Pitter Calls Attention to the Need for Greater Diversity and Inclusion Within the Wedding Industry, Along With Better Resources for Underrepresented Wedding Professionals
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Knot—a leading wedding planning and registry resource—today unveiled the Spring 2021 issue of The Knot Magazine, featuring Pantora Bridal founder and designer Andrea Pitter as the cover star. The new issue of the magazine, available on stands and digitally today, shares Pitter’s story of founding and building a bridal empire rooted in celebrating and serving Black women.
Pitter started Pantora Bridal when she was 20 years old and has taken the business from a 400-square-foot showroom to a 3,000-square-foot store, tripling the size of her team and forging relationships with prominent retailers—including Kleinfeld—in the process. In her interview with The Knot Magazine, Pitter describes Pantora Bridal in Brooklyn, New York, as a “safe space for Black women,” detailing how a few dresses and a tiny showroom grew into a fully realized boutique, wedding dress collection and ready-to-wear line.
“I started designing wedding dresses when I was 20 years old, and Black women weren’t wearing bridal on the runways,” said Pitter. “Today, I’m on the cover of The Knot and my dresses are being sold in Kleinfeld. I have a seat at the table—running a business rooted in good intentions. We are representing the underrepresented.”
Pitter was also forthcoming about the lack of inclusivity in the wedding industry to date and her quest for greater representation of Black love in the media. “What we’re doing is bigger than dresses,” she said. “I’d love for people to really understand what diversity looks like, because it’s not just including Black women. It’s also their thoughts, sentiments and culture. We need to show as much Black love, Black body acceptance and Black joy as possible.”
“It’s vital for wedding publications, including The Knot Magazine, to represent all types of love and all couples,” said Kristen Maxwell Cooper, editor in chief of The Knot. “We are honored to share Andrea Pitter’s story and further bring to light the enormous opportunity we and the industry have to better highlight and serve Black and other underrepresented couples and wedding professionals.”
In addition to appearing on the cover of The Knot Magazine, Pitter is also joining The Knot Worldwide—parent company to The Knot and the largest global wedding planning company—on its mission to help bring awareness to the need for more inclusivity and diversity in the wedding industry. Pitter will serve as a mentor in The Knot Worldwide’s eight-month intensive program, Fellowship for Change, providing career advancement opportunities for underrepresented wedding professionals in their first years of business.
“I’m proud to share my story and help lead the next generation of diverse talent while working with The Knot Worldwide to make sure everyone can see themselves and succeed in this incredible industry,” said Pitter.
Created by WeddingPro—The Knot Worldwide’s B2B brand that connects small businesses nationwide with millions of engaged couples through The Knot and WeddingWire—Fellowship for Change will offer qualifying small business owners exclusive educational resources, mentorship opportunities with renowned wedding professionals, networking and financial support in the form of advertising on The Knot and WeddingWire.
For more information about Fellowship for Change and to apply as a fellow or mentor, visit https://go.weddingpro.com/fellowship-for-change. The submission deadline for fellows and mentors is 11:59 p.m. ET on January 18th and Fellowship for Change will officially kick off for 30 fellows on March 1, 2020. Underrepresented professionals are defined as Black, African American, Hispanic, Latinx, Native American, Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+, woman-owned and veteran-owned. These communities were determined based on a combination of factors, including: demand from our couples and pros, US population breakdowns, and external research on diversity, equity and inclusion best practices.
To read Andrea Pitter’s full interview with The Knot, visit theknot.com/content/andrea-pitter-campbell.
About The Knot
The Knot is the nation’s leading multiplatform wedding resource offering a seamless, all-in-one planning experience—from finding inspiration and local vendors to creating and managing all guest experiences, wedding registries and more. The trusted brand reaches a majority of engaged couples in the US through the #1 wedding planning website TheKnot.com and #1 iOS and Android mobile app The Knot Wedding Planner, The Knot national wedding magazine, and The Knot book series. Since its inception, The Knot has inspired approximately 25 million couples to plan a wedding that’s uniquely them. Visit The Knot online at TheKnot.com and follow on social media: Facebook.com/TheKnot and @TheKnot on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
