Want culturally aware fashion? Involve more designers of color.
Headwear resembling a Sikh turban. Slip-on shoes that evoke blackface. A hoodie modeled by a young black child that reads “Coolest monkey in the jungle.” Culturally insensitive – and often racist – missteps by fashion brands seem to pop up every few weeks, prompting outraged tweets and company apologies.
As recently as February, Gucci was embroiled in a controversy over a black turtleneck with a garish red mouth that reminded many people of blackface.
When a friend texted Brandice Daniel a photo of the sweater, she was deeply disappointed. But as founder and CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row, Ms. Daniel, who is African American, saw a chance for progress. Raised in Memphis, Tennessee, she says lessons from the civil rights movement are often on her mind.
“If history teaches us anything, it is that usually things get worse
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