Harlem Fashion Row

11:48 PM

I finally got a chance to sit down and write about my Harlem Fashion Row Memphis Event Experience. "Harlem Fashion Row (HFR) is a unique movement founded to increase diversity in fashion, by producing events to educate, stimulate, and advance opportunities for emerging designers of color. The organization was founded by Memphis native Brandice Henderson Daniel in 2007." Every 5 years Brandice comes to Memphis and hosts an event in honor of where she is from.

To be honest I had never heard about the organization and when I saw a friend had been tagged in the event, I actually thought it would be in New York. I later found out through the same friend who was tagged that it was happening in Memphis and she thought it would be a great event for me to attend as an emerging designer. Lesson: Recognize those people in your corner who see something in you and work on encouraging you to bring out your best.

The event was held at Clayborn Temple in downtown Memphis and this venue was pivotal in the civil rights movement. Dr. Martin Luther King spoke here several times and this was where the Memphis sanitation workers would meet for community and strategy meetings. They eventually went on strike and marched from the Clayborn Temple to City Hall. (sitting where history happened)

The event included 3 sessions, breakfast with Mikki Taylor, Editor at Large of Essence, and mini-conference featuring secrets of the fashion industry with fashion insiders. The event was concluded with a fashion show featuring Memphis Designers Tiena, The Gift Wrap, Demi Blvck, Black Cholo of immortal ink, Undra Duncan an emerging New York Fashion designer and Korto Momolu (pronounced Cut.Toe) from Project Runway season 5.

I was highly impressed by the quality, finishing, and designs of each line. My favorite was Tiena because her fashion was more transferable to real life Love it. The breakfast with Mikki was very insightful and she was an absolute well of knowledge and very humble. These were a few nuggets gleaned from her and the rest of the pictures of the event.

You start living when you get out of your own way
We need to recognize our value, when we know that, you operate differently in the world
Teach others how to treat you because you know how to treat yourself.
Struggle is a great teacher
You learn more in the valley than the mountaintop
Don't just go through grow through
Stop living in the shadow of who you are meant to be.
life is not a dress rehearsal, you might as well step out on to the stage
Beauty is the perfection of a divine point of view
Learn to leave your shy self at home. Leave your fearful self at home so your powerful self can thrive
You can't expect someone to invest in what you won't fully expose
Your comfort zone is really small and not that comfortable
Stay humble and remember who gave you your gift