Christine Brooks Cropper

Christine Brooks Cropper: Prior to her fashion journey, Christine served as the Victim Of Crime (VOCA) and Violence Against Women (VAWA) Administrator for Mayor Anthony Williams of Washington, DC 2002-2005 managing victims of crime accounts worth over $2 million annually for each account. Christine holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Delaware. Co-owned and operated StyleMovement Consultants, a fashion show event planning company and managed and provided marketing/pr strategies for fashion designers in her 20s. Key clients included: Dona Adrian, costume supervisor for the 2004 Peabody Award-winning HBO drama series “The Wire”, the Congressional Black Caucus Spouses Association and the Smithsonian Institute Folklife Festival. At present, Christine is spearheading a fashion initiative that will change the way the world will view Washington, DC, she formed the DC Fashion Council and launched a new Chamber of Commerce-The Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce. Co-Chaired the first Creative Economy Summit under the leadership of Councilmember Michael A. Brown and served on Mayor Gray’s Creative Economy Transition Team. Christine is a change agent and innovative strategist for the Creative Economy and has been awarded for her leadership, The Small Business Initiative of the Year, from Washington, DC Economic Partnership in 2009. Nominated by the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum for the Corporate and Institutional Achievement Award 2011; an official recognition of design excellence and innovation by the White House Millennium Council program for National Design Week and presented by First Lady Michelle Obama.

The DC Fashion Council, an advisory body made up of a group of designers and industry leaders to promote the fashion industry in Washington, DC to lobby to get Bill No. 17-173 to create the Commission on Fashion Arts and Events passed in DC government. Under the leadership of Ms. Brooks-Cropper, founder and President & CEO of the Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce, spearheaded the lobbying efforts, drafted the language for the Mayor’s Order for the development of the legislation and made the changes to the Bill during mark-up that was passed by the Committee on Economic Development and Full City Council and signed into Law April 15, 2008 (L 17-0148). In 2010, Ms. Brooks-Cropper formed the first Congressional Apparel Manufacturing and Fashion Business Caucus on Capitol Hill.

In addition, these organizations have successfully identified ways to retain and support new and established designers and assist design students transitioning from school to career. Her dedication to DC’s fashion community is evident in her service. Before the successful charter of the Greater Washington Fashion Chamber of Commerce, a 501c6 non-profit trade association, she started the process to implement activities outlined in the Bill to include introducing fashion youth programs into various Parks & Recreation Centers and Boys & Girls Clubs. She is currently working to create the first DC Fashion Incubator program that will assist emerging designers and fashion small business owners. Her other accomplishments include the Fashion Forum 1: Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Fashion Capital, Program Advisory Committee Member-The Art Institute of Washington, DC Advertising and Fashion & Retail Management Program, Teen Beauty/Etiquette Workshops for Teen Girls (Private Parties), Keynote Speaker- DC Fashionista Group Meet-up July 2007 Meeting & International Ethical Fashion Show for Avani Ribbon September 2007 for World Bank, District Sample Sale projects (Hotel Helix), Fashion Freedom Rally on Freedom Plaza September 24, 2007, FLY-STYLE December 2007, Men’s Style Lounge February 2008, Fashion Roundtable discussions with DC Economic Partnership, GWFCC Outreach Spotlight Series 2008-2010, GWFCC Business Workshops 2009-2010- Fashionably Biz on H Street awarded $5,500 business plan competition, DC Camp Runway (Fashion Camp-trained over 150 youth each summer) 2008-2010, Project Fundway- awarded $5,000 scholarship 2009-2010, Peru fashion trade missions 2009-2010, DC50 CW Network FBL Expo 2009-2010 over 3,000 people at Washington Convention Center, Pink Fashion Rocks!, VIP Fashion Shows- over 100 events, conducted over 300 lobbying meetings for the fashion industry and connected several designer members to revenue generating clients, press, start business and jobs and providing business support services to GWFCC members. Congressional Fashion Caucus on Capitol Hill March 2010 and conducted four issue forums on Capitol Hill with Rep. Diane E. Watson, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Rep. Nadler, Senator Landrieu, Senator Burris, U.S. State Department, White House USTR, Nanette Lepore, Betsey Johnson, Fern Mallis, Stan Herman, Yoehlee Tang, Giorgio Gucci- descendent of the House of Gucci. See www.gwfcc.org for more business accomplishments.

In addition, Christine has been asked to sit on various Host Committees and as a featured guest to help execute various Best of DC events, such as the Sweet Charity, Heart of America Foundation, Chocolate Fashion Show from 2009-2011; featured panelist for the “The Balancing Act: Is There Such a Thing as Doing Too Much?” for The Red Tent Symposium for Women based on “The Rent Tent: A Novel” by Anita Diamant hosted by LiL SoSo Productions; and a guest monologist for the hit playwright “ The Vagina Monologues” by Eve Ensler for the 2011 V-Day Campaigns held in Silver Spring, MD. Lastly, Christine has been recognized as a Who’s Who of in Black Washington, DC the Second Edition and the Global Directory of Who’s Who Honoring Executives & Professionals for her leadership and accomplished work.