Entrepreneurship and fashion were the topics at the program entitled “Blacks In Fashion,” put on by the Howard chapters of Entertainment Power Players (EPP) and Black Retail Action Group (BRAG).
The event consisted of three entrepreneurs and power players in the fashion industry who came to give students pursuing careers in fashion a taste of what the real world is like for African Americans, especially African-American women. Howard alumnus Sehar Peerzada and former BRAG members Ida Lewis-Polite and Rosemary E. Miller graced the panel with the background knowledge for success.
Senior public relations and director for BRAG, Angela Richardson, said the organizations decided to put on this event to celebrate black history, but also to educate students at Howard on what blacks have done in the fashion industry for the last few years. “This is something that will give students insight at the buying power that blacks have in fashion and also the influence we have through our style.”
President of EPP, Kai Deveraux Lawson, said EPP wanted to branch into the fashion industry side of entertainment. “We have never been able to tap into the fashion side. Everybody talks about what different celebrities are wearing; fashion plays a big part in entertainment.
Lewis-Polite, who has her own clothing store in D.C. called “Ida’s Ideas,” spoke to students about ways to set up their own. She said students should identify their market, keep money saved up for about three to four months and start at the beginning of a season in order to start a successful business.
“The business advice was definitely what I learned the most from. What it gave us was the real stuff in the classes we take here at Howard, which shows this is what we need to make it in the real world,” said Lawson. She said that self-promotion was the most important thing she learned. “You are your best representative.”
Miller, who has been in the fashion industry both as an entrepreneur and journalist for over 30 years, discussed her life as an entrepreneur in D.C. in the 60s. Her store was then located in Dupont Circle where not many black people didn’t live, but came across town to buy items from her store. She said the reason that she has stayed in the fashion industry for so long is because of where she started. “When you start out on the design end, it’s a very functional way of looking at fashion because you are actually creating fashion,” Miller said. She grew up writing letters to fashion magazines for their underrepresentation of African-American women. “If they get letters from one person it represents 100 people that didn’t send letters,” she said.
Peerzada, who has her own clothing line called “Saharah,” talked to students from a designer’s point of view, including information about manufacturing and trade shows. “It’s something that comes easily for me; I’ve been doing it for so long,” she said.
Richardson said the most dynamic thing about the panel was that it showed students that black women play a valuable role in the fashion industry.
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