Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) kicks off New York’s Fashion Week with eight designers for their first fashion presentation at the Apollo Theater on Feb. 7. This year, each designer will present a capsule collection to top industry professionals, plus an audience of 600 people who will assist in selecting the four best collections of the evening; the designers will then go on to show their full spring/summer 2014 collections during the next Fashion Week in September.
Harlem has always inspired fashion design and designers worldwide. It’s extremely exciting for a Fashion Week event to be held in Harlem, especially at the Apollo.
“HFR has crossed over the five-year threshold, and we are super-excited about this year’s prestigious partnerships and events,” said Brandice Henderson of media partnerships. “Our amazing media partnership with Essence, Huffington Post Black Voices and the Associated Press are sure to provide maximum exposure for the designers of color who are featured in the show. It will also bring a new level of excitement to our revolutionary fashion movement.”
This year’s event will showcase eight emerging designers, already vetted in the fashion industry, who are looking to further establish their fashion brands on a larger scale. Harlem’s Fashion Row, led and founded by Brandice Henderson, serves as a platform for new designers to expand their brand’s image and grow their fashion business globally. With a panel of highly respected judges in the fields of fashion, lifestyle, media, retail and advertisement critiquing their capsule collections, designers will be tested to put their best fashions forward. Last year’s panel included Fern Mallis (CDFA), Shawn Outler (Macy’s), Memsor Kamarake (renowned stylist and fashion editor) and Julie Wilson (Huffington Post Black Voices).
“To present at the Apollo has been our vision for several years now,” commented Henderson. “So we are ecstatic and honored to have our designers showcase their collections in a place that’s contributed to the advancement of so many artists of color throughout the years. It’s what Harlem Fashion Row is all about.”