How to Make Change

The events of the past week have been difficult to watch and yet critical to witness if we truly want to move toward shaping a better world. We have a lot of work to do in this country to end racism. The first step for many is perhaps acknowledging that it exists and to see the many ways we are privileged by the color of our skin. We each have an obligation to acknowledge how racism disproportionately impacts the black community. Now is the time to show up, do the work, educate ourselves, and fight for systematic change.

Many of you are tired, overwhelmed, and feeling paralyzed because the problem seems too big, and it is. But we have to begin. We have to begin speaking up, educating ourselves, doing the work, and being held accountable for our actions. Last week, mental health therapist Alishia McCullough and dietitian + activist Jessica Wilson put together a great list of calls to action. Here are a few that stood out to me as a creative:

• Fund projects, books, and podcasts created by black people

• Use your privilege and connections to provide space and equipment for black people to host events and conferences

• Center the experiences of black people in conversations about social justice and body liberation

• Hold people accountable for long-term changes

There are so many things we can do as creatives to amplify black voices and give them access to opportunities. Many influencers work with a vast network of brands. Why not leverage those relationships to start conversations with brands about how they can diversify their social media feeds and pay black content creators or allocate shelf space to black designers? Aurora James of sustainable fashion brand Brother Vellies recently created the 15% pledge asking retailers to dedicate 15% of their shelf space to black-owned businesses. I encourage you to sign the pledge and start conversations with your favorite brands about what they are doing to ensure black artists, creators, and businesses are part of their product mix and represented in their organization in meaningful ways. 

Here are some things you can do today:

• Examine your own biases and work to dismantle them. 

• Have hard conversations with your friends, family, and employers about systematic racism in America. Silence is violence and avoiding these conversations will only perpetuate the cycle. Speak. Educate. Fight for change. 

• Don't just read books, listen to podcasts, and continue to consume content in your quest to be anti-racist. DO 👏 THE 👏 WORK. 

• Use your platforms and places of access to ensure that black voices are amplified and that their experiences are widely shared. 

• Shop from black-owned businesses in your community and donate to the causes that are important to them. 

• Diversify your feed. Follow black content creators, business owners, and activists. Listen to their stories. Get to know them. Get involved. 

• Keep showing up to fight for change, not just today, but every day. 

I invite you to harness the emotions of the past week and use them to fuel your work toward meaningful change. We have to dismantle the systems that continue to oppress communities of color and rebuild them in a more equitable way. I am here for you and ready to do the work alongside you to create a brighter future that is filled with love and possibility for all.

Photo credit: Demri Rayanne Photography 

The Women of Color FashTech Brunch heads to Bellevue

The first Women of Color FashTech Brunch on the West Coast was held at W Bellevue over the weekend. The event, designed to bring the fashion, tech, and media community together, was held in partnership with W Bellevue as part of the global event series, WHAT SHE SAID. Sydney Mintle of Gossip & Glamour moderated the discussion which featured a variety of voices including Brittany Hicks of Girls in Fashion & Tech, Amy Newton of Amazon Fashion Partnerships, Jessica Couch of Luxor and Finch, and Brandy Brown of Marabou Design.

The discussion covered a variety of topics including the challenges faced by fashion brands when it comes to diversity and inclusion, why size inclusion is vital to sustainability, and the importance of inclusion in academia to ensure a diverse stream of talent in the working world.

The truth is, while we are making strides to address diversity and inclusion in fashion, tech, and media, we still have a long way to go. We need to create diverse narratives and visuals in fashion so that people can experience a true sense of belonging and celebrate being exactly who they are. We also need more people behind-the-scenes in positions of power to continue advocating for this and helping brands to take the first step in the right direction.

The event included a fashion marketplace featuring a variety of vendors including andieanderin, Cultro Clothing, Lika Love, and more. Guests enjoyed a fireside chat, coveted networking opportunities over brunch, and signature cocktails provided by Ketel One.

Created by Brittany Hicks and Jessica Couch, The Women of Color FashTech Brunch is an event series designed to empower women of color who are pursuing careers in fashion, media, and technology fields. After hosting several successful events in New York and launching a fashion + tech podcast at SXSW in Austin called WTF Fashion (Will Tech Fix Fashion), the duo has announced plans to continue expanding the brunch around the country. "We believe that community is the foundation of progress and growth for women of color in fashion and technology," says event producer Brittany Hicks. "We want to provide a network of support for women in fashion, tech, and media who feel marginalized," adds Jessica Couch.

Sponsors of the What She Said x Women of Color FashTech Brunch included W Bellevue, Gossip & Glamour, Boxed Up, Remodista, Cultro, and Luxor and Finch. View the full What She Said x Women of Color FashTech Brunch photo gallery by Vivian Hsu here.

The Women of Color FashTech Brunch is coming to Seattle

Let's talk diversity and inclusion in the fashion industry, shall we? First of all, I had the BEST time at the Women of Color FashTech Brunch in New York during Fashion Week. The experience allowed me to be fully immersed in a conversation that covered everything from how to carve out career pathways for women of color in tech, to what is really means to embrace cultural diversity in the workplace. The conversation was raw, unfiltered, and incredibly inspiring. I'm thrilled to announce that I'm part of the team that is helping to bring this fabulous event to Seattle, May 18th at W Bellevue. The #powerbrunch will be part of the W Hotels What She Said event series and feature a variety of female thought-leaders including Brittany Hicks of Girls in Fashion & Tech, Jessica Couch of Luxor and Finch, Brandy Brown of Marabou Design, and Amy Newton, Head of Fashion Partnerships at Amazon. The event will include a fireside panel discussion, brunch, brand activations, and more.

