If you haven’t heard by now, history was made this year. Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) teamed up with McCafe to offer HBCU fashion students a chance of a lifetime.
Yes, you read that right: HBCUs fashion students. If that caught you by surprise, you aren’t alone. Many HBCUs have great fashion departments and robust programs that people aren’t aware of. Though I did not attend an HBCU, as a former student of color in fashion merchandising, I can attest, the journey to a fashion career can feel lonely. Needless to say, I didn’t get the same industry support as my friends in medicine or accounting. Fashion has yet to be accepted as a major that leads to a “real” job.
I can actually understand why: This industry is tough, not easily accessible and may not pay a lot at first. That’s enough to make any parent steer their children aware. But it does offer lots of really amazing job opportunities and life experiences. And if someone puts in the hard work and stays committed, the payoff is worth the wait. The challenge is, students are not always aware of the opportunities. This is why we started Harlem’s Fashion Row University (HFR-U). It’s a way to expose students of color to the many opportunities in fashion.
This spring we partnered with McCafe to launch a Student Design Competition. The winner will collaborate with HFR and Project Runway alumni Kimberly Goldson to create the red carpet look for the McDonald’s 11th annual 365Black Awards host Janell Snowden.
The competition for the awards was stiff, but a winner emerged: TraVonne Walker from Bowie State University.
