Join the School of Fashion on February 23 at 9:30 a.m. in Rockwell Hall as we celebrate Black History Month. This year’s theme, “African Americans and the Arts” will be presented by our incredible alumni and industry partners. Our visiting guests will share their personal journey, drive and goal to work in the arts. Our school community will also hear their insight on the present and future direction of African Americans in fashion.
Schedule
Rhodes Conference Room
9:30 a.m. - Arrive at The School of Fashion
Meet and Greet – Faculty and Guests
Murphy Auditorium
10 a.m. - Introduction
Hillary M. Stone & Dr. Mourad Krifa
10:10 a.m. - Session 1
Alumna - Dara Broadous
10:40 a.m. - Session 2
Darnell-Jamal Lisby
11:10 a.m. - Session 3
Alumni - Jaron Warmack
11:40 a.m. - Session 4
Ashley White
12:10 p.m. - Q&A
12:40 p.m. - 1:00 pm – Break
Meet Our Guest Speakers
Dara Broadous (she/her), a proud Nigerian originally from the UK, now makes her mark in Columbus as a dynamic presence in the fashion industry. As a Kent State University fashion design graduate, she brings her creative talents to Abercrombie & Fitch, where she is celebrated for her role in co-creating the brand’s 2022 Black History Month collection among other notable campaigns. Beyond her professional endeavors, Dara dedicates her free time to her passion for bridal fashion, designing custom wedding gowns that reflect her journey from a bridal internship to the personal achievement of crafting her own wedding dress. This commitment to fashion is paralleled by her fervent advocacy for the mental well-being of BIPOC women in the neurodivergent community, blending her creative skills with a purposeful mission to support and uplift. Through her work and advocacy, Dara not only celebrates her rich heritage but also champions inclusivity and well-being, making a meaningful impact both within and beyond the fashion world.
Darnell-Jamal Lisby joined the Cleveland Museum of Art in 2021. A fashion historian, his charge is to develop projects rooted in fashion studies that range across the museum’s various curatorial departments. Most recently, he opened Egyptomania: Fashion’s Conflicted Obsession, and will be opening in a few months his next exhibition, Korean Couture: Generations of Revolution – a precedent of his mandate as well as what is to come. Lisby has a thorough understanding of the broader history of fashion dating back to the 14th century, but his particular focus is illuminating the intersection of Blackness and fashion studies in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Before coming to Cleveland, Lisby worked at an array of institutions in New York City, including Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Brooklyn Museum of Art. He also teaches in the Fashion Institute of Technology master’s program in fashion design, fortifying emerging designers with the historical knowledge they require to pursue fruitful careers.
As a curator, Lisby served as an advisor for the 2021 exhibition Voices of Fashion: Black Couture, Beauty, and Styles at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and was the sole fashion historian on the curatorial team for Willi Smith: Street Couture exhibition at Cooper Hewitt to name a few postings. He has published extensively on numerous academic and mainstream platforms, including the Fashion Studies Journal, Fashion and Race Database, Cultured magazine, and Teen Vogue.
Jaron Warmack (he/him), Sourcing Manager at Abercrombie & Fitch, leads the Sourcing department for Abercrombie and Fitch’s YPB Active Wear brand. Jaron’s work focusses in on the strategy and development of this new brand under the A&F umbrella.
Jaron was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and he attended Kent State University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising. Upon graduation, he moved to Columbus where he held multiple roles in Sourcing and Product Development at Express, Victoria’s Secret, and UpWest. After working in the industry for some time, he went back to further his studies at Ohio Dominican University where he received a M.B.A. with a focus on Leadership. Within his roles in the product development field, he has put a lot of emphasis on developing and building brands.
When Jaron is not working he loves to travel and try new experiences around the world with his loving fiancé.
Ashley White (he/him), VP of DEI at Big Lots, is responsible for leading the company’s DEI strategies, tactic execution and data reporting. Ashley has been charged with bringing lasting, systemic changes that ensure the elevation of DEI to the enterprise and advance belonging initiatives for our stakeholders. Ashley oversees Big Lots four Business Resource Groups (BRGs), the Diversity Council and the smaller, associate led, DEI committees designed to support the communities where Big Lots stores are present, our associates, and our customers led initiatives.
Ashley was born and raised in Ohio where he decided to attend The Ohio State University during his undergraduate studies. After graduating with a B.A. in Anthropology, he began his career in Human Resources with retailer Abercrombie and Fitch. Ashley, later received his MBA from Franklin University to bridge his knowledge gap of science and business. He now sits on the Franklin University’s Black Alumni Council which helps the university recruit, retain, and engage Black students and alumni.
Prior to starting his role as VP of DEI with Big Lots, he spent time with major retailers such as Macys and Target working on Strategy, Marketing and DEI teams. His focus has always been retaining customers and associates by providing “human” experiences that creates relationships from employer to employee or business to customer. As a strategist, Ashley prescribes to biomimicry, which leverages nature to inspire innovation in business.
Ashley sits on the Fashion Retail Studies and YMCA of the North boards where his professional work intersects with his passion of mentoring youth. While not working, he spends his time fly fishing and relaxing with his four children and wife in Minnesota.