Where Are All The Black Female Fashion Designers?

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2017-01-01
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Kennedy Benson, Samii
Sanders, Eulanda
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Sanders, Eulanda
Chief Strategist of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
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International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) Annual Conference Proceedings
Iowa State University Conferences and Symposia

The first national meeting of textile and clothing professors took place in Madison, Wisconsin in June 1959. With a mission to advance excellence in education, scholarship and innovation, and their global applications, the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) is a professional and educational association of scholars, educators, and students in the textile, apparel, and merchandising disciplines in higher education.

This site provides free, public access to the ITAA annual conference proceedings beginning in 2015. Previous proceedings can be found by following the "Additional ITAA Proceedings" link on the left sidebar of this page.

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The fashion industry has been criticized in recent years for its lack of racial diversity. While there has been a major push to put more Black models on the runway, the inclusion of Black designers has been largely overlooked. Due to a number of factors, Black designers find it difficult to make a name for themselves in the fashion industry. Even with the odds stacked against them many Black female designers continue to choose entrepreneurship over employment. They are willing to endure the trials and tribulations of business ownership, and thus define success on their own terms. It has become increasingly necessary to bring awareness to the marginalization and rejection that Black female fashion designers face within the industry, increase their visibility and provide access and exposure of their work.

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