Masako Konishi to Deliver Lecture as Part of the Class of 1963 Scholars in Residence Program Konishi, Chief Merchandising Officer at Forever 21, will deliver her talk on Sept. 25.
Washington and Lee University will welcome Masako Konishi, Chief Merchandising Officer at Forever 21, to campus for a lecture titled “The Changing Landscape of Leadership and DEI in Fashion” on Sept. 25 at 5 p.m. in Northen Auditorium in Leyburn Library. The talk is free and open to the public.
Konishi is visiting W&L as part of the Class of 1963 Scholars in Residence Program, and her visit is supported by the Class of 1994 Office of Inclusion and Engagement, the Office of the Provost, the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics, the Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group, the Museums at W&L, the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, and the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
As Chief Merchandising Officer at Forever 21, Konishi leads the merchandising, design, and trend & concept teams. Prior to joining Forever 21, Konishi held leadership roles at various iconic brands, including Victoria’s Secret, Gap, Banana Republic, Fashion Nova, Abercrombie & Fitch, James Perse and 7 For All Mankind. She is also a founding member of the Victoria’s Secret Executive Diversity Council. During her talk on Sept. 25, Konishi will discuss the advocacy of women of color in the retail sector and share her experiences in diversity, equity and inclusion work within the fashion industry.
In advance of her public lecture, Konishi will host a conversation circle about navigating the fashion industry as a woman of color on Sept. 24 at 3 p.m. in the Watson Galleries. This Q&A session is open to the W&L community; space is limited and reservations are required.
Konishi will also host a lunch session with students to discuss being a woman of color in fashion and retail on Sept. 26 at 11:30 a.m. in Elrod Commons 216. The luncheon is open to W&L students; space is limited and reservations are required.
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