Who are you and what's your role in fashion?

My name is Lena-Sophie Roeper and I am the General Manager for the Designer Proposition at Zalando. I have been working with Zalando for 9.5 years now and prior to that worked at Michael Kors and Saks 5th Avenue in New York. 

What excites you about being part of the selection panel for the Accelerator? 

I am delighted to be selected as a panellist for the accelerator programme because it offers Black designers and creatives a pathway into an industry that has been historically inaccessible and exclusionary. It represents the opportunity for mutual growth and to  identify which areas of the design and retail cycle require the most support and evaluation in order to improve the experience for both designers and retailers. 

What do you hope to see in the applications?

A broad array of diversity and talent, as well as innovative small businesses that would benefit from connecting with our experts!

Why do you think this accelerator is valuable?

 It is valuable because the fashion industry is like most other industries when it comes to the lack of equal chances and opportunities for anyone from a marginalised background. It is a great programme to not only generate awareness about this, but actually open doors for the Black community. It is just a starting point, but I hope it will encourage many more initiatives and businesses to achieve greater equality in the near future.