Gap Inc. & Harlem’s Fashion Row Announce Award Winners for ‘Closing the Gap’ Initiative
June 21 2021 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
$510,000 in Funding to be Awarded to Ten Deserving Fashion
Departments at HBCUs
In an ongoing effort to bridge the gap between education and
fashion's new generation of Black, Indigenous and Other People of
Color (BIPOC) leaders, Gap Inc., Harlem's Fashion Row (HFR), and
ICON360, a nonprofit subsidiary of HFR, announced today the winners
of the 'Closing the Gap' scholarships. These 10 deserving fashion
departments at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
will be receiving financial awards from a pool of $510,000, making
this the largest donation to HBCUs fashion programs by a major
retailer.
Launched through Gap Inc.’s ongoing partnership with Harlem’s
Fashion Row, ‘Closing the Gap’ aims to strengthen educational
opportunities for the next generation of Black fashion leaders and
provide a platform that empowers Black students to propel their
studies and drive innovation within the fashion industry.
Additionally, Gap Inc. and ICON360 will partner to provide
mentorship and internship opportunities to students currently
enrolled in each of the winning HBCU programs.
"It is a great honor for us to partner with a global leader in
the fashion world to kick off the inaugural awards ceremony that
will turn into a yearly event. We are coming together as one to not
only address pipeline issues of diversity and inclusion in the
industry but also to help give them tools and guidance the next
generation needs to take the fashion industry to new heights," said
Brandice Daniel, Founder and CEO of Harlem's Fashion Row. "When
Harlem's Fashion Row started, we focused on the designers that were
looking to present their collection to buyers and editors and
quickly realized that to make a difference, we must educate and
mentor the new talent entering the field. We look forward to
extending this initiative and opportunity by welcoming all incoming
professionals."
The ten award recipients
include:
- Two (2) scholarships of $100,000:
- North Carolina Central (Durham, NC)
- North Carolina A & T (Greensboro, NC)
- Five (5) scholarships of $50,000:
- Delaware State University (Dover, DE)
- Howard University (Washington, D.C.)
- Bowie State University (Bowie, MD)
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Princess Anne, MD)
- Tennessee State (Nashville, TN)
- Three (3) scholarships of $20,000:
- University of Arkansas Pine Bluff (Pine Bluff, AR)
- Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA)
- Norfolk State University (Norfolk, VA)
"As a company rooted in being Inclusive, By Design, we are
guided by the belief that business can, and should, be a force for
good. This extends not just to our employees and our customers but
to the communities we serve," said Sarah Holme, Executive Vice
President of Product Design & Development at Old Navy and
Executive Sponsor of the cross-brand creative community across Gap
Inc. "I look forward to working with Harlem's Fashion Row to not
only support the rich, storied history of HBCUs but to change our
industry for the better through cultivating pipelines to careers in
fashion for Black creative talent."
Just last week, HFR launched its inaugural ‘Fashion Playbook,’
sponsored by Gap Inc. The Playbook, targeted at youth, middle and
high school, and college level, is an online video content library
featuring stories, tips, and insight from fashion industry
professionals to create awareness of the vast opportunities that
exist in the industry. Of the 22 videos to be released in the next
year, seven Gap Inc. employees will be featured. New videos will be
added each month providing exciting content and continued
engagement. This enables us to address an industry-wide issue:
inequitable access to opportunities for black talent, specifically
for our most creative roles.
For more information about the 'Closing the Gap' initiatives or
learn more about the award recipients, visit HFR ICON 360.
About Gap Inc.
Gap Inc., a collection of purpose-led lifestyle brands, is the
largest American specialty apparel company offering clothing,
accessories, and personal care products for men, women, and
children under the Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta
brands. The company uses omni-channel capabilities to bridge the
digital world and physical stores to further enhance its shopping
experience. Gap Inc. is guided by its purpose, Inclusive, by
Design, and takes pride in creating products and experiences its
customers love while doing right by its employees, communities, and
planet. Gap Inc. products are available for purchase worldwide
through company-operated stores, franchise stores, and e-commerce
sites. Fiscal year 2020 net sales were $13.8 billion. For more
information, please visit www.gapinc.com.
About Harlem’s Fashion Row
Founded in 2007 by Brandice Daniel, the organization supports
emerging talent and provides a platform for underrepresented
African American and Latino designers. Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR)
engages audiences and aligns brand partners with emerging designers
of color in Fashion. HFR’s mission is to discover and showcase the
emerging talent of color through a platform of national events and
customized multi-platform programs. The organization initiates
innovative events which attract a multitude of diverse influencers
connected to the fashion industry. Their objective is to provide
real business opportunities to people of color in fashion to
showcase their skills and abilities in an industry, which is often
inaccessible to this group. To learn more, please visit
www.harlemsfashionrow.com.
ICON360, a subsidiary of HFR was started in 2020 during the
pandemic and functions as a non-profit that was started to help
designers of color who were impacted by COVID 19. The nonprofit has
now grown to not only helping designers but also investing in the
next generation of creatives.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210621005089/en/
Armand Consulting Frances Armand
frances@armandconsulting.net
Gap Inc. Ana Serafin-Smith
ana_serafin_smith@gap.com
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