The fashion, tech, and media community gathered for the first Women of Color FashTech Brunch on the West Coast in partnership with Gossip & Glamour and W Bellevue on Saturday, May 18th. The brunch was part of W Hotel’s global event series featuring female thought leaders and included a panel discussion featuring a variety of voices including Brandy Brown of Marabou Design, Jessica Couch of Luxor and Finch, Amy Newton of Amazon, and Brittany Hicks of Girls in Fashion and Tech.

The discussion moderated by Sydney Mintle of Gossip & Glamour covered a variety of topics including the challenges faced by fashion brands when it comes to addressing diversity and inclusion, why size inclusion is vital to sustainability, and the importance of addressing inclusion in academia to ensure a diverse stream of talent.

Guests of the event enjoyed a marketplace featuring brands including andieanderin, Cultro Clothing, and Lika Love, plus coveted networking opportunities over brunch. Sponsors included Remodista, Boxed Up, W Bellevue, and Luxor and Finch. View the full photo gallery by Vivian Hsu on the Gossip & Glamour Facebook Fan page.

Created by Brittany Hicks and Jessica Couch, The Women of Color FashTech Brunch is an event series designed to empower women of color who are pursuing careers in fashion, media, and technology fields. After hosting several successful events in New York and launching a fashion + tech podcast at SXSW in Austin called WTF Fashion (Will Tech Fix Fashion), the duo has announced plans to continue expanding the brunch around the country. "We believe that community is the foundation of progress and growth for women of color in fashion and technology," says event producer Brittany Hicks. "We want to provide a network of support for women in fashion, tech, and media who feel marginalized," adds Jessica Couch.

Future events are scheduled for Los Angeles, London, and New York. Sign up for the Gossip & Glamour mailing list to hear about upcoming events, trunk shows, and activations.

View the full photo gallery of the WHAT SHE SAID x Women of Color FashTech Brunch by Vivian Hsu on the Gossip & Glamour Facebook Fan page.