BIPOC in Fiber launch!

It’s finally happened! BIPOC in Fiber has launched and it’s a real website that you can really visit! Why am I extra excited about this? Because yours truly is the web developer!

I’ll rewind for a moment and give some brief background information. BIPOC in Fiber is a directory (and soon-to-be resource portal) designed to highlight and celebrate Black, Indigenous and People of Color working in the fiber industry. Our mission is to improve representation in the industry so that it reflects the diversity that’s already present in the community.

The whole project is the brainchild of British knitwear designer, Jeanette Sloan, who has been writing publicly about diversity in the knitting industry since at least 2018. Jeanette compiled a list of POC designers and crafters on her blog which was a touchstone for many people (including me) after the increased conversation on racism and diversity in the fiber community began early last year. That list was the seed that grew into BIPOC in Fiber.

I got in touch with Jeanette, asking if she wanted any help to grow her one-page list into a standalone resource. I tried to play it cool, but if I’m being honest, I really wanted to be part of this project. And I am so glad I am part of the team. I’ve gotten to know a group of amazing women through my work with BIPOC in Fiber and am lucky to count them as friends. They are all insanely brilliant at what they do, creative, inspiring, loving and supportive. So here’s a massive shoutout to the BIPOC in Fiber team and the friends I’ve made along the way: Jeanette Sloan, Lorna Hamilton-Brown, Felix Ford, and Juliet Bernard.

Please do spend some time browsing the BIPOC in Fiber directory which is full of 100 profiles of BIPOC designers, dyers, YouTubers, artists, weavers, the list goes on and on. What new-to-you maker have you discovered?