"Darkness cannot drive out darkness.

Only Light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate.

Only Love can do that."

---Prophet Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Partner with Seattle-based Innovative Entrepreneur, Deirdre D. Parker

Are you a professional fashion model eager to capture stunning images for your portfolio? Or a business owner seeking an eye-catching graphic design presentation to attract more customers? Perhaps you need legal documents meticulously prepared for court? Then, consider partnering with Deirdre D. Parker, a Seattle-based renowned entrepreneur and former professional fashion model? She artfully combines her artistic vision and keen analytical skills as a freelance fashion and commercial photographer, graphic designer and paralegal in order to obtain positive results for her clients, where creativity effortlessly merges with sophistication.

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Explore the unique range of services provided by Deirdre D. Parker

Photography Sessions

Capture your style with professional fashion/commercial photography

Expert guidance & computer-generated designing for your graphic design presentation & brand vision

Exceptional expertise & assistance with legal documentation & research tasks.

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About Seattle-based Innovative Entrepreneur, Deirdre D. Parker

Originally from Los Angeles, California, Deirdre D. Parker made her home in the vibrant Metropolitan Seattle area, where she has lived for many years. With a legacy as a Seattle-based entrepreneur, couturière and distinguished former professional fashion model, she has made significant strides in the Greater Seattle Metropolitan area, securing numerous bookings in runway shows, editorial shoots & commercial print advertisements for nationally esteemed companies.

Deirdre D. Parker: "The Seattle-based Professional Fashion Model."

Throughout her modeling career, Deirdre D. Parker was represented by a well-regarded local Seattle modeling agency enabling her to land prestigious professional modeling gigs, including bookings with the Pacific Northwest’s iconic, premier, upscale & now-defunct, Frederick & Nelson’s Department Store (a division of Marshall Field's Depart Stores), British Airways Airlines, and Michelob Beer, among others.

She has also distinguished herself as a former dedicated employee of the city of Seattle for numerous consecutive years, alongside working for a number of other prominent companies in Seattle, Washington & Beverly Hills, California. Her role involved maintaining strong relationships with affluent clientêle (celebrities, socialites & philanthropists) through collaboration with high-end retailers featuring luxury designer collections such as Chanel, Escada, St. John, Ungaro & Valentino.

Although Deirdre D. Parker is primarily a couturiêre & Founder Visionary at Seattle Couture Atelier, where she currently acts as the Creative Director for the Seattle Couture luxury brand (www.seattlecouture.com).  She also is the new owner of the re-launched ‘Seattle Fashion Week' (www.SeattleFashionWeek.Company), which will premiere in the city of Seattle during the fall of 2026.  And from time-to-time, she tends to engage in a little bit of fashion and commercial photography, graphic design & paralegal work on the side (www.deirdredparker.com).

With a unique blend of creativity and professionalism, Deirdre D. Parker offers a diverse range of services.  Her passion for fashion and keen eye for detail sets her apart in the industry.  And Deirdre D. Parker's dedication to excellence and innovation drives to create captivating designs and provide exceptional services for her clients.

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Explore the diverse experiences of Deirdre D. Parker, a multifaceted artist & professional.

"I Broke-Up with My Boyfriend,

Whole Foods!"

"WHEN CORPORATE PROMISES MEET REALITY: A FORMER LOYAL CUSTOMER'S EXPERIENCE WITH UNLAFUL DISCRIMINATION & RACIAL PROFILING AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET

When I broke-up with my boyfriend, Whole Foods it wasn't over the macaroni & cheese or two-bite brownies! For nearly two decades, I walked through the doors of Whole Foods Market as a loyal customer, believing in the company's values of community, equality & respect. But that trust was shattered in a single afternoon when I attempted to make a routine product exchange for $17.94 accompanied with a valid receipt, dated well within the company's 90-day return policy at the now closed Broadway Madison location in Seattle, WA when I encountered two Whole Foods employees: racist Caucasian "Whole Foods 'KAREN'" and  African American "Whole Foods 'BLACK KAREN'" who chose not to "do the right thing," but assimilate with Whole Foods' discriminatory culture.

Excerpts From the Book:

What unfolded was not merely substandard customer service, but a calculated act of racial discrimination that revealed the stark contrast between Whole Foods' public declaration of solidarity with the Black community and the lived reality of Black customers within the store.

I experienced immediate bias directed at me from "Whole Foods 'KAREN'" and "Whole Foods 'BLACK KAREN'" based soley on the color of my skin and casually dressed appearance. Their treatment towards me was nothing short of racial profiling, as "Whole Foods 'KAREN'" continued whispering to "Whole Foods 'BLACK KAREN'" about me in a disparaging manner, perpetuating harmful stereotypes about Black women. This unjust judgement occurred before I had even requested to make an exchange, reflecting the troubling ignorance and systematic bias present within Amazon-Owned Whole Foods' establishment.

