Brahmin is on a mission to become an example of a business that not only promotes diversity and equity but incorporates it into everything we do. The Brahmin Employee Resource Group, a Brahmin-associate led workgroup, creates initiatives that enhance Brahmin's culture at all levels. This team has led initiatives to educate our teams on a variety of topics over the last year. We’ve been fortunate to meet and learn from industry leaders and want to highlight some of them during Black History Month.
Meet Jeff
Jeffrey Tweedy is the former President of Sean John and Executive Vice President of Men’s Division and has now transitioned to an advisory role in the organization. Currently, he is serving as board member at Academy Sports and he recently joined FIT as an advisor for social justice initiatives.
Jeff is an inspiration to Brahmin. As a young Black man in the fashion industry, he was met with a lot of challenges early in his career. He never accepted ‘no’ for an answer, and his persistence and drive propelled him into success.
During our discussion, he shared how important it is to have a seat at the table in order to make changes to the status quo. “I can’t effect change from the sidewalk. I have to be in the building to make a difference for people of color in the fashion industry,” said Jeff.
Through his work with the Social Justice Center at FIT, he strives to provide a path for up-and-coming leaders in fashion and creative industries so they too can have a seat at the table. As a special advisor to President Joyce F. Brown, Jeff is helping to build and expand the center, which was established to make these industries more equitable by alleviating the systemic problems faced by BIPOC youth, college students, and working professionals.
Jeff’s guiding principles when it comes to his outlook with his career can help inspire us all:
- Focus on the little wins, they add up to big accomplishments.
- Get out of your comfort zone. Getting to greatness is never comfortable.
- There is no such thing as ‘I can’t’ or it’s not possible’.
- Build your own brand.
More about Jeff
Jeff was a founding executive at Sean John, where he served as president for over 20 years. During that time, the brand won accolades from the industry including a CFDA Award for Best Men’s fashion brand and two FIFI Awards for fragrances.
He was instrumental in taking the brand into the GBG fold. Once there, he continued to oversee all aspects of the Sean John brand including operations, marketing, and sales as well as advancing designs and creating dynamic collaborations to mark the brand’s 20th anniversary in 2018. In addition, he managed its longstanding relationship with MACY’s Inc.
Under his leadership, Jeff evolved Sean John into a full lifestyle brand bringing on licensing partners including Peerless, PVH, S. Rothschilds and Parlux to name a few. In March 2019, Jeff was given additional responsibilities and added the title of EVP for the men’s division at GBG. He is credited for his strong creative vision, introducing many unique innovations to GBG as well as his ability to predict shifting trends as he elevated the Men’s Division.
Prior to joining Sean John, Jeff served in executive roles at brands including Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, and Karl Kani, to name a few.
Jeff supports a select group of philanthropic organizations including advisory to Harlem Figure Skate; a member of the 5000 Role Models Excellence Project, and advisory to both Black Fashion World Foundation and Black Retail Action Group (BRAG). He serves as board member to the Piney Wood School in Mississippi and recently joined the board of Academy Sports and Outdoors Inc. (ASO).