“Respect. Advocate. Inspire. Support. Empower” – these are the basic principles of the new founded mentorship program RAISEfashion. The program is supposed to be a network where Black-owned fashion brands and individuals can connect to fashion industry professionals and experts for support on a pro-bono basis.
For Harlem’s Fashion Row founder Brandice Daniel, funding is equally important as access to the branch. “We have the solution“, she said in a press release announcing the formation of RAISEfashion. The collective was founded in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the current discussion about disadvantage and unequal opportunities.
“We feel compelled to reflect more closely on the opportunity and responsibility of the workers in the fashion world to cultivate a more diverse industry, one that actively promotes and fosters Black-owned businesses and Black individuals”, RAISEfashion states out on their website.
Their goal is to reinforce Black talent and combat the institutional barriers. The special thing is that they’re primarily not only address to young talents rather than help brands and designers at any point in their careers. “By connecting emerging talent to the existing system, we can evolve the industry from the inside out”, they say.
The founding Board of Directors consists of eight leaders including CEO and creative director Carly Cushnie, Jonathan Simkhai president April Hennig, retail executives Roopal Patel and Elizabeth von der Goltz, and tech entrepreneur and fashion executive Felita Harris, and so far 100 industry veterans have signed on to share their expertise, amongst sales, branding, content, and sustainability.
Visit their website here for more information.
#Peace.Love.RAISEfashion
