One of the bright spots in these dark times is that all this extra downtime has provided new opportunities to educate ourselves, often via creative new ways of engaging with tech. Designers of color advocacy platform Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) has been leveraging both throughout this year, producing summits and a highly successful Fashion Week presentation in September. Today, October 28 through the 29th, they go one step further in bridging the two, launching its first annual Designer Tech Summit with sponsorship from Gap.
Per a release sent to The Glow Up, the HFR x Gap Designer Tech Summit “aims to equip fashion designers to leverage the power of technology to grow their business”—a vital conversation amid an ongoing pandemic.
“In this year of uncertainty, there is one thing that’s certain: Technology is more important than ever,” said Founder and CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row, Brandice Daniel in a statement. “As more people embrace shopping online and experiencing brands digitally, we thought it was important to bring out the best in the field to share how you can leverage tech to grow your businesses.”
More from HFR:
The event, sponsored by Gap Inc., will feature an impressive line-up of leading fashion designers and experts in style and technology who will provide dynamic insight into the relationship between technology and fashion. Gap Inc. and Harlem’s Fashion Row has a shared commitment to help scale the businesses and work of designers of color in the fashion industry.
On Tuesday, it was announced that legendary American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger had joined the event’s lineup, which also includes: Felita Harris, Co-Founder of Enform Sales-Beyond Design; Cavel Khan, Chief Revenue Officer at Tumblr; Bahja Johnson, Head of Customer Belonging at Gap Inc.; Derek Blasberg, Head of Fashion and Beauty, YouTube; Lawrence Lenihan- Chairman and Co-founder of Resonance Companies and Nichole Phelps, Director of Global Vogue Runway.
Daniel will be leading guest interviews, and Hilfiger is expected to deliver a fireside chat. Scheduled topics include:
- The relentless pursuit of tech
- Getting social with Tumblr
- Partnership 2.0
- Zero is the future of fashion
- Editors talk tech
“We’re so proud to continue deepening our partnership with Harlem’s Fashion Row,” Kisha Modica, Head of Equality & Belonging, Gap Inc. “This movement calls upon our industry to ensure Black designers are seen, celebrated and honored for their contributions to fashion and culture. Through events like the Designer Tech Summit, we are working to remove barriers so that opportunity can flourish for all.”
The event kicks off today, but it’s not too late to join; interested designers are invited to submit an application to attend the event, with a $99 registration fee. For further information or to register for the HFR x Gap Designer Tech Summit, visit HFR’s website.