TO OUR PERSONAL VENTURES, BRANDS, AND PROJECTS. 

 

​FURTHERMORE, WE KNOW THAT OUR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS ARE OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSETS, AND OUR PEERS ARE OUR MOST VALUABLE TEACHERS. ​

 

WE ALSO HONOR THE OTHER BENEFITS TO OUR CRAFT OFFERED BY WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR PEERS; WHO INSPIRE US, ENCOURAGE US, AND SUPPORT US EMOTIONALLY IN OUR VULNERABLE MOMENTS AS MAKERS AND PEOPLE. ​

 

ONCE WE HAVE DEVELOPED OUR INTERNAL SYSTEMS FOR AUTONOMY, WE WISH TO CREATE MORE CONNECTIONS ACROSS OUR INTERSECTING COMMUNITIES, SHARING OUR SKILLS WITH THOSE WHO WISH TO JOIN OUR EFFORTS SO THEY MAY ENJOY ALL THE RESOURCES PROVIDED SAFELY AND WITHOUT CREATIVE LIMITATION (BESIDES THE ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS OF THE COLLECTIVE).​

 

WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, AS A MEANS OF SUPPORTING OUR HOLISTIC LIVELIHOODS, THE CAPITALIST MODEL OF EMPLOYMENT IS INADEQUATE AT BEST AND OPPRESSIVE AT WORST. ​

 

HOWEVER, WE ARE FORCED TO ENGAGE WITH CAPITALISM IN ORDER TO SURVIVE, AND THEREFORE WE MUST BUILD WEBS FOR RESILIENCE, TO ENABLE EACH OTHER TO THRIVE DESPITE ECONOMIC OPPRESSION. ​

 

FINALLY, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS NO ONE RIGHT WAY TO WORK TOGETHER, AND ALL AGREEMENTS MADE WILL BE LIVING DOCUMENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE UPON A VOTE OF ALL ACTIVE MEMBERS.

​​

FOUNDING MEMBERS

9AE5329E-48B0-4959-858D-0F4D960DC93A.JPEG

MARGUERITE
WOODWARD

MICHIGAN NATIVE WHO HAS LIVED IN DETROIT FOR THE PAST 6 YEARS.  TRAINED IN MANY FORMS OF ART FROM A YOUNG AGE, MARGUERITE FIRST BECAME RADICALIZED AGAINST CAPITALISM DURING A THREE YEAR STINT POST COLLEGE IN NEW YORK CITY, WHILE PURSUING A CAREER AS A FREELANCE COSTUME DESIGNER FUNDED BY RESTAURANT WORK.  RELOCATING TO DETROIT AFTER A STRESS-INDUCED HEALTH CRISIS, MARGUERITE FOUND WORK AS A STITCHER IN DETROIT'S BURGEONING GARMENT INDUSTRY.  HOWEVER THE EXPLOITATION OF GARMENT WORKERS IN THIS DEVELOPING INDUSTRY MOTIVATED HER TO BEGIN ORGANIZING ON BEHALF OF FREELANCERS AND OTHER INDEPENDENT WORKERS.  WITH FORMER CO-WORKERS AND FELLOW FREELANCERS, THE AUTONOMOUS DESIGN UNION WAS ESTABLISHED TO SUPPORT TEXTILE WORKERS WITH A SOLIDARITY NETWORK AS WELL AS RESOURCES TO ENHANCE PROFIT FROM THEIR OWN SKILLS, OWN & OPERATE THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION, AND REDUCE THE RISKS OF QUITTING A FACTORY JOB.  SHE IS VERY PROUD TO BE AN ECONOMIC JUSTICE ALLIANCE OF MICHIGAN FELLOW FOR 2021, AND TO BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE CONTINUING LEGACY OF LABOR ORGANIZING AMONGST GARMENT WORKERS THROUGHOUT HISTORY.

ORGANIZING DIRECTOR
FACILITATION MANAGER

13131045_1077538615638605_7487343579317732068_o.jpg

MICHIGAN BASED FREELANCE FASHION DESIGNER, GRAPHIC DESIGNER, & FIBER ARTIST.  HE BELIEVES THAT ALL CREATIVES AND FREELANCERS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE EQUIPMENT THAT WILL ALLOW THEM TO PRODUCE THEIR BEST WORK. INSPIRED BY THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY HE WAS IMMERSED IN AFTER GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, HE HAS MADE IT HIS MISSION TO BE A BRIDGE BETWEEN LOCAL FREELANCERS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES, EQUIPMENT, AND KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED TO PRODUCE THEIR WORK EFFICIENTLY AND TO ITS HIGHEST POTENTIAL.  HE BELIEVES THAT BY INDEPENDENTLY ACCESSING OR SEIZING THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION, ANY CREATIVE CAN EMPOWER THEMSELVES TO TRANSCEND THE EXPLOITIVE POWER STRUCTURE WHICH OFTEN DEFINES THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY.  BY WORKING WITH AUTONOMOUS DESIGN UNION, HE HOPES TO CONTINUE HIS SUPPORT OF LOCAL FREELANCERS INDEPENDENT MISSIONS/GOALS BY SHARING HIS KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, CONNECTIONS, AND EQUIPMENT WITH THEM.  MOVING FORWARD LEO WANTS TO SUPPORT THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF THE AUTONOMOUS DESIGN UNION COMMUNITY AND OUR OFFERINGS TO MEMBERS, IN ADDITION TO HELPING THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY OF DETROIT GET THE INFORMATION, AND ACCESS TO EQUIPMENT THEY NEED  TO FLOURISH INDEPENDENTLY IN THEIR CREATIVE JOURNEY.

LEO
MARGOLIS

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
SYSTEMS MANAGER

bottom of page