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Black Interior Designer Showcase BIDS Website Takes Lead in Featuring...

The popularity of HGTV, Fine Living and TLC's design shows reflect the dynamic impact designers have on the world and on our lifestyles. Black professional interior designers working in both residential and commercial areas have been asking for years:Where are we as a group Why aren't there more black interior designers in such a highly publicized and growing career field The lack of diversity in design is an ongoing discussion, but for Alicia Valair, CID, CKD, Allied Member ASID, founder of Black Interior Designer Showcase, the answer is simple. If African-American youth do not see or hear about black interior designers, how will they know the profession is a viable career option

"We envision a necessary collaboration with the Council for Interior Design Accreditation and American Society of Interior Designers.We've also approached colleges and universities, various design organizations and industry affiliates prior to launching BIDS." The website's first industry link was to Directory of African-American Architects, a 2007 AIA Award Winner for Collaborative Achievement, co-founded by Dennis Mann, Professor of Architecture at University of Cincinnati.

Though the statistics are fairly undocumented, of the 30,000 members of American Society of Interior Designers, only about 2,000 are African-American. Ironically, never before in the history of the career field has professional design services been so accessible to those wanting the expertise of an interior designer. Yet, black interior designers are virtually invisible and practically unavailable. With increasing focus on the population growth of Latinos, many interior design industry marketers are overlooking the African-American market. Two of every three minority dollars are spent by the black community and a large proportion of that are on household consumer goods.

Despite spending nearly $124 billion on housing, housewares, furnishings, and appliances, black consumers often find it difficult locating black interior designers to assist in making these choices. The online BIDS directory is the first step towards overcoming the challenge. "Our goal in 2008 is to expand the Black Interior Designer Showcase website into an annual hard copy publication and distribute it to consumers, architects, builders and other industry professionals." says BIDS founder, Alicia Valair, Principal of Lifestyle Design Interiors.

Blackinteriordesigners.com is the first and only ezine exclusively featuring African-American residential and commercial interior designers. BIDS is where industry affiliates can locate, interact, build relationships and market to the African-American interior design community and their clients.

In-depth articles on pertinent issues such as green design, sustainable design and Aging-in-Place will feature regularly. Interviews with interior designers, architects, lifestyle experts and furniture designers are scheduled. BIDS' latest editorial collaborations are with expert photographer, Myriam Abdelaziz, a finalist at PHotoEspaHa 2007 and blog writer Jerise Henson, founder of Riclectic.com.

Interior designers and student designers can join the BIDS online directory with an email submission. Consumers can subscribe to the BIDS newsletters. Architects, contractors, builders and remodelers are included in the member networking listing and can also join online. Contract and residential furnishings manufacturers, to the trade showrooms and companies seeking link partnering and online sponsorship opportunities with Black Interior Designer Showcase, contact Alicia Valair directly. Visit the site for more information:

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