The world of high-end fashion may be dazzling, opulent, and endlessly glamourous, but there’s one issue that keeps rearing its ugly head: designer diversity. Despite some progress, luxury fashion remains overwhelmingly dominated by white designers, with most of the major houses having a strikingly monochrome slate. It’s time to break these decades of entrenched bias, and open the door for a more varied, dynamic industry.
1. Diversity in Luxury Fashion: A Continuing Struggle
Luxury fashion has often been viewed as an exclusive domain, set apart from other forms of fashion. The reality, however, is that luxury prêt-à-porter has long struggled with inclusivity and diversity across various lines. Here are a few key points highlighting the continuing issues surrounding the lack of diversity in luxury fashion today.
- Visible representations of people of colour, as well as a wide range of body types, are often sorely lacking.
- Designers and advertisers often fail to be cognizant of cultural nuances when featuring certain looks and designs.
- The overall message being conveyed often perpetuates age-old stereotypes of inequality.
The discourse surrounding luxury fashion and diversity must, therefore, evolve. As a rule, designers must be held more accountable for their actions, and conscious attempts should be made to bridge the gap between what is created, and what is seen. With more representation both in the fashion industry and in the media at large, an open dialog can foster true change.
2. Examining the Statistics: Who is Being Represented?
Statistics tell a story, whether they’re about a government or a business or the world’s population. Taking a look at who is being represented in these numbers can often paint a picture of the situation or provide valuable clues for the future. To gain a accurate understanding of what these numbers can tell us, we must first break them down:
- Numbers vs. Demographics: Examining just the total numbers can be helpful. However, analyzing who is being represented in these statistics can give deeper insight into the cause and effect of certain trends.
- Dive Into the Details: Take a look at geographic, age, gender, race, LGBTQ, and economic factors to really get to the heart of who is contributing to and benefiting from the numbers.
By examining the statistics carefully and consistently, it’s possible to gain valuable knowledge that can inform better decision-making and plan for the future in a more equitable way. This can help ensure that everyone has the access and opportunity to benefit from changes in policy or progress in economics.
3. Navigating the System: Challenges to Achieving Equality
As the need for equality progresses, so does the challenge of actually achieving it. For starters, navigating societal systems – such as the legal system, educational systems, and economic systems – can be an arduous task when attempting to attain equality. Here are some of the complications encountered during the navigation process:
- Legality – Equality-seeking activists must also adhere to applicable laws and regulations. This can lead to confusion, as courts may interpret existing laws in ways which detrimentally impact minority communities.
- Power Distribution – As certain individuals occupy each level of societal systems, they wield power and influence decisions as arbiters of justice. If those individuals are not privy to the minority communities or refuse to serve their interests, equality can be hard to come by.
- Competition – The pursuit of equality is often a competitive activity. Economic resources, such as jobs, loans, and grants, are often limited and thus become subject to competing interests and outcomes.
These three main issues present an issue for those dedicated to achieving equality. Without adequate momentum from all stakeholders, it can be difficult to make meaningful changes within any societal system. It is up to those who care about achieving equality to identify these challenges and to devise creative strategies to overcome them.
4. An Urgency for Change: Addressing the Diversity Gap
Diversity and inclusion should be top of mind for any business. Today’s global digital environment means companies have access to a more diverse pool of talent and resources than ever before. Despite this potential, many organizations are still neglecting to hire from more underrepresented communities. It is essential for businesses to understand the urgency of making change in terms of how they assess, work and communicate with diverse individuals.
The lack of diversity within many organizational structures magnifies systemic racism, sexism and other disparities, further entrenching inequity and limiting creativity, collaboration and innovation. Here is a checklist to consider when addressing the diversity gap:
- Examine power structure and composition for areas in need of proactive improvement
- Conduct proactive assessment to identify areas with bias, potential issues, and existing liabilities
- Create clear policies to ensure fairness and equity
- Embrace diversity in recruitment, hiring, on-boarding and leadership
- Collaborate with external stakeholders to support diversity within broader stakeholders
- Promote meaningful, respectful communication across cultures and groups
- Hold regular meetings to review progress and measure outcomes
Organizations must also recognize that diversity initiatives require a commitment of resources, energy and long-term follow-through. By actively pursuing and implementing the right diversity strategies, organizations can ensure better results by capitalizing on the unique experiences, skills, and perspectives that come with a more inclusive and diverse workforce.
It’s clear that the luxury fashion industry has a diversity problem that persists today. As an effort to bring more balance to the industry, companies need to hire more underrepresented designers and showcase a variety of innovative and inspiring styles. Until then, the issues of inequality and exclusion will remain at the forefront of the industry.
