Fashion
Harlem’s Fashion Row Launches Shopping Portal Featuring Black & Latinx Designers
HFR & CO is making it easier to find and shop designers of color.
Black and Latinx fashion designers are getting a much-needed boost as part of Harlem’s Fashion Row‘s (HFR) new shopping portal. The new site, HFR & CO, was created to make it easier to find and shop more than two dozen fashion brands of color.
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HFR founder Brandice Daniel partnered with major retailers, including Bloomingdales, Shopbob, and Macy’s, to handpick the curated list of designers. Listed brands include NYFW faves like Sergio Hudson, Kimberly Goldson, and the late Virgil Abloh’s OFF-WHITE brand, as well as Diarrablu, Brandon Blackwood, Ree Projects, and more.
“I want to build a community to increase awareness of emerging designers of color and to make it easier for consumers to find and support them,” said Daniel.”
Shoppers can get their retail therapy on while perusing a wide variety of options, including men’s and women’s tops and bottoms, swimwear, shoes, accessories, and even children’s clothing. You can also sign up for a free membership to get access to virtual styling sessions, info on new drops, and special invites to local shopping and fashion events.
The store is another remarkable milestone for Daniel and HFR. For the past 15 years, HFR has helped to increase awareness and support of Black designers through its annual awards and fashion show, along with partnerships with brands like Nike, Gap, and American Girl to fund, educate, mentor, and market emerging brands.
When I first spoke with her in 2019, Daniel talked about her ongoing passion to level the playing field.
In 2020, she launched the nonprofit ICON 360 to help bridge the funding gap. To date, it has awarded $2.1 million to 47+ designers and 10 HBCUs.
“Whether that’s a partnership with brands or getting sold in department stores or being written up in the press or being able to build a real business right around what they love,” said Daniel. “I am here to really serve them and to, hopefully, be a solution — not just for them but even for designers who haven’t even been born yet.”
You can discover and shop some of these designers right now at hfrandco.com.
