Gap Inc. Kicked off NY Fashion Week with Celebration of Inclusion

Gap Inc. kicked off New York Fashion Week in style celebrating Black fashion designers at the Harlem’s Fashion Row Fashion Show and Awards, where leaders from Gap Inc. and Banana Republic walked the red carpet and mingled with fashion movers and shakers. The following morning, Gap Inc. exclusively hosted a breakfast for 15 of the designers. It was a celebration of inclusion in our industry and part of the Equality & Belonging team’s efforts to expand diverse talent recruitment. 

Kisha Modica (Senior Director, Talent Management and Head of Equality & Belonging) said, “This event showcases the future of fashion and celebrates the beauty of Black culture and its undeniable influence on the industry. We look forward to deepening our relationship with Harlem’s Fashion Row and helping to unlock doors of access for designers of color.” 

During the breakfast, Brandice Daniels (CEO, Harlem’s Fashion Row) hosted a chat with Bahja Johnson (Director, Merchandising - Banana Republic), Ra’mon-Lawrence Radeke (Director, Design - Banana Republic), and Jermaine Younger (Sr. Director, Merchandising – Gap) about their journeys through the fashion industry, particularly as people of color. Three of the Harlem Fashion Row designers also shared their stories, their vision, and inspiration for their lines. Mark Breitbard (President and CEO, Banana Republic), capped off the event saying that this event was more than celebrating diversity, it was also about being present where innovation is happening. 

Harlem’s Fashion Row Breakfast, hosted by Gap Inc.  

While in New York, Mark Breitbard, Kisha Modica, and Megan Delassio were also on hand for a special signing of the Open to All pledge hosted by Tapestry, Inc.! As a founding signatory to the pledge, along with Levi Strauss & Co., it was an honor to welcome over 50 fashion houses into the Open to All coalition at the start of New York Fashion Week. As Art Peck, CEO and Sonja Syngal said in their recent LinkedIn note, there is no competition when it comes to fighting bias. 

As the company celebrates its 50th anniversary, we’re proud that our values of equality and individuality have remained a priority from Day 1, and we believe inclusion and opportunity are key to retaining talent and driving growth. Today, for the 3rd year in a row, we were ranked as a top ten most diverse company by Refinitiv’s Diversity and Inclusion Index, a global ranking of over 7,000 publicly traded companies. 

Megan Dalessio Sr. Manager, Equality & Belonging, Gap Inc.

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