Fashion And Tech Intersect At The 2022 AfroTech Conference In Austin, Texas

This year from November 13 to 17, Brands like Nike, Gap Inc., and Nordstrom, which houses a gamut of fashion name brands, to name a few, came to AfroTech and set out on the next generation of their business operations. 3M, the tech-materials brand which has offered the fashion world a lending hand in the creation process, also sought out the city of Austin, Texas, for relevance in the modern tech world. Aurora James, the founder, and designer of shoe brand Brother Vellies was invited to a panel to discuss accountability among corporations, flexing her Fifteen Percent Pledge program for companies to promote Black and POC fashion and beauty brands as they do others.

All the guests at the AfroTech conference come as they are, dressed in traditional white-collar office wear. Other tech enthusiasts and career-centric individuals wore modern looks, sporting Jordan brand sneakers, Fear Of God Essentials, or a mashup of the many HBCU relics, school pride with trendy garments to complement. Fashion is a form of expression, and in this setting, the tech world is showing its range and evolution from dark rooms full of servers and ambient screen light to outdoor benches and cafes where work gets done while inspiration happens around you.

Fashion was at the forefront of AfroTech, undoubtedly. Founder and CEO of Blavity Inc., and the six-year-old tech conference – since 2016 – Morgan DeBaun, displayed the relationship between tech and fashion perfectly. As a metaverse avatar, DeBaun got dressed and found her way to a VR version of the conference at an empty venue, seen on the large stage screens at the Austin Convention Center. With a bit of fun banter from her voice heard throughout the convention center and avatar on screen, DeBaun would ultimately ascend to the stage from a backstage staircase. She wore a similar outfit to her avatar, greeted the audience, then encouraged the audience to walk across the room to introduce themselves to one another.

DeBaun recalls that moment with humor, “Well, I knew what I was wearing weeks ago. This avatar must match the real dress that I’m wearing.” The initial introduction of VR fashion foreshadows the many styles that descended upon the AfroTech conference throughout the week. “I mean, the fashion and effort are incredible. We have so many creators here – we have a “fashion cam” that’s growing because we all get dressed,” she affirms.

DeBaun has a passion for the nuances of career culture and the flexibility of humans to adapt while remaining true to their individuality, especially in the tech industry, which can be recessed at times or removed from outward expression. She explains these intersections, “you know, we take pride in what we look like – the colors, the vibrancy. And what I really love about AfroTech is that people bring their full selves, and they’re proud of their culture.”

As fashion is a prominent industry in global categories, the tech world has already seen implementations of fashion into the space from innovators like Idriss Sandu, among others. “They’re proud of where they’re coming from,” DeBaun mentions of the AfroTech audience. “[AfroTech is] more global this year than [it] ever been and has people from all over the world, which for me is exciting. I’m waiting for the world to be ready for AfroTech to go global, and I think we’re getting close. And part of that is definitely fashion and music.”

Among panels that involved Aurora James, tech guru, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, or that discussed achieving operational excellence in an eCommerce business like Gap Inc., Fashion would surface every so often and hold the attention of thousands at the conference to relate. Music artist BIA, DJ Jasmine Solano, and DJ Millie, to name a few, came with their street-style-inspired looks to perform, and play sets for the energetic crowds at the Austin Convention Center.

On a panel with music producer Zaytoven, he spoke about how tech helps him create. Recognizing the possibilities, he states, “ it goes hand in hand. For me as an artist, you have to look like what you sound like. That’s what draws me to any artist and halfway makes an artist special. I’m very fashionable and best dressed back in high school. So, I have to stay on my fly game, and as time changes and new fashion comes in, you have to be able to adapt.”

He describes his early entrepreneurial days in grade school, advising the next generation of artists as a former local barber and church pianist. “For a fashionable artists, they should be able to groom themselves. If you know what you want to look like, you should be able to touch yourself up. That’s one of the reasons I became a barber – because I want to be fresh and look good all the time. So I can’t wait on a barber. My clothes are too fresh.”

He goes on about the tech side of his business as a producer, “I would love to get in that [Metaverse/Web3] space knowing it is only going to get bigger and better. I might be on stage and swap out equipment through the metaverse with three different drum machines. Swapping out clothes on stage – I feel like that’s the future.”

Nordstrom’s program “Closer To You” requires the department store to have a fully developed backend to cater to customers’ tastes in clothing with curated selections from their online inventory. These brands, including producer Zaytoven, spent the days of the conference navigating the many corners of tech while looking for the next in tech talent.

Through engagement with the tech community’s innate entrepreneurial spirit and personal sense of style, AfroTech is crafting the formula for a fashion-forward tech community that seeks to better the engagement between humans and tech.