McDonald’s has launched “Black and Positively Golden Change of Fashion,” a program aimed at advancing the careers of black fashion designers through mentorship, resources and financial support.
The impetus behind the program is to bridge a gap in the fashion industry: Black designers have invented trends from the zoot suit of the 1930s to the hip-hop tracksuit of the 1980s, yet only 7.3% of designers in the U.S. represent Black brands, according to the company. McDonald’s says it launched the program to advocate for change across the industry.
In doing so, it will pair five emerging Black designers with five Black industry professionals to complete a year of mentorship, culminating with the launch of a capsule collection. McDonald’s and its owners/operators will provide each designer with a total of $200,000 in funding, mentorship sessions, access to master classes, and more. Change of Fashion designers will also appear in national television commercials alongside their mentors, including author and TV host Elaine Welteroth, Matte Collection CEO Justina McKee, retail executive Shawn Howell, LaQuan Smith COO Jacqueline Cooper, and Shelley McMullen, founder and CEO of luxury concept retailer McMullen.
“For decades, McDonald’s has used its size and scale to invest in and support the diverse communities we serve,” Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and customer experience officer, said in a statement. “The Change of Fashion program builds on that tradition and is an effort to push new boundaries to drive real change not only for our five designers, but for the fashion industry as a whole.”
The five designers chosen by the selection committee include Durell Dupard, founder of New Orleans-based Freddie Estelle, Shareef Mosby, CEO of Richmond, Virginia-based VICTIM15, Larissa Muhledder, founder of New York-based Muhledder, Hart Roberts, founder of Brooklyn, New York-based HEARTHROB, and Nia Thomas, founder of New York-based Nia Thomas.
In 2019, McDonald’s launched “Black and Positively Golden,” a campaign aimed at uplifting the Black community through education, empowerment and entrepreneurship initiatives. In 2022, the company launched the B&PG Change Leaders program as part of the B&PG Futures 22 platform.
Please contact Alicia Kelso [email protected]
