Meet Our Team
Amanda M. Bernaudo
Job Title: Director of Merchandising
School attended: University of Colorado at Boulder
What drew you into the fashion industry? Fashion has always been fun and fascinating to me, especially when I figured out at a young age that it is a way for people to express themselves. The different trends, cultures and history with fashion drew me in and I wanted to be part of it. What I really wanted to do in my career was to learn how to make the best trends that are hundreds or thousands of dollars accessible to anyone who wants to be part of the fashion world, but for a lot less.
What do you hope to accomplish with your services within The Fearless in Fashion Council? I want to bring awareness to people of color who want to be in the industry. I want to banish any sense of fear or insecurity anyone may have because of where they came from or what they look like. I want to break down that wall and let anyone enter this industry who shares the same passion as I do.
What moment have you had in your career that made you feel so proud of yourself? It has to be starting this group. I love every second of it and I hope it can make a difference. I’ve teamed up with some brilliant women who also want to make a difference and I know we will.
Amanda Bevan
Job Title: Assistant Buy Planner at Nordstrom
School attended: University of Arizona
What drew you into the fashion industry? I've loved fashion ever since I can remember. Always drawing on napkins, sketching my own fashion week looks and collecting Teen Vogue.
I went to a middle and high school with uniforms, and that also sparked my motivation to get into this industry. I always wanted to express myself through my clothing and was awe inspired by the creativity of high fashion. The beauty and luxury of the industry drew me in and was something I knew I needed to be a part of.
What do you hope to accomplish with your services within The Fearless in Fashion Council? There are a lot of things I hope to accomplish with The Fearless in Fashion Council.
I want to give women like myself the resources needed to thrive within the industry. It can be hard to break into the fashion world, but there is a lot of adversity to face when you get here. Whether that is with race, weight, class, income or anything else. The industry has been run one way for a long time. A support system on ways to deal with this, open communication and a safe space is what I hope to provide. Hopefully by doing this, it will increase education in the industry and lessen the adversity which we face.
I also hope to provide resources for minority and/or underprivileged women getting into the industry. Resume workshops, networking events etc. to help create more diversity in the workplace.
What moment have you had in your career that made you feel so proud of yourself? I've had a handful of small proud moments along the way as I build my career. One that stands out to me most was my first NY trip to Coterie. Growing up in LA it had always been a dream of mine to go to NY and experience the fashion world there.
Once I got to the show, I had to just stand back and take a second to say "Look where you are and what you are doing! Look how far you've come." That was a proud and exciting moment for me.
Ricki Robinson
Job Title: Designer at Hudson
School attended: Kent State University
What drew you into the fashion industry? I have always loved sewing. Sewing was definitely my 1st love. As I got older, I became more interested in fashion. It became my outlet — sewing and making clothes.
What do you hope to accomplish with your services within The Fearless in Fashion Council? I strongly believe that representation matters. I hope to encourage, inspire, and mentor young people of color who have a "passion for fashion" and are motivated to succeed. My hope is that through this Council young people from different backgrounds see that it is possible to follow your dreams. Sometimes when you don't see people who look like you, don't let it discourage you-- let it motivate you.
What moment have you had in your career that made you feel so proud of yourself? Good question. I would say, when I got hired at PAIGE. My first fashion job in LA was a temp job (which I enjoyed) but PAIGE was my 1st "big girl job", in a sense. I remember feeling so proud and being so eager to learn and grow.