Fashion Works

Fashion Works is a thrift store at 200 Clifford Ave in Rochester, NY, operated by the Ibero-American Action League, a dual-language multi-service nonprofit founded in 1968 with the support of the Catholic Diocese of Rochester. More than a secondhand shop, Fashion Works serves as a vocational training site, providing real-life retail work experience for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The store's tagline — "Used Clothing with a Greater Purpose" — reflects this dual mission of affordable retail and community employment support.

Fashion Works carries used clothing, shoes, home goods, and accessories. The store's pricing follows a simple bag-based model: one bag of clothing costs $5. Shoppers should note that Fashion Works is cash only. The store is open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 3 PM, and donations of new or gently used clothing, shoes, home goods, and accessories are accepted Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM.

Fashion Works occupies a distinct niche among Rochester thrift stores by combining low-cost shopping with a workforce development mission tied to Ibero's disability services programs. Ibero-American Action League operates over 39 programs across upstate New York, including home and community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Fashion Works channels that organizational infrastructure into a hands-on retail setting where program participants build job skills. The store's flat-rate bag pricing also sets it apart from traditional thrift shops that price items individually.

Fashion Works sits at 200 Clifford Ave in Rochester's Upper Falls neighborhood, along a stretch of Clifford Avenue where the Ibero-American Action League maintains several facilities. Ibero's presence on this corridor dates to the early 1970s, when the organization established the Puerto Rican Arts and Cultural Center at 954 Clifford Ave near the Clinton Avenue intersection. The store itself has an accessible entrance and a large fitting room, though aisles are narrow. Street parking is available along Clifford Ave. The neighborhood is a short drive north of downtown Rochester, accessible via North Clinton Avenue or St. Paul Street.