NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 8, 2021 / Fashion Retailers looking to grow their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives met 75 designers of color with ideas and creativity. Black Designers gained the opportunity to learn from the crème de la crème in fashion like Prabal Gurung, Linda Fargo, and Christopher John Rogers at Harlem's Fashion Row's 3rd Annual Designer Retreat.

Nike partnered with Harlem's Fashion Row for the virtual event scheduled for May 26th and 27th. The retreat was an opportunity to network and meet seasoned fashion insiders sharing their expertise on how to grow their business. Fashion Designers Christopher John Rogers, Charles Harbison, celebrity stylists Zerina Akers and Wouri Vice, Creative Consultant-Kasey Spickard, and Roopla Patel from Saks made up a diverse group of special guests billed for the event.

The diversity of presenters and panelists brought a fresh perspective on their experiences in the fashion industry. During the retreat, brands such as Taubman, Pinterest, Tapestry, and IMG shared and discussed strategies with over 75 pre-vetted designers of color, which could help solve a pipeline issue for brands. In addition, there were panels and presentations covering topics such as The Impact of Social Media on Fashion, Brand Collaboration Strategies, How Can Designers Work with Celebrity Stylists, What Retailers are Looking For, and a Q &A with Vashti Cunningham, American track and field athlete and Olympian who competes in the high jump event. Brandice Daniel, founder of HFR, hosted a Fireside Chat with Sarah Mensah, Vice President/General Manager of North America for Nike. Mensah is the first Black female to hold the role of geography GM at Nike and she shed light on bringing your Brand to the Next Level. Harlem's Fashion Row (HFR) was thrilled to have leading Fashion Designer Prabal Gurung host a fireside chat. Bergdorf Goodman led a roundtable discussion with top executives-Linda Fargo, Fashion Director, Yumi Shin, Chief Merchant, Bruce Pask, Men's Fashion Director, and George Fountas, Vice President/ General Merchandise Manager of Women's Ready-to-Wear. RAISEfashion, a non-profit advisory network, also delivered a presentation on mentorship.

But it's not just about learning. Designers had an opportunity to participate in a design competition judged by Nike executives. The winning designer will be awarded $5,000 from ICON 360, a subsidiary of HFR.

Founder of Harlem's Fashion Row, Brandice Daniel, said: "Being creative is an essential quality for a designer, but creativity alone rarely builds and sustains a business. This retreat will give designers information on the operational skills needed to scale their business. This experience will also solve some of the pipeline issues retailers face as our retail partners will get to meet 75 incredible designers of color. The level of connection and real-life conversations offered in our retreat is meant to close the gap between designers of color and the long-awaited opportunity to succeed in fashion. I am also delighted that we have again received the backing from Nike and our new sponsor, Taubman, to host this fantastic event."

"Taubman is thrilled to begin this exciting new partnership with Brandice Daniel and Harlem's Fashion Row, said Taubman's Vice President of Specialty Leasing, Lori McGhee-Curtis. "We look forward to sharing our operational expertise and discussing the relevance of brick-and-mortar retail, while at the same time being greatly inspired by the incredible talent and fresh ideas presented during the retreat."

For further information about the event, visit: www.harlemsfashionrow.com

About Harlem's Fashion Row

Founded in 2007 by Brandice Daniel, the organization supports emerging talent and provides a platform for underrepresented African American and Latino designers. Harlem's Fashion Row (HFR) engages audiences and aligns brand partners with emerging designers of color in Fashion. HFR's mission is to discover and showcase the emerging talent of color through a platform of national events and customized multi-platform programs. The organization initiates innovative events which attract a multitude of diverse influencers connected to the fashion industry. Their objective is to provide real business opportunities to people of color in fashion to showcase their skills and abilities in an industry, which is often inaccessible to this group. To learn more, please visit www.harlemsfashionrow.com.

Media Contact:

Frances Armand
Armand Consulting
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Harlem's Fashion Row