When one is given a stage, one must perform, and performance is what Brandice Daniel knows best!

The native of Memphis, Tennessee has a business acumen deserving of recognition. Her penchant for the history of black fashion, especially the hidden figures and forgotten geniuses of the black fashion community who were never afforded the opportunity of mainstream success, is where she draws her inspiration.

The Founder and CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row has true purpose and a mission coupled along with it. I have oft times shared with her how I felt that she was “chosen”- and to whom much is given, even more is required.

Harlem’s Fashion Row successfully celebrated its 10-year anniversary, but its success did not come without what she loves to call “cliff jumps.” Her mission is to continue to catapult HFR as a premiere destination for multi-cultural emerging designers – where they can be seen, acknowledged, and revered among the greatest of our time in fashion. Creating opportunity and accessibility and building and sustaining the legacy of multicultural designers is the cornerstone on which she stands. Is there a seat at the table for her? Absolutely positively there is! Together with southern charm and grace, she has humbly and politely pulled her chair back, taken her seat and positioned herself. Lois Alexander Lane, founder of the Black Fashion Museum, and Harlem Institute of Fashion, would be proud, and so are we!

Was Harlem Fashion Row born from necessity or purely a creative thought?

It was actually born purely from a creative thought….and only I was aware of that. You don’t always understand your full purpose, and you’re not meant to understand your full purpose. You just move where you’re led to move, and there’s something that happens when you do that. You start to understand why. If you understand the “why” in the beginning, it could potentially paralyze you, because the task is so huge. I am happy to know that I didn’t know the full scope of HFR, because fear would have made me ask all the questions.

Harlem is the Black Mecca for every “Chocolate City” in America. Did homage towards the Harlem Renaissance era play a role in using the community as your platform? Why Harlem?

Moving from Memphis to New York City, Harlem was the first place I settled. There was so much happening there in 2005! You could feel this huge, creative, underlining energy! Everywhere I socialized, people were sharing and trading ideas – complete strangers in coffee shops – and that was the feel and spirit of Harlem during that time!  The very first event we did for Harlem Fashion Row was called “The New Renaissance.” I pondered at the time that this must be a glimpse into what the Harlem Renaissance must’ve felt like. I was challenged many times on the name Harlem, but Harlem is what inspired this movement. The namesake is my way to pay homage to the place that inspired me as well as pay my respect to the place that paved the way for so many creatives!

Congratulations on your 10-year anniversary! Taking a look back on your growth and achievements, did you ever doubt the success?

I never doubted the success of my staying power, but I may have doubted the potential of what it took to sustain all the challenges that come along with being an entrepreneur and starting a business from scratch. I was a fashion outsider with limited resources and connections to the right people and the right audience, and that was a major concern. Although most of my challenges were internal, I knew if I could fight through them and find the strength to keep HFR moving forward, it would sustain itself because it’s needed. Our organization is special because we not only provide incredible opportunities for designers but we’ve also become a place that honors people of color in this industry.

How important is e-commerce and direct-to-consumer to the emerging designers that you represent?

Direct-to-consumer is the solution for the designers that I support, as many of them haven’t been able to break that barrier to get into retail. These emerging designers have beautiful, amazing product with a very unique point of view that needs to be seen. I know that if these designers have the capacity to connect directly to viable consumers beyond New York and across the U.S., there is potential for more exposure to their brands as well as the discretionary income available for those who love fashion.

Black Fashion, black culture, black style, black designers will always have their thread on American culture, whether accepted or not. How can we remain relevant and sustainable for the future in this ever-changing industry?

We must understand business and marketing! We can have so much influence, and there are so many waves that we can make, but we won’t benefit from personal impact as a community if we don’t understand how to translate that into a business and marketing perspective. Our influence is 1,000 percent currency, but at the end of the day, there must be legacy and tangible currency left for the next generation.

The back stories, setbacks, and challenges of emerging designers of color remain largely untold. How can we begin to change that?

I want Harlem’s Fashion Row to be at the forefront of opening up these conversations that are so desperately needed. Designers of color are the most disadvantaged apropos of funding and mentorship. This is by and large due to lack of exposure, resources, and industry association. In all sincerity, in this business, proximity is indeed power. I have to give huge kudos and acknowledgement to Steven Kolb and the CFDA; Steven, first and foremost, for listening to these stories, and being open to assisting and finding a solution, and that’s what it’s going to take. It’s going to take the in-depth expertise, influence and capabilities of an organization like the CFDA to be in the forefront of diversity step change and to open up the doors for these designers.