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.
