Tag Archives: yvonne jewnell

25Jan/17
Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa

Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa, Read Why

Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa

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Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa

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Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa

“The most important part of a tree is the root” says Tandra Birkett, who is not only the executive producer of Harlem Fashion Week, but she is also a historian.  And as a historian she recognizes the importance of Harlem’s cultural roots… Africa.  As a result HFW donates a portion of its proceeds to the Senegalese American Bilingual School and their initiative The Big Goree Project. The goal of the Big Goree Project is the restoration of the The House of Slaves, the originial slave fortress into  a Slave Museum on Goree Island in Senegal, West Africa. “We believe that it is integral to maintain a productive connection with Africa and the arts, more specifically fashion, is an avenue that we used to sustain that connection.”  As a result, one month after the historic grand opening of Harlem Fashion Week in the fall of 2016, Tandra and Yvonne were on a plane to Senegal, West Africa. “We did not want to just give money but we wanted to personally connect with our roots ”.

Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa

The creative director of Harlem Fashion Week,  Yvonne Jewnell is also the lead designer and co-owner of the fashion design company Yvonne Jewnell New York LLC.  As a designer, the culture, texture and history of Africa are the inspiration for her design aesthetic. “Fashion is art and my art must reflect my heritage.  I have always been drawn to creativity and story of African culture and I want my designs to reflect the interconnectivity of an African in America. Actually going to Senegal was not only a personal transformation but it was also a design inspiration that will be reflected in my new collection, showing on February 12, 2017 on the main stage of Harlem Fashion Week.” Yvonne Jewnell.

Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa  Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa

Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa While in Senegal Tandra and Yvonne visited the Senegalese American Bilingual School, it was a refreshing experience to visit with Stephanie Kane and the students of SABS. Tandra shared, “As an educator I was so excited to meet the children, I had to jump in on their lecture about Christopher Columbus, it was a great experience!”

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Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa   Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa

Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa Tandra and Yvonne also had the pleasure of visiting the mayor’s office at Goree Island and meeting with the Chief of Staff Mamadou Adama Diop, we discussed ways of building a stronger relationship with Goree Island and the African Diaspora through the arts and education.

Harlem Fashion Week Tickets

Tandra shared, “The last part of our pilgrimage to Senegal was bittersweet, it was time to visit the slave fortress on Goree Island and stand at the “Door of No Return” the place where the ancestors stood before they were stolen from Senegal forever”. Tandra said, “As I approached the The House of Slaves, Le Maison des Esclaves I literally broke down in tears, I could feel the pain of my ancestors.”

Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa

Tandra and Yvonne came back to the states with a new sense of vision and purpose. Harlem Fashion Week will once again be donating funds to the Big Goree Project, your ticket purchase to the February 12th Runway Show at The Museum of the City of NewYork will help to restore La Maison Des Enclaves into an Amazing museum and the Door of No Return Will become “The Door of Return” for the African Diaspora.

Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa   Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa

Harlem Fashion Week hope that you will join us on February 12th, knowing that your ticket purchase helps to not only build a female-minority owned women’s business in the United States but HFW is also helping to restore relationships with the African continent and financially support the children and institutions in Senegal, West Africa.

Harlem Fashion Week Tickets

Harlem Fashion Week Goes to Africa

“Special Thanks to:

Eugene Adams, the Director of Collaborative Education at Bronx Community College, the American liaison of the Big Goree Project,

Stephanie Kane, Founder and Director of the Senegalese American Bilingual School

Mr. Sandaro Fame, our guide and educator at  SABS

Mamadou Adama Diop the Chief of Staff for the mayors office at Goree Island”

For More Information: info@harlemfw.com

27Sep/16
Harlem Fashion Week

Harlem Fashion Week 2016’s Epic Inauguration

Harlem Fashion WeekSince 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.

Visit www.HarlemFW.com for more information!

Garments by designers:
Isah Conteh, The 3rdEyeBrand, Hatchers, Simply Ma’am, Visions by Teonah Knighton, Next Level World, Yvonne Jewnell New York