As I patiently waited to be served, "Whole Foods 'KAREN' and 'Whole Foods 'BLACK KAREN'" stood staring at me with undisguised suspicion. Before I could even state my business, "Whole Foods 'KAREN'" began whispering to "Whole Foods 'BLACK KAREN'," their eyes fixed on me with an assumption of wrongdoing that had no basis in anything I had said or done. The only basis they could have had was the color of my skin and my casually dressed appearance.

"I can wait if you need to tell her something," I said politely, attempting to ease what I hoped was merely an awkward moment, even though I knew that it wasn't.  But when I held up my Whole Foods sales receipt and explained, "I just have an exchange.  Here's my receipt," their behavior only intensified.”

SHOPPING WHILE BLACK: WHEN A RECEIPT WASN'T ENOUGH

Available for Pre-Order!

---By Deirdre D. Parker

In a contemporary retail environment, customers expect transactions to be executed smoothly and without bias. However, the experience I encountered at Whole Foods starkly illustrates how underlying issues of racial profiling and discrimination can abruptly tarnish what should be a simple exchange transaction. The system clearly displayed an approval message upon my request for an exchange: “APPROVED[.] SWIPE CARD.”  Yet, despite this affirmation from the system, two employees- “Whole Foods ‘KAREN’” and “Whole Foods ‘BLACK KAREN’ ---engaged in behavior that not only disrupted the process but also raised serious concerns regarding discriminatory practices.

Upon receiving the initial approval for my exchange, I anticipated the next step to be straightforward: swiping my card through the reader device as prompted. What transpired instead was a palpable tension when I noticed that ‘Whole Foods ‘BLACK KAREN’” did not provide further instructions to complete the transaction by allowing me to swipe my card through the reader device as prompted.

In a professional setting, one would expect employees to facilitate the process by providing clear instructions. Instead, when I sought clarification and politely inquired, “Would you like me to slide it now?” the response came abruptly from “Whole Foods ‘BLACK KAREN,’” who curtly dismissed my question with a resounding “No!”  She then turned her attention to “Whole Foods ‘KAREN,’” who had been standing nearby and observing our interaction, prompting her to approach the cash register. 'Whole Foods 'BLACK KAREN's'" immediate refusal, couple with her body language directed toward ‘Whole Foods KAREN,’ suggested an unspoken alliance against my attempt to complete the transaction.

The conduct of “Whole Foods ‘KAREN’” exacerbated the situation further. Instead of adhering to the established Whole Foods Market company policies aimed at fostering customer engagement and satisfaction, she intervened in an aggressive manner.  After abruptly walking over to the customer service desk and glancing at the register screen; seeing the approval of my exchange, she claimed, rather falsely, that I could only exchange for an identical product. This assertion blatantly contradicted Whole Foods’ publicly available Whole Foods' company policy, which allow for flexibility in exchanges under certain conditions. Such a misrepresentation of the company’s regulation raises significant questions about the policies, training and attitudes of their employees, particularly as they relate to customer service and inclusivity.

When I requested to speak with "Whole Foods 'KAREN's'" superior, regarding the unfair treatment, rather than de-escalate the situation or honor the approved transaction, she escalated the situation by summoning security personnel over the store intercom. This act led to my immediate public embarrassment and humiliation in front of other customers and employees, as I found myself surrounded by approximately eight (8) uniformed and plain-clothed security staff and other Whole Food employees from various departments. Such behavior was not only unprofessional; it was a clear manifestation of unlawfully and racially discriminatory business practices.

"Whole Foods Market Return Policy" asserts that customer satisfaction is paramount, stating that returns are excepted with a receipt within 90-days of purchase. "Whole Foods 'KAREN'" and "Whole Foods 'BLACK KAREN'" chose to ignore this commitment, engaging in behavior that promotes discrimination, racial profiling, harassment, retaliation & gas lighting, all while attempting to conceal their misconduct.

Moreover, I experienced a stark contrast in customer service later that day at a different Whole Foods location; South Lake Union, where my same exchange, which understandably, had now become a return, was processed without issue by another staff member.

After my transaction had been completed, when I reported the discriminatory incident to the staff member and shared my video footage with him, he provided me with a corporate contact number and mentioned he would report it to the Store Team Leader. Yet, when she saw me, she said nothing--- only starred. My complaint was met with silence, another form of institutionalized complicity.

This experience demonstrated and led me to conclude three (3) critical facts: 1) my exchange request was fully compliant with company policy; 2) the earlier denial was not based on policy but on discriminatory basis; and 3) Whole Foods' policies are inconsistently applied in ways that disproportionately harm Black, Indigenous & People of Color (BIPOC).”

“I ASKED, "WHOLE FOODS 'KAREN'" IF I COULD SPEAK TO HER MANAGER?!

This is not just my story. It is a pattern-- one documented across multiple states, involving numerous employees and customers, spanning more than a decade. It is the story of corporate hypocrisy at the most damaging: a company that publicly mourned the tragic murder of the late & beloved George Floyd while privately perpetrating the very discrimination it claimed to oppose."

THE HYPOCRISY: PROFITING OFF OF BLACK PAIN

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