Congolese designer Anifa Mvuemba staged one of the most groundbreaking runway shows last Spring. Picture it: curve-hugging dresses, waist-cinching tops, and floor-sweeping pants sashaying down an invisible catwalk — but make it 3D. Mvuemba’s futuristic and captivating showcase of the Pink Label Congo collection for her Hanifa brand aired on Instagram and put her on the fashion industry’s radar. Since, Mvuemba’s stunning, sophisticated designs have been worn by stars like Zendaya and Beyoncé, and on fashion magazine covers, including InStyle. Though she hasn’t quite caught up with all the attention she’s received from her first big moment in the fashion spotlight, she’s vigorously working to outdo herself. “There are still so many things lingering from last year,” she says. “My team and I are just starting to breathe again. I’m always challenging myself to elevate my brand and to be a step ahead.” AfroTech caught up with Mvuemba to discuss tech in fashion, advice for emerging...

With fashion technology, designers are connecting with consumers in more direct, innovative ways, and Coy Griffin wants more people of color at the forefront of that discovery. The Bronx-born Afro-Latina didn’t take the conventional path to fashion technology. She landed in the industry after gaining a slew of on-the-job experience at corporate internships and gigs at IBM and Johnson & Johnson. “When I was in college, I interned for Johnson & Johnson as a regular data analyst punching numbers all day,” she said. “At that point, I wanted to pivot into the fashion industry using my knowledge of data analytics, so I just started Googling fashion analyst jobs, and that’s when I discovered trend forecasting.” Even after discovering forecasting and working at a variety of fashion-tech startups, the Clarkson University graduate launched Your Own Creativity to truly marry her passion for fashion and technological innovations. The YOC is a content platform that helps make fashion tech easy...