Bob Bland
Bob Bland
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Bob Bland

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Bob Bland

Mari Lynn Foulger (born December 17, 1982), better known as Bob Bland, is an American fashion designer and activist. Bland co-chaired the 2017 Women's March but later resigned from the 2019 Women's March board following accusations of antisemitism and various internal controversies. She is the CEO of Manufacture New York, promoting "ethical work practices and sustainable fashion".

The daughter of two public school teachers, Bland was born in 1982 in Northern Virginia. She was sewing by the time she was eight years old and put on her first show in high school, with 32 original creations marching through the cafeteria. She attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. She graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in fashion design.

Bland attended Pohick Church in Lorton, Virginia, and served as a youth minister at a summer youth work camp in 2005.

Bland worked on the design floor for Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, and in parallel started her own label, Brooklyn Royalty in 2006. She attempted to source production locally, but faced difficulties. In 2014 Bland said that her line participated in four to five fashion week events since being founded.

In 2012, Bland founded Manufacture New York which operates a 160,000 square foot industrial plaza in Sunset Park, Brooklyn named Manufacturing Innovation Hub for Apparel, Textiles and Wearable Tech, and a work hive for independent designers. Bland worked closely with congresswoman Nydia Velázquez and solicited grant money from NY city officials, receiving grants from the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Growth Accelerator Fund, followed by a $3.5 million grant from New York City. In 2016 the organization was part of an initiative named Advanced Functional Fabrics of America that was awarded $75M federal grant from the Department of Defense.

Following the 2013 Savar building collapse which killed more than 1000 in Bangladesh, Bland has called for on-shoring of the apparel manufacturing industry saying that cheap fashion from off-shored manufacturing exacts a toll in lives and lack of sustainability.

Bland was an early member of the Facebook discussions and planning with Teresa Shook that would culminate in the Women's March on Washington and associated international marches held after the inauguration of Donald Trump. She served as the Washington National co-chair of the organization when it was incorporated. Fortune magazine named her and the other public faces of the movement in a list of 100 greatest leaders in relation to the March. Bland originated the idea of the Women's March on Washington and associated international marches held after the inauguration of Donald Trump. Bland tapped Linda Sarsour, Tamika Malory, and Carmen Perez as co-chairs in order to give the march a diverse leadership team.

Bland later criticized the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. According to Bland, white women are complicit in white supremacy in as much as they benefit from white privilege, and therefore should let people of color take the lead in the struggle for civil rights.

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