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Advocate, documentarian, model, muse—with a career spanning over five decades, Bethann Hardison has gone from working in NYC’s Garment District; to becoming one of the first Black models favored by European and New York designers; to creative director and producer; to founding her namesake agency where she guided the careers of some of the most prominent models. In 1988, she founded the Black Girls Coalition, and in 2013, she spearheaded the launch of the Diversity Coalition sparking an industry-wide movement for diversity and inclusion. In recognition of her decades of advocacy work, Bethann has received numerous awards, including the CFDA’s Founder’s Award. In 2018, with the support of the CFDA, she founded The Designers Hub to guide and empower Black designers, and the following year she became an inaugural member of Gucci’s Changemakers Council. 2023 marked her directorial debut when Invisible Beauty, which she co-directed with Frédéric Tcheng, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The documentary has since been featured worldwide in over two dozen film festivals, winning several awards, including the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary Film, and is currently available in the U.S. on Hulu and all digital platforms after an eight-week nationwide theatrical release via Magnolia Pictures. Currently, Bethann serves on the CFDA's Board of Directors and as Gucci's Executive Advisor for Global Equity and Cultural Engagement.
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