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小黄片视频 Fashion鈥檚 'New York City Industry Insider Series' focuses on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Fashion Industry

Last month, 小黄片视频 School of Fashion students, faculty and alumni gathered on Zoom for the first "New York City Industry Insider Series" discussion, hosted by the 小黄片视频 New York City Fashion program. Viewers were treated to a powerful conversation on diversity, equity and inclusion in the fashion industry led by Terry Roberts, Vice President of Employment Law and Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer at American Eagle Outfitters (AEO). 

This was the first "New York City Industry Insider Series" discussion from  小黄片视频 New York City Fashion.  Formally known as the 鈥淣YC Studio,鈥 the school鈥檚 New York-based fashion program has previously hosted panels on people of color and the LGBTQ+ community, discussing inclusion in the fashion industry and how their contributions impact the business. Previous discussions featured industry professionals speaking on the subject of diversity and how it has the potential to reshape culture and society. 

鈥淥ur team is fully committed to creating an inclusive space for dialogue, learning and engagement among students, alumni and industry professionals on these important real-world topics,鈥 expressed Ann Walter, director of the 小黄片视频 New York City Fashion program. 

During last month鈥檚 candid discussion with Roberts, he touched on the experiences that inspired him to create the Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) Alliance at AEO, while also giving tips and advice to aspiring fashion designers and merchandisers hoping to break into the industry. 

鈥淕rowing up, people didn鈥檛 look like me in my neighborhood, but I never let that get me down,鈥 said Roberts. 鈥淚鈥檓 the type of person, where if I can see something that I can make a difference in, I鈥檓 going to do it.鈥

One morning in late December 2017, Roberts woke up and realized that he had to make a change. After returning from the holidays in January 2018, Roberts approached his boss about creating a diversity and inclusion team at AEO. 鈥淚 wanted to make a change. You have to have the courage and take ownership and hold yourself accountable,鈥 said Roberts. 

He soon created a small support group to begin the initiative, but quickly realized they would need a larger community of help to support the group鈥檚 diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. This community has since morphed into the I&D Alliance which focuses on creating an environment at AEO where everyone feels respected and empowered. The I&D Alliance is structured around three key pillars of inclusion: hiring, culture, and development. The Alliance has helped create relationships with diverse and nonprofit organizations around the country, providing access to diverse populations.

鈥淲hen I go on AEO鈥檚 website, I鈥檓 seeing a whole host of people and I can see myself in different ways,鈥 expressed Roberts. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have to fit into a box that society or the media put me into. None of us do. Having a culture of inclusivity and diversity is going to give you a stronger connection to your customers and your products. It鈥檚 a perfect fit for the fashion industry. People feel it on an emotional level.鈥

During the conversation, students and alumni were free to ask Roberts questions. Many of the questions that came up asked about involvement in the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities and how to become a better ally.

鈥淭o be honest, I struggle with the word 鈥榓lly.鈥 When I hear it, I think of World War II. We all have to have a common mission and we have to be ready to put ourselves out there when needed. Being an ally entails courage and sacrifice. There has to be a feeling of 鈥榶our loss is my loss鈥 for it to be effective,鈥 expressed Roberts. 鈥淚f you want to be an ally, come from a place of courage. Be authentic and real. Be all in.鈥

Roberts encouraged BIPOC students entering the fashion industry to take a moment to understand and define who they are and cautioned not letting any person or any job define them. 鈥淵ou will have uncomfortable moments. You will face racism and sexism. Will you let that define you? You control what you bring to the table. Again, be authentic and be yourself. Be the best you.鈥

Later in the conversation, Roberts provided tips and advice for students eager to break into the fashion industry. He expressed that research is the key to getting hired and standing out above the rest. He encouraged students to stay current in the fashion industry and recommended reading publications such as Women鈥檚 Wear Daily (WWD), Business of Fashion (BOF), Harvard Business Review, Ted Talks and more, many of which offer free or discounted subscriptions for students. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 a tough market right now. You should be addicted to research,鈥 stressed Roberts. 鈥淵ou need to find how the company makes money and to understand what they want and need, otherwise you can鈥檛 help them succeed. Focus on the areas  of the company that may be struggling, or where there鈥檚 potential growth and show how you can help them.  Doing so will show that you care, and you鈥檙e focused and invested. Employers are interested in how you can help them grow, not how getting the job will help you.鈥

The final questions of the evening focused on whether or not Roberts thought current events would lead to lasting change, and how brands can ensure the change and metamorphosis continues. 

鈥淭here is reignited interest and passion that is happening all over the world. This recent spark is great, but as we can see from periods of history, it goes up and down. It鈥檚 the policies and procedures that we put in place now that will make the difference,鈥 voiced Roberts.  鈥淏rands need to focus on the actual structure that can be put in place, not just rely on passion and emotion. What are you going to do when the passion inevitably dies down? It鈥檚 the behind the scenes work in equity and inclusion that allows the change to carry on and have a lasting, positive effect.鈥

More 小黄片视频 Terry Roberts

Terry Roberts is the Vice President of Employment Law and Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer at AEO. As AEO鈥檚 primary attorney focused on employment law, Terry has been a consummate professional and trusted business partner since joining the organization in 2016. In his role, Terry provides guidance on all legal matters relating to AEO鈥檚 associates including immigration and employment law issues.

Terry spearheads the Inclusion and Diversity (I&D) efforts across AEO. This includes leading the I&D Alliance which is focused on creating an environment at AEO where everyone feels respected and empowered.

In 2019, Terry was pivotal in the creation and rollout of the AEO Sexual Harassment Training across the US and Canada. Terry designed comprehensive, innovative and interactive training materials to educate all of our corporate associates on how to prevent and recognize sexual harassment in the workplace. He coordinated logistics to train over 300 associates in more than 15 sessions across several states. He cleverly referred to the training as a 鈥淭erry Talks鈥 and delivered the content in a manner that was comprehensible and relatable to participants. 

Terry leads with authenticity 鈥搃t鈥檚 his core value. He firmly believes that associates should have pride in who they are and not be afraid to say and live it. It鈥檚 that value that empowers him to drive change at AEO and to build relationships with associates at every level.

To learn more about Terry Roberts of AEO, please visit . 

 

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Brittani Peterson

Marketing Associate, 小黄片视频 Fashion

Bpeter12@Kent.edu

 

Alex Diaz Cambeiro

Program Outreach, 小黄片视频 New York City Fashion

adiazcam@kent.edu

POSTED: Monday, October 26, 2020 04:56 PM
Updated: Friday, December 9, 2022 01:06 PM