Harlem’s Fashion Row teamed up with Nike for a second year to host a Designer Retreat 2020—and this year, three CFDA members – Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Tracy Reese – joined Founder Brandice Daniel discussing topics such as “Beyond Just Style,” “Pivoting Post Pandemic,” and “Brand Building Blocks.” Here are the best moments from our three CFDA designers.
Brand Building Blocks
Ralph Lauren needs no introduction. One of the world’s most iconic designers, Lauren started his famed career selling ties to Bloomingdale’s, and since built a fashion empire around quintessential American style. He is America’s ultimate fashion ambassador.
Finding Inspiration I grew up in the Bronx, but my eye was always aspiration. You see things on TV, go to the movies…those are places I went to as a young kid. I had my vision, and a lot of it is from the streets. A lot of it was my inspirations, going through magazines and seeing things I never seen before – and having ideas.
On Getting His Start I loved clothes and fashion, so I started out making ties. That was one of the first things I ever did. I started out of a drawer in the Empire State Building, and this guy interviewed me and said, “Would you like to work for us?” I said I’d like to build my own brand. And I called it Polo. It became a hit with these wide ties. Everyone laughed in the beginning, but, all of the sudden, it became important. People started wearing them on TV and all over the place. I had no money for advertising or major following at all.
Believe In Yourself You have to hold on, because it’s not so easy. People are not waiting for new designers – especially now – but there is always a need for creative, new ideas. It doesn’t happen overnight. Young people think you’re going to be instant success. Some people think it’s impossible and some think it’s going to be easy. You have to hold on and believe in yourself and hang in there. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here today.
Building Your Brand Don’t look for things that are just novelty. Look for things that will last so people will come back to you and want to wear what you have to say. And you will get the message out. I started out with neckties, then shirts, then suits, then womenswear, then childrenswear. I started to build, but you can’t do it all overnight. You have to build, and have a sense of yourself.
Finding Investment There is a recognition of fashion now. When I started, fashion was very limited – especially men’s fashion. I had one person who said “I believe in you.” I needed $50,000, and he became my partner. It’s good [if] you can start it with somebody who has integrity and speaks your language – not someone who will rip you off. It doesn’t always happen. Start slow.
– Nicky Campbell
Beyond Just Style
Tracy Reese is the founder and creative director for Hope for Flowers, a responsibly designed and produced collection made from sustainable fabrics. The CFDA Board member sets the precedent for a sustainable business model, and shared with designers the ultimate nuggets of wisdom of self-awareness.
Know who you are and what your unique voice is. Everything we do and everything we create needs to matter, because if your voice isn’t unique, you’re just adding to the chatter. As Black designers, we have an incredible opportunity to be heard speaking in our own true voices.
Embrace the fullness of this work and industry. A lot of people get into fashion because it seems glamorous and fun. To really be a successful designer requires that you also be an entrepreneur, that you stay open to learning on all levels, that you really understand every part of this work as a business owner.
Tap into a higher power. You can’t do it all yourself and you don’t have all the answers. Step back and listen and let the universe help point you in your right direction. Surround yourself with human beings who are willing to share and support you, and don’t do it in a vacuum. Join other designers and entrepreneurs from different fields which will always keep you inspired and uplifted.
Stay aware and read about sustainability and waste. Understand the burden that our people bear in this industry as makers. People of color all around the world are doing the heavy lifting when it comes to creating textiles and cutting and sewing garments for meager wages that are not life-sustaining. It’s about making proper choices along your supply chain and making sure that the people that are working for you and that are creating your products have quality of life. Do onto other as you would do onto yourself. It’s the golden rule of all the areas of our life and we can’t exclude it from our industry.
Be in this because you love it. Loving what you do is going to sustain you through the rough patches, and there will always be those. Believe in yourself and believe in your ability to overcome, problem solve – that’s integral. If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?
– Aldo Araujo
Donna Karan had her start at Anne Klein, and revolutionized the way women dressed with her Seven Easy Pieces. Easy, perhaps, but the system of dressing was also absolutely groundbreaking and shifted the idea of American sportswear. Karan is always ahead of the curve. Case in point, Urban Zen, which is so much more than just a clothing brand. It’s a philosophy.
Fashion and Sustainability I thought I had to learn so much about sustainability…but Donna, you are sustainability. Sustainability is something that can last forever, that can be repurposed or reused, It’s not about what’s new, what’s new, what’s new.
The State of the World The way the world is changing is the way that education needs to change. It’s not about a “Me” world, it’s about a “We” world. That’s sustainable.
Simplicity in Fashion I do believe in simplicity ass a working woman, as a mother, as somebody who travel. I start my day with my bodysuit and my leggings and then…how do I layer it? How do I wear the right shirt, or how do I take a scarf and wrap it around me as a scarf or a dress? If all I need in life is one thing, it’s a scarf.
Fashion Genes My inherit was tailoring. My father made custom suits on Seventh Avenue. I remember seeing these custom suits. It’s my way of sustaining my father and his work. My mother was a model on Seventh Avenue.
Fashion’s Three Giants I swore I would never be in fashion. Calvin and Ralph…we were the three young kids on the block. I was the youngest of course, and the only woman.
The Future Collective Today, my dream is to create a collective creativity. You need communication, you need creativity, you need the customer…you need to put all these together to create the consciousness of change. That’s Urban Zen.
– Marc Karimzadeh
