Welcome back to another episode of The Haute Guide! 

In this episode, I’m sharing my experiences as a Black woman working in fashion in the Midwest—the lack of opportunities, the microaggressions, and why I’m not here to play the token role for anybody.

I’m also walking you through how to plan out your social media content as a fashionpreneur. I’m talking brand pillars, figuring out what your audience wants to see, and how to use tools like ChatGPT without losing your own voice.

And for AK’s Fashion Rant of the Week, I’ve got thoughts on Anna Wintour stepping down, Vogue’s messiness, Steve Madden’s viral moment, and why the fashion industry needs to get back to the actual plot of fashion.

Key Moments:

• Talking about why the Midwest can be a tough place for Black women in fashion

• The realities of microaggressions, lack of opportunities, and why I refuse to be the token Black voice

• Why I left corporate and built my own lane

• The mess around Anna Wintour leaving Vogue and my thoughts on who Vogue even speaks to these days

• Steve Madden’s viral interview and why people are loving his transparency

• Step-by-step on how to plan a social media content calendar as a fashionpreneur

• The importance of brand pillars and audience insights

• Using ChatGPT the right way—and why it’s a tool, not a replacement for your own voice

• My thoughts on industry politics, crabs-in-a-barrel mentality, and protecting your peace as a creative

Related Past Episodes:

• Branding & Social Media Strategy for Fashionpreneurs Pt. 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-haute-guide/id1661230412?i=1000690044168

Shoutouts + Special Mentions:

• The Cutting Room Floor — Check out their Patreon for Steve Madden’s full episode

• Imad Eduso— For the skirt that helped blow up my Instagram reach (here's the link to my viral reel: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJ2_7MiM_CP/)

• Other publications worth reading: WWD, Business of Fashion, and indie platforms that dig deeper than Vogue

• My social media content caledar for AK Brown: https://www.notion.so/1937a91ad565808cb21edeb09e189cdb?v=1937a91ad56580398ca5000ce5d6eb3a&source=copy_link 

• My social media content calendar template — included below if you’re ready to organize your content:

  • https://teal-cold-790.notion.site/2267a91ad56580a89ffdd9a5aadb74c8?v=2267a91ad565800e9eed000c63f3ccb1&source=copy_link 

• ChatGPT prompt templates — included below to help you plan your own calendar:

  • ‘Help me create a 3-month fashion content calendar with Reels, carousels, fashion commentary, SEO titles, captions, alt text, and hashtags. My pillars are [e.g. fashion education, personal style]. My audience is [e.g. Black women in fashion]. My vibe is [e.g. professional, sassy]. I want to post [e.g. 3–5 times per week].’

Next Week Sneak Peek:
Next episode, I’m diving deeper into Steve Madden’s podcast, Paris Men’s Fashion Week recaps, and sharing what it’s really like running a fashion magazine. Plus—where are we supposed to shop now that brands keep acting up?

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