How Felita Harris Went From a Retail Training Program to Running a Nonprofit for Emerging Brands

In our long-running series “How I’m Making It,” we talk to people making a living in the fashion and beauty industries about how they broke in and found success.

Felita Harris jokes she was the “annoying little sister” growing up, “borrowing” clothes and makeup from her older siblings.

“When I started in fashion, my loftiest goal — because retail was my level of visibility, and I didn’t know much about roles in New York — was becoming a regional manager,” she says. “Having several stores under my managerial scope would’ve been amazing.” But more was in store for the Tennessee-born fashion executive, who went on to work with LVMH brands: “I ascend to executive vice president with 40 countries under my role.”

Harris got her start in a management training program at Neiman Marcus in Atlanta, Ga. before joining companies like Nordstrom, Lela Rose and Donna Karan Collection. “Every role I’ve had has been essential to creating the arsenal of information that I have at my disposal and the network,” she says.

In 2020, she co-founded the non-profit Raisefashion, which offers aid to emerging talent in the industry and has worked with some of New York’s finest designers, like Diotima’s Rachel Scott and Jacques Agbobly. (She now serves as the organization’s executive director.)

“The biggest challenge that a lot of people face right now in retail is the glass ceiling. It’s very difficult to transition from retail to wholesale because it’s often located in New York,” she says. “Mostly when people talk about diversity in retail, it’s happening at the store level, which means it’s not happening at the corporate level.”

Keep scrolling to read about Harris’ career journey, from working on the retail floor at Neiman Marcus to serving on the wholesale side and launching mentorship programs to uplift young talent.

How did you get your start in the industry? What was your first job?

I started my career in the industry with Neiman Marcus in a management training program. I was so excited — Neiman Marcus was and still is the epitome of luxury. It was an incredible opportunity to learn about the world of luxury retailing.

One of the most valuable lessons during my time there came from my manager, John Williams. He emphasized the importance of recognizing and appreciating everyone’s contribution in the store, from handling shipping and alterations to providing top-notch customer service to everyone that walked in the door. To the point about the less visible aspects of retail, sometimes we focus our attention solely on people in the public view and discard those behind the scenes, but John taught me early on in my career that nothing is possible without the support of everyone, especially those behind the scenes.

Neiman Marcus helped to catapult me into other opportunities, such as a Nordstrom management role and working with Agnona when I transitioned to wholesale.

How did you find your way into the merchant side later on?

I went for what I believed I could accomplish, and some of those roles were extended to me because of mentors and sponsors that gave opportunities.

When I was working in retail for Nordstrom, I got a call from a previous individual I’d worked with at Neiman, who introduced me to the former CEO of Zegna. They were looking for someone to open up their first Agnona freestanding store in the United States. That introduction led me to a hybrid role that encompassed retail and wholesale, and it changed the trajectory of my career. That’s where I learned wholesale. Several years later, the introduction of a role at Donna Karan Collection came.

Could you walk me through what you consider to be your biggest career milestones?

It’s been a remarkable journey, but the few that I highlight the most are definitely my tenure at Donna Karan Collection during its ownership by LVMH. I started as a director of retail merchandising, and progressed over 12 years to senior vice president of global wholesale and franchise partnerships.

When I started with the company in my twenties, I had no idea what career opportunities lie ahead. That’s why I stress the importance of going into a role and doing your best according to the job at hand. Alongside career advancement, I encountered remarkable individuals who invested in my success and profoundly influenced my personal life.

Another significant career milestone is definitely Raisefashion. When we embarked on this journey four years ago, our aim was to establish a network and provide essential resources to BIPOC creatives. I’m truly astounded by how this mission continues to thrive in such a positive way. It’s not the result of the efforts of one individual, but rather the collective support of thousands of advocates across five continents. It’s not individual success, but I think that’s what makes it so important for me as a milestone.

What were some of the biggest lessons that you learned in that role at Donna Karan Collection?

Take a chance on yourself. When the door is open, walk through it. Sometimes you have everything it takes, and sometimes you don’t. But if people around you believe that you have what it takes, believe in yourself. There were many executives that invested in me. They equipped me with educational resources, with mentors and sponsors who would not let me fail. With that assurance, I was able to also invest in myself and spend those extra hours and extra days equipping myself to win and accomplish my goals.

From our conversation, it sounds like mentorship has been one of the pillars of your career, not only in your own experience, but also in giving to others.

