Los Angeles’ Sovereignty Company was recently established. It is a social enterprise that promotes circularity and non-profit. Sovereignty empowers fashion entrepreneurs of color to solve climate change and other inclusion issues. These entrepreneurs will disrupt and redefine fashion and create equitable wealth through Sovereignty’s support. The not-for-profit will be focusing on three areas of impact: a non-profit Fashion CEOs Accelerator and a sustainable fashion brand SO.TY.
Dr. Corneil Montgomery (Neil), founded the non-profit based on his extensive experience as a social impact executive in Fortune 50 corporations, global not-for-profit organizations, and consulting. He has established partnerships with Lexus and Wells Fargo, and has received early support from influential fashion bloggers and thought leaders like Aditi Mayer, James Higa CEO, Philanthropic Ventures Foundation, and Edwina Kuleego vice president for international and business development at Informa Markets Fashion, and founder of Essentials By Edwina. Sovereignty’s vision is to create a diverse, inclusive and equitable fashion society that is fair, just, sustainable, and profitable for BIPOC communities. This accelerator is non-diluted and will assist fashion entrepreneurs and fashion designers of color to design and launch sustainable fashion business models and brands.
Neil Montgomery, co-founder and chief executive officer at Sovereignty Fashion CEOs Accelerator says that designers of color have shaped fashion history and evolution. However, they are still underrepresented and do not have the connections and resources to grow their careers. “Our mission is to help fashion entrepreneurs succeed by providing them with the tools they need to create sustainability in their brands and establish their reputations as leaders and change-makers in high-end fashion. This is what we believe they deserve.”
Fashion CEOs Accelerator offers resources for fashion entrepreneurs and designers to create and launch circular and sustainable business models. Sovereignty will invest in ESG-driven startups, early-growth fashion brands, and tech companies that are creating the future of sustainable and circular fashion. They have a special interest in funding BIPOC founders and those with less capital. The program provides a $50,000 cash grant to all participants. It also offers eight months of intensive education and training, peer support, mentorship, and connections with a network of circular and sustainability experts who can help them launch and grow their brands.
Charles Harbison is a highly sought-after creative director for global luxury lifestyle and consumer products. He has partnered with Sovereignty as chief fashion director of SO.TY, the enterprise’s sustainable fashion arm. Harbison has dressed celebrities such as Michelle Pfeiffer and Beyonce. He also designed and directed sustainable fashion lines for Ungaro, Cult Gaia & Nicholas, LA, and Banana republic. Sovereignty’s Fashion CEOs Accelerator will receive four percent of the profits from SO.TY.
Charles Harbison is chief fashion director at SO.TY. He stated that “Fashion accounts for a large portion of our landfill waste, which has adverse impacts on the environment in negative ways.” “We have the tools to create sustainable models through slow, neo-luxe fashion movements that maintain high-end fashion aesthetics. SO.TY and Sovereignty are committed to democratizing the access to sustainable design’s next generation.
SO.TY and Sovereignty Company aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 13, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action sponsored by the United Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The Vision 33 Impact Fund, a new funding arm that will invest in and support sustainable and circular fashion brands as well as tech companies under the Fashion CEOs Accelerator program, will be launched in November.
Sovereignty launched the Fashion CEOs Accelerator in the first year and hosted the SO.TY fashion show. The next steps for the company are producing multicultural content for climate change, launching Fashion CEOs Accelerator, opening the Center for Sustainable Circular Fashion Innovation in Los Angeles, announcing Climate Week in New York City and the Change Coalition members, as well as launching an impact fund with seed investors. Sovereignty will raise $21 Million in the first year to fund the accelerators program, scale up our impact investments in #netzero fashion solutions, and empower underrepresented groups.
