Since the days of the Renaissance, Harlem has served as the epicenter of music, literature, art and fashion. As Harlem is being revitalized in the 21st century, Harlem Fashion Week (HFW) introduces a new era of fashion culture to the Harlem community, inspired by its rich cultural heritage.
Harlem Fashion Week is an explosion of culture that bridges the Downtown fashion hub to the Uptown vibe for a rich community experience. It showcases the fashion industry, provides business education for emerging designers, grows Harlem businesses, creates a cultural platform, and just exudes fun!
The inaugural HFW kick off had its opening night celebration on September 7th and culminated with Runway Shows on September 9th at the historic Museum of the City of New York on 5th avenue and Central Park. The four-day event was hosted at restaurants, businesses and cultural centers all throughout the Harlem community and attracted guests that included fashion industry professionals, members of the media, artists, entertainers, buyers and a host of VIPs.
Harlem Fashion Week’s Schedule Included:
• Opening Night Celebration at the Hamilton Landmark Galleries
• Runway Show at the Museum of the City of New York
• The Business of Fashion Symposium at The Harlem State Office Building
• After Party at a posh Harlem venue
• Fashion Awards Ceremony at Museum of the City of New York
• HFW Fashion Brunch at Cheri Harlem
• Production Open House conducted by Manufacture NY
The creators of Harlem Fashion Week are the dynamic mother-daughter team of Tandra Birkett and Yvonne Jewnell, owners of the fashion design company Yvonne Jewnell New York LLC. Yvonne Jewnell New York is an award winning women’s wear company that creates clothing that promotes women empowerment and celebrates culture from across the globe. Combined, they used their talent, skill, and education to create one of the most innovative, emerging fashion houses.
As a company, Yvonne Jewnell New York LLC is a member of Harlem Arts Alliance and Harlem Chamber of Commerce. It has participated in the Annual Harlem Week Festival, hosted a Pop-Up Shop at the Black River Studio, and produced fashion shows at the Hip Hop Cultural Center and the ImageNation Raw Space. It is only natural that they would produce Harlem Fashion Week to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Harlem.
A portion of the proceeds from HFW will go to the restoration project of La Maison des Esclaves – The House of Slaves Museum on Goree Island in Senegal.
Since the days of the Renaissance, Harlem has served as the epicenter of music, literature, art and fashion. As Harlem is being revitalized in the 21st century, Harlem Fashion Week (HFW) introduces a new era of fashion culture to the Harlem community, inspired by its rich cultural heritage.
