Last month, the Women in Footwear Design (WIFD) committee hosted its final event of 2024 at Industry’s headquarters in Portland. The sold-out event welcomed a wide range of attendees from across Portland’s footwear industry.
“It’s been incredibly powerful to witness female designers connect from across the industry—from the university level to entrepreneurs to designers and leaders. I always feel like I’m in the room with royalty. The goal is to continue to provide resources, community, and access to accelerate representation—at every level—in the footwear design field.”
—Kristina Gerig- Design Director, Lululemon + WIFD Committee Chair
Keynote speaker Zoe Cope of Studio ZCC led participants through an engaging talk on how to begin building a personal brand that authentically represents their unique stories.
Photographer Aubrey Gigandet provided free professional headshots to attendees through the first hour of the event.
The WIFD group started earlier this year when local footwear industry insiders—including designers from Lululemon, Hoka, Nike and On—came together to create a platform to provide resources and opportunities for women in the footwear design industry. WIFD intends to build community through events and programs that create space for peer to peer connection and support. With the support of Prosper Portland A&O, the group has organized and executed three events this year.
WIFD is looking forward to more exciting gatherings in 2025! Be sure you’ve signed up for the AOP Newsletter for the latest information about upcoming events and opportunities.
Many thanks to Zoe Cope, Aubrey Gigandet, Industry, Prosper Portland and FLI Social for their support of this event.
