Brandice Daniel, chief executive officer of Harlem’s Fashion Row and Icon 360, has partnered with retailers akin to Bloomingdale’s, Shopbop and Macy’s to create a web-based shopping directory for Black designers that launches Monday.

The brand new online shopping directory, HFR & Co., provides a curated list of emerging brands owned by Black and Latine designers. Somewhat than scour the web or a retailer’s website for Black designers, HFR & Co. allows shoppers to search out and support these designers through the partnering retailers’ web sites. Consumers will have the ability to buy a wide range of merchandise including women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, children’s clothes and accessories.

Among the many designers featured are Amsale, LemLem, Chelsea Paris, Feben and Studio 189.

“I would like to construct a community to extend awareness of emerging designers of color and to make it easier for consumers to search out and support them,” Daniel said. “I’m very thankful for the support of Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Shopbop in making this possible. As time progresses, I hope that other retailers will come on board.”

Shawn Outler, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for Macy’s, said, “As an organization committed to tackling barriers to representation, we at Macy’s Inc. are honored and proud to be an element of HRF & Co. This platform is not going to only increase consumer awareness of, and access to, Black and Hispanic/Latino-owned businesses and designers, it’ll also play a vital role in creating an equitable and sustainable future for these creators, as well.”

It isn’t any secret that Black-owned brands are significantly underrepresented within the retail industry, but that appears to be changing resulting from increased demand for Black-owned brands. A latest survey commissioned by Bloomberg and conducted by Morning Seek the advice of revealed that over 1 / 4 of Black Americans said that they purchase from Black-owned brands continuously. That share increases to 40 percent for Black people under the age of 35.

The location at hrfandco.com can be updated weekly and could have three onboarding periods next 12 months for more retailers to hitch the platform. All merchandise selections are directed to the retailers for purchasing. HFR’s team is managing the location and curating the products from the retailers. At present, that is strictly an affiliate website with the retailers. HRF will receive an affiliate commission from the transactions.

The goal is to supply consumers a option to shop Black and Latine brands sold within the stores where they already shop. “We hope that this drives more sales to the retailers and more business to the designers,” Daniel said.

Daniel founded Harlem’s Fashion Row in 2007 to support emerging talent and supply a platform for underrepresented Black and Latine designers.

Last February, Color of Change and IMG’s #ChangeFashion, together with Black in Fashion Council, launched what was considered the “first directory specializing in increasing opportunities for Black professionals in the style industry.” The directory contained profiles and resumes of greater than 300 Black industry professionals, from photographers and makeup artists to set designers and more, spanning locations globally.