MEDIA ADVISORY - HUDSON'S BAY AND FIFTEEN PERCENT PLEDGE TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF SHOP_BLK; AURORA JAMES TO DELIVER KEYNOTE AT PANEL DISCUSSION

WHAT:

Co-hosted by Hudson's Bay and the Fifteen Percent Pledge, Aurora James, the founder of the Fifteen Percent Pledge, will deliver a keynote followed by a panel discussion with Black creators, including George Sully, Emefa Kuadey and Tyler Ferguson. The panel will be moderated by Vanessa Craft and will touch on the economic power of Black businesses, opportunities for emerging Black-led and owned businesses, personal experiences related to their unique entrepreneurial ventures and thoughts regarding the current retail landscape.

Before, during and after the panel discussion, customers can shop a pop-up featuring local Black-owned and Black-led products featured in the SHOP_BLK assortment. They can also enjoy sips and bites, beauty touchups, live music, an art gallery and a photo studio, all from local Black vendors. The pop-up will run in-store for a period of two weeks.

WHEN:

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

5:00 PM ET to 8:00 PM ET

WHERE:

Hudson's Bay Queen Street Flagship

176 Yonge Street,

Second Floor - Women's Footwear

Toronto, ON M5H 2Y4

WHO:

+  Vanessa Craft

Global Head of Lifestyle & Education, TikTok

A trailblazing thought leader, Vanessa has built a career around inclusive content direction, trend architecture and amplifying next generation talent. As the Global Head of Lifestyle & Education at TikTok, she leads a team that sets the global strategy and direction for highly influential content verticals such as fashion, beauty, food, books and NGOs. Previously, Vanessa was the Editor-in-Chief at ELLE Canada, holding the historic position as the first Black woman across 44 global editions of the magazine to hold this title. In 2021, Vanessa was named to Variety's 2021 Global Impact list.

+  Tyler Ferguson

Owner & Lead Designer, Monoxide

Tyler Ferguson was born in Canada and raised in The Bahamas and Toronto. She founded Monoxide in 2012 and has been sharing it with the world ever since. Her collections have been showcased at London Fashion Week and featured in Forbes and Elle Canada. 

+  Aurora James

Creative Director and Founder of luxury accessories brand Brother Vellies and founder of the non-profit advocacy organization, Fifteen Percent Pledge

Aurora James has long worked to  make the global economy a more equitable place for historically excluded groups.

Founded in 2013, Brother Vellies began with the mission of keeping traditional African design practices and techniques alive. The brand supports artisan communities around the world, creating timeless pieces that celebrate different cultural histories and honor the individuals that make them through fair labor practices and job creation. 

In June 2020, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Aurora founded the Fifteen Percent Pledge, a non-profit advocacy organization that urges companies and individuals to make a long-term commitment to increased diversity and representation across their business practices and buying habits. Since its founding, the Pledge has signed 29 pledge takers including Nordstrom, Vogue, InStyle, and Sephora U.S., and helped over 625 companies launch their products with pledge takers. In 2021, Aurora became the first Black female designer to receive The Founder's Award in honor of Eleanor Lambert, and was named one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People.

+  Emefa Kuadey

Civil Engineer turned Fashion Engineer, Founder of ISRAELLA KOBLA

Emefa Kuadey is a Fashion Engineer and Founder of ISRAELLA KOBLA, the women's clothing and accessories brand that is redefining minimalism, with pieces highlighting an appreciation for architecture and timeless design. In 2022, Emefa was the recipient of the first ever 'The Bay Fashion Fund.'

+  George Sully

Designer, Founder of Black Designers of Canada

George Sully is an award-winning multidisciplinary designer, entrepreneur, and creator of the Black Designers of Canada (BDC). He is also a Bata Shoe museum inductee, co-founder of House of Hayla and creator of the break-out brand Sully & Son Company.