Over the course of a 6-month program, fellows each author 6 assigned interview profiles of dynamic Black fashion professionals. Fellows will work with writer/editor and The Kelly Initiative’s Co-founder, Kibwe Chase-Marshall throughout this process, engaging current industry best practices regarding interview requests, interview recording, copy-filing, and content promotion. Fellow-generated pieces will be published at TheKellyIniative.net, on the @TheKellyInitiative Instagram account, and may be potentially pitched by The Kelly Initiative to a range of media outlets.
Britnie Dates
Britnie is a writer with interests in fashion history, kinship, and personal narratives. Finding connections in how those shape who we are, she has contributed work to Magnify Magazine along with retail and digital outlets. Through writing, Britnie seeks to uphold the true stories of people and moments in time.
Lauren Baccus
Lauren is a textile artist and costume designer whose background in fashion has ranged from production to marketing. She is currently completing a Masters in Textiles and Material Culture from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Her work centers around the reframing and retelling of Caribbean stories; she remains strongly influenced by masquerade, the region’s legacy of resistance through clothing and the universality of play through dress. Lauren is the founder of Salt and Aloes, a platform that examines Caribbean material culture through literature, art, and dialogue.