It’s a thread that I didn’t know was so important. I didn’t ask for mentors or sponsors. People were stepping into my life because they cared, because they saw talent. That’s really the beautiful thing about having people around you who are looking out and being present in their own experience. Mentors and executives were looking for talent, and they weren’t focused on my racial background. They were looking for someone who could get the job done, and that happened to be me. I didn’t have my professional footing yet, but they made sure that I was equipped to execute.

Let’s talk about Raisefashion. How and when did the idea come about?

Raisefashion was launched during the pandemic after the death of George Floyd. Eight women leaders in fashion stepped forward to create a nonprofit offering pro bono advisory support, access to resources and grants for Black designers. It started as a simple social media post requesting assistance for Black designers that yielded an extraordinary outpouring of support and solidarity for something that we believe needed to happen immediately. Following that, we had to streamline our intake process and advisory services for the designers within our network, along with establishing our summer internship program for HBCU students. I think that speaks to how quickly you can amass support when there’s alignment and purpose.

We’ve had big wins: We’ve expanded our program to include more grants. We have paid internship programs and in-person networking events aimed at nurturing community. We’ve expanded our board to 12 members instead of eight. We have 400 advisors, and we work with over 200 brands. Our program has awarded $1 million in grants to BIPOC designers and interns.

You were talking about how these mentors came into your life and saw you for your potential and not for your race. But we know there are still these biases and inequities that persist. What are the stakes without advocacy programs?

If we don’t have programs like Raisefashion, we don’t have diverse designers and underrepresented voices at an executive level in the industry. When you think about the annual summer internship program, when you think about hundreds of designers that are receiving pro bono advisory support, when you think about the grants, these are necessary business imperatives that designers need. It’s not optional. The financial barrier to access a corporate career in fashion is extraordinary. That’s why our program at Raisefashion, we pay interns: We give them $5,000 for the summer to be able to live in New York City and to get an apartment so they can get the internship, then they get paid an hourly wage.

What are some of your favorite success stories from the program?

What I’m most proud of are the outcomes that we’re able to provide for designers. It’s very difficult to provide names because everyone, and I do mean this, is extremely talented. We have a very aggressive application process for a reason: Designers in our program, in our network, our masterclass and beyond are here because they’ve demonstrated a level of success that deserves the industry’s attention. Designers that have scaled a business to the level of hosting on their own DTC platform [or were] able to showcase during New York Fashion Week or otherwise — that demonstrates their tenacity, commitment to their craft and desire to stay in this business. That’s worth the investment.

What do you really look for and value in a designer or a brand that you want to support and help get to that next level?

Overall, we’re looking at tenure in the industry. We’re looking at design innovation, revenue scale, communication, social media engagement, the ability to collaborate with a brand or retailer.

What do you hope to accomplish through Raisefashion in the next five to 10 years?

Our goal is to ensure that there’s representation of our product and a pipeline for BIPOC talent in the fashion industry and that we have created programs and financial resources to sustain that.

What advice do you frequently give emerging designers and creatives?

I recommend emerging designers allocate time to plan three essential aspects beyond design: revenue ideation; assembling a team, inclusive of a thought-leadership board; and securing financial resources. These are aspects of a business that won’t go unnoticed and are crucial for long-term success and sustainability. I always say passion will drive a business, but it’s not enough to build a business.

Does it seem like a lot of designers are overly focused on the creative versus the business and entrepreneurial side?

I think so, and that’s not abnormal. Many underrepresented designers aren’t equipped with the financial resources or business support so that they have the luxury of only focusing on the creative. They are born creatives. Unfortunately, business requires that you focus on the aspects like financial resources, supply chain production, the things that keep the wheels turning.

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?

Prioritize self-love. It’s the foundation upon which all of our actions are built. It really shapes how we interact with others and the contributions we make to their lives. Self-love empowers us to be gentle with ourselves and invest in other people. It’s the ultimate expression of humanity.

In other conversations I’ve had, with people in fashion or just friends, we talk about how you can’t give from an empty cup.

When I can’t change something or I come up against obstacles, I practice A-C-T: A, I accept what I cannot change; C, I continue to engage in activities that nourish my spirit, which are definitely my faith, family and friends; T is for teach, I learn from the experience and ask myself if there’s an opportunity for growth. It keeps me in a state of self-love, self-expression and not staying immobile. Staying open is really how I have learned to fuel myself and stay giving.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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