Fashion Roundtable Brings The #areyourepresented Campaign To London Fashion Week

By Pippa Speed

On Friday 13th September to Tuesday 17th, Fashion Roundtable hit the streets of London Fashion Week 2019, to promote the current #areyourepresented campaign. The street team consisted of a variety of university students who were keen to be involved in the campaign and raise awareness of the apparent lack of diversity and inclusion within the fashion industry. Our key locations included the outside of 180 the Strand (the official British Fashion Council hub), Victoria House and Covent Garden. 

The main aim of the street team was to approach members of the public who were participating in the festivities of LFW and engage in conversations about diversity and inclusion in the fashion industry. We would follow this opener with a series of questions such as “Do you feel that the fashion industry is inclusive of everyone?” and “Do you think you are represented within the fashion industry?”

Through asking these questions we could hand out the Fashion Roundtable campaign card which displayed a QR code on the back to allow easy access to the survey.

On the whole feedback from the street team was positive, as many people would agree the lack of diversity within the fashion industry needed desperate attention. You only had to stand outside 180 the Strand for twenty minutes to acknowledge there was a lack of diversity amongst those who were attending the activities. Members of the public weren’t particularly surprised that there was a campaign in place for this subject, but they were more receptive and enthusiastic when we mentioned that the survey data would be presented to parliament in an attempt to implement prevention policies around the lack of diversity. This, in my opinion, shows the necessity for the #areyourepresented campaign as people are ready for positive change.

Overall it was a fantastic weekend with an array of opportunities for meeting different people and spreading the word on a good cause. In future we feel it would be beneficial to continue with this similar strategy of a street team— but in different locations, and with consumers to allow for stronger engagement when people aren’t rushing between shows.