The convergence of fashion and technology isn’t a collaboration that often comes to mind.

“People think fashion is still a space where if someone tells you they work in fashion they think you draw and have colored pencils and glitter at your desk,” said Brittany Hicks, founder of Girls in Fashion & Technology (G.I.F.T.).

But that’s changing. Business industries are making moves to incorporate more and more technology in production, customer services and other facets of commerce. The fashion industry is no different.

G.I.F.T. works to examine the convergence of fashion professionals and technology, and addresses the challenges plaguing fashion professionals as tech-based integration becomes an inevitable aspect of business.

“We’re merging that gap at the intersection of this creative piece of the industry and technology to help improve it,” she said. She’s come across more and more people trying to do the same.

That includes Jessica Couch, owner of Luxor and Finch Consulting. Couch is a fit technology expert in the niche fashion tech space. Through her consulting company, Couch works to aid others in their integration of technology, educating companies on improving fit.

It’s the partnership of Hicks and Couch that led to the Women of Color FashTech Brunch — an event open to those who support the inclusion of more diverse communities

The WHAT SHE SAID x Women of Color FashTech Brunch will be held on May 18 beginning at 10 a.m. at W Bellevue (10455 Northeast 5th Place). Tickets are $40 and include brunch, cocktails and access to the panel discussion.

The speaker series features women from the fields of fashion, music, design and technology and works to create collaboration and networking opportunities for women of color. Included in the discussion will be Brandy Brown of Marabou Design and Amy Newton of Amazon Fashion.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Sydney Mintle of Gossip & Glamour and cover the topics of diversity in the fashion industry, body positivity, career development for women of color and the importance of community building.

“Once you kind of dip your toe in the water you find other people playing in that same pond,” Hicks said. “It’s really awesome for me, but there’s definitely not a lot of us. We’ve seen more and more people become interested in how fashion touches so many things.”