Tickets are $40 and include a 3-course brunch, morning coffee + mimosas, access to the panel discussion, and post-event brand activations and networking. Click here for tickets.

What: Women of Color FashTech Brunch
When: Saturday, May 18, 2019
Where: W Bellevue
Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Tickets: $40 via Eventbrite

Event Recap: Women of Color FashTech Brunch in NYC

During New York Fashion Week I had the opportunity to head to Manhattan and help with the marketing and PR efforts for a very special Women of Color FashTech Brunch produced by three incredible boss babes including Brittany Hicks of G.I.F.T., Jessica Couch of Luxor and Finch, and Ellie Zambrano of Geek of Chic. Brittany and I connected last year when she spoke on the "Future of Fashion" panel at the Gossip & Glamour Style Summit and I immediately fell in love with her energy and enthusiasm for creating pathways into the fashion industry for women of color through careers in technology.

The New York event provided a platform for women working in fashion, tech, and media, to discuss a wide range of relevant topics including diversity, inclusion, community-building, and the need for companies to create better pathways for women of color to advance in their careers. Panelists included Uzumna Udeh, Senior Finance Analyst of Global Markets for ASOS, Kelly Stickel of the retail consultancy firm Remodista, C-Suite Coach Founder Angelina Darrisaw-Cheeks, and Jessica Couch of Luxor and Finch, who also co-produced the event.

I was struck by the openness and honesty of the women of the panel. They each shared personal stories about the challenges experienced thus far in their careers and the obstacles that remain as they move up the corporate ladder. The discussion covered a variety of topics including the spending power of women of color, the importance of being authentic in business environments, and why it's critical that industry stakeholders support efforts to advance inclusion and diversity within their organizations. The conversation also touched on the importance of mentorship for women and the need for strategic community-building across industries.

Jessica Couch of Luxor and Finch spoke about the need for brands to be more inclusive when it comes to sizing. Fit issues run rampant in the fashion industry and the non-standard sizing market is now a $22 billion dollar industry, leaving a large portion of business on the table for brands who extend their size ranges to include women of all body shapes. Efforts to address this by fashion brands would also reduce e-commerce returns due to poor fit issues, which would ultimately help make strides toward sustainability efforts in the industry.

Kelly Stickel of Remodista discussed the need for companies to embrace diversity and inclusion as more than just buzz words. "Brands need to truly make an effort to hire and retain diverse talent," she added. Uzunma Udeh of ASOS spoke about the challenges that women of color face when they are the minority within their organization. In addition to lacking strong support networks, there is also the reality that professional mentors can be hard to find and that opportunities for advancement are not equally distributed. "It's hard to be yourself when you feel like you have so much to prove," says Udeh, "It's important for people who have access to change to be a resource and a voice for those that may not have one."

Angelina Darrisaw-Cheeks of C-Suite Coach spoke about the need for companies to make meaningful investments in communities of color. She also called for greater transparency, urging women to share their stories of how resources given by companies have made a difference in their lives, whether it's sponsoring an employee to attend a networking lunch, or simply giving them access to professional development resources. Angelina also spoke about the dangers of conformity, stating that "Every time you change who you are to fit into a room, you're telling the women who are following in your footsteps that they too have to change who they are. You are enough." That statement really hit home for me.  It was a stark and important reminder to be myself, regardless of where I am, or who is sitting across the table from me.

Guests of the event enjoyed a 3-course brunch, signature cocktails hosted by Hennessy, swag bags, and strategic networking opportunities both before and after the brunch. Sponsors included MouthMedia Network, Brutzkus Gubner, Geek of Chic, Gossip & Glamour, Amazon, Remodista, and more.

This event was incredible from start to finish. The energy in the room was contagious and it was clear that the brunch was relevant, timely, and beautifully executed by the production team. My goal is to help bring the Women of Color FashTech Brunch to Seattle later this year so that we can continue to have meaningful conversations about diversity and inclusion. Please stay tuned for more info and let me know who YOU want to see on the panel. In the meantime, I invite you to check out the full photo gallery from the event on Facebook.

Photo credit: Jajuan Burton

Seattle blogger launches Youtube series about the Female Asian American experience

After sensing a void in Asian American representation in media and film, Seattle style blogger Carolyn Yuen Marino of Hey Pretty Thing decided to do something about it. Her new web series Sweet & Power will officially launch next month on Youtube and explores the female Asian American experience through the eyes of four millennial women. "Sweet & Power is part of a larger cultural shift in entertainment and we are very excited to add to that conversation," says Carolyn.  

The show features multiple on-going storylines and follows Cici and her three best friends, Yoona Kang, played by Yeji Kim Sakoda, Robin Chan, played by Becca Cheung, and Noy Inchareon, played by NoyNoy Inthaphanya. The first season follows the cast as they navigate the highs and lows of careers, relationships, sexuality, and cultural identity. Episode one of Sweet & Power will air on Monday, September 17th. Check out the official trailer below and don't forget to subscribe to the Sweet & Power Youtube channel to be the first to see new episodes. You can also follow along on Instagram @sweetandpowerseries.