The ultimate collaboration that we didn’t know we needed in the fashion industry is officially upon us. Premier agency Harlem’s Fashion Row and the North American division of multinational conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton have officially announced their partnership to curate a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable fashion industry while doing the work to back up their mission.
According to an official press release sent to ESSENCE, the partnership between HFR and LVMH North America marks a moment in history as LVMH’s commitment to the support of HFR reflects their mutual agreement to discover, mentor, and give emerging talent of color the amplification they deserve through multi-platform, high-visibility events and customized pipeline programs. “Through this partnership, HFR and LVMH North America look forward to continuing their mission of giving designers of color access to individuals and organizations that can help shape their future,” read the official press statement of Brandice Daniel, CEO and Founder of HFR.
“We’ve successfully introduced a wealth of diverse designers to a world-class fashion curriculum consisting of invaluable tools and resources to grow their businesses, and have educated Gen Z on how they too can change fashion’s course. Conjunctively, we’ve created opportunities for youth to engage as early as high school, meeting the marginalized, particularly HBCU students, where they are in their fashion careers.”
The LVMH portfolio is one that is globally recognized including Dior, Sephora, Fendi, and more. Specifically, Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton, both of which are globally recognized luxury brands across the LVMH group of Maisons, will collaborate with HFR to offer mentorship and activation opportunities in an effort to both create meaningful and effective change for the Harlem community and creating accessible opportunities for the next generation of emerging BIPOC designers. Supported initiatives that LVMH and HFR will partner together on throughout the year and beyond include, but aren’t limited to, The HFR ICON 360 HBCU Summit, HFR’s Designer Retreat, and The Black History Summit.
“LVMH is committed to having a positive impact in our communities and realizing the path forward set by Virgil Abloh and others who helped foster equity and inclusion in the fashion industry by supporting and building a pool of diverse creative talent,” read the official press statement of Corey Smith, Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion, LVMH Inc. “It is critical for LVMH as an organization to continue developing talent of color internally while ensuring the relevance of our brands and our products in an evolving and diverse consumer landscape.”
Smith continued, “We see this partnership with HFR as a wonderful opportunity to focus on values, culture, business, and community all at the same time, as these notions are not mutually exclusive, but interconnected and reinforcing one another.”