Building on the McDonald’s Change of Fashion program, the initiative aims to address underrepresentation of Black fashion designers and support Black-owned fashion brands during New York Fashion Week and beyond

(Black PR Wire) CHICAGO – Did you know that only 7.3% of fashion designers in the U.S. are Black? [1] McDonald’s USA understands the significance of this issue and has called for change through its Black & Positively Golden (B&PG) Change of Fashion program, an initiative that pairs five rising Black designers with five fashion industry insiders for career-shifting mentorship and more.

The Golden Arches is now doubling down on the cause by bringing Change of Fashion to one of the industry’s biggest stages, New York Fashion Week (NYFW).  The fashion industry and fans nationwide are invited to Show Up and Show Out in Black-owned brands by supporting and shopping Black fashion designers during the month of September and beyond.

“Having witnessed the challenges and underrepresentation that Black designers face in the fashion industry, I am thrilled to advocate for their incredible talent through McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden Change of Fashion program,” said journalist, NYT bestselling author, TV host and founder for the birthFUND, Elaine Welteroth. “During New York Fashion Week, a highly coveted time on the fashion calendar, I look forward to seeing fans join the Show Up and Show Out in Black movement by using their style and platforms to support Black designers. It's time to celebrate the community’s contributions and drive meaningful change towards a more inclusive fashion industry.”

Join the “Show Up and Show Out in Black” Initiative

In partnership with Black Owned Everything – an organization on a mission to elevate the visibility of Black-owned brands – McDonald's invites fans to shop the collections of the Change of Fashion designers and raise awareness of underrepresentation in the fashion industry by donning a “Show Up and Show Out” badge.

Fans can earn a badge in three different ways, while supplies last:

• Make a purchase in support of Black designers, including the five Change of Fashion designers, on BlackOwnedEverything.co

• Request a physical badge, free of charge, at ChangeofFashion.com

• Download a digital badge at ChangeofFashion.com, or through the Black Owned Everything site

Anyone can join the movement on social by posting a photo or video featuring a favorite look from a Black fashion designer and tagging @WeAreGolden and @BlackOwnedEverything.

“It’s time for the industry to shine a light and pay homage to the incredible creativity, tenacity and accomplishments of Black fashion designers,” said Black Owned Everything founder, Zerina Akers. “Black Owned Everything is proud to champion McDonald’s Show Up and Show Out in Black movement in celebration of Black-owned businesses, community, and inclusion.”

McDonald’s USA at New York Fashion Week 2024

The Golden Arches welcomes fans to join McDonald’s experiences throughout New York Fashion Week, which will feature pop-up shopping experiences, thought-provoking panel conversations led by industry mavens, and more:

• September 8, 2024| McDonald’s In-store Designer Meet & Greet | 1528 Broadway (Times Square), New York, NY, 10036 | TIME: 3PM – 5PM ET

• September 10, 2024 | McDonald’s Change of Fashion State of Fashion Symposium | Moonlight Studios, 330 Hudson Street, New York, NY 

Since McDonald’s launched the B&PG Change of Fashion program, designers have received funding, participated in career-impacting mentorship sessions and have seen their brands elevated on big cultural stages including the BET Awards and Essence Festival of Culture. To further empower Black fashion designers, both emerging and established, McDonald’s joins forces with luxury design house LaQuan Smith to deliver industry mentorship to the Change of Fashion designers during New York Fashion Week. To learn more about the program, and the Change of Fashion designers Shareef Mosby,  Nia Thomas,  Durrell Dupard, Larissa Muehleder and Heart Roberts at NYFW and beyond, visit ChangeofFashion.com, or follow their journeys on Instagram @wearegolden.

About McDonald's USA

McDonald's USA, LLC, serves a variety of menu options made with quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. Ninety-five percent of McDonald's approximately 13,500 U.S. restaurants are owned and operated by independent business owners. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter @McDonalds and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mcdonalds.

Reference

1 Per Zippia, as of 2021