Intuit Mailchimp and Black In Fashion Council (BIFC) are leveraging commitments to helping Black designers and fashion entrepreneurs accelerate their businesses.
In a new partnership, the BIFC and Mailchimp program and capsule collection are supporting and empowering women like Jamaican–American fashion designer Samantha Black of Sammy B, a women’s ready-to-wear clothing line, and Nigerian-Austrian designer Larissa Muehleder of the Muehleder label.
The limited-edition capsule collection, featuring five designers from the BIFC Discovery Showroom, debuted during New York Fashion Week.
Mailchimp, a marketing automation platform and email marketing service, leaned on Black In Fashion Council’s collective mission to amplify inclusivity within the fashion industry.
“I think we’ve done a lot of work for Brown and Black entrepreneurs and want to begin to extend that platform to female entrepreneurs and LGBTQIA entrepreneurs. We want to create as inclusive of a platform as possible and provide as much representation as possible,” explained Michael Mitchell, senior director of brand and content marketing at Mailchimp, in a statement.
Meanwhile, BFIC is a group of editors, models, stylists, freelance creatives, and industry stakeholders that wants to further MailChimp’s investment in entrepreneurs through programs, cutting-edge technology, mentorship, and accelerators.
Lindsay Peoples Wagner and Sandrine Charles, co-founders of Black In Fashion Council, released a statement. In part, it read: “Making the fashion industry more inclusive is an all-hands-on-deck undertaking and partnering with brands like Mailchimp to continue to amplify inclusivity efforts is just one step closer to a more equitable environment for all.”
Muehleder launched her fashion design label in 2014. As a Black woman designer and entrepreneur, she found the value in relationship-building and credits the ambitious program for helping her business gain exposure.
“This program is so important because it holds us up and says, ‘Hey, pay attention to these designers. And you should pay attention and be aware of nepotism and the lack of inclusiveness.’ It’s an honor for Mailchimp to have that broader lens as they partner with Black In Fashion Council,” said Muehleder.
Black is launching Sammy B in collaboration with Mailchimp.
“As part of the collaborations, we are receiving mentoring,” she said. “My brand is self-funded. And as a small business owner who has to do everything, having the help of a big machine behind me will make so much of a difference.”