Key findings:
Discrimination pervades the fashion industry
The fashion industry is missing out on potential revenue
Sustained structural change is needed
The industry is segregated
Leadership needs to accept the situation and change accordingly
Fashion Roundtable is pleased to announce that it has held several evidence sessions, webinars and external events on representation and inclusion in the fashion industry.
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“For too long communities like the one I come from have been trapped in a marginalised reality of under representation and exclusion, this has to stop. I implore every designer, agent, creative and CEO reading this to open the doors to real change. In this moment, in 2020, a year of unimaginable hardship, now is the time to act.”
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Now we are easing out of lockdown and into a new normal, the tide must change for everyone to rest and regroup from the last few months and pause. Before Fashion Roundtable turns off its audio, this week’s topic was one of the most important of all— ARE YOU REPRESENTED?
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Cultural barriers, stigma, stereotyping and social invisibility are just some of the factors that contribute to the fact that refugees are being left further and further behind in our economy. Fashion can potentially bridge this gap, ensuring inclusivity and representation are at the forefront of our sector moving forward.
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Representation and inclusivity are vital for our society to ensure human rights are available to everyone. In the most it is minority groups and those disadvantaged backgrounds who are unable to fully benefit and exercise their human rights. Universality is key, hence Fashion Roundtable focus on representation and inclusivity.
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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.
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It’s important to recognise brands who are placing diversity at the heart of their organisation. Here are 10 clothing brands leading the way…
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Like many mixed race people, being in a binary world often isn’t easy; navigating multiple heritages whilst society tried forces you to choose which box you really fit into can be confusing, frustrating and tricky. It’s something even your own parents can struggle to understand. But since last year, a new platform called Mixedracefaces has been giving a voice to mixed race people, including me and giving them a unique experience of exploring their identity with other people like them.
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“Fashion like politics and indeed the FTSE 250 needs to recognise that inclusion and representation have to be core to systemic change. If businesses and politics are to represent those they serve then we have to see a radical transformation to create a sector which is inclusive and representative of all of us. From the power of the purple pound, to the estimated 60% growth of the modest fashion market to 2021, for businesses to connect with our consumers those in charge need to recognise the need for change in order to be effective and valued in these growing and important markets.”
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We are working with BECTU to find a way to create a sector for creatives just like you and me. The assistants and freelancers in fashion, make up, hair, PR, the works! If this goes ahead (we need your support and there’s been quite the case of people showing support but not actually turning up) it would cost £10 p/month (same as Netflix and Spotify) and once you’re a member you can pay £38 for the year (April to April) to get full public liability insurance. If we started a space or means of contact which would allow us to share our expected day rates, warn anyone we needed to or advise each other where necessary then the constant problems we find ourselves facing could hopefully decrease and, who knows, maybe one day disappear.
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On Saturday 19 January, thousands gathered in protest of gender inequality, and more specifically to call out the economic hardship severely afflicting women in the UK. This year’s ‘Bread & Roses’ theme was an allusion to the Bread and Roses March 1912 which revolutionised working women’s rights in the United States. Protesters who congregated in Trafalgar Square witnessed a fantastic line up of speakers from the Fawcett Society, Solace Women’s Aid and the Women’s Equality Party. Following the event, I caught up with the co-organiser of Women's March London, Huda Jawad over email to discuss the ongoing role of this global, female-led movement.
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The Design Council’s recent design economy research has supported the message that a more diverse workforce will lead to a more diverse output and wider audience appreciation. The Design Council has added depth to this understanding by uncovering further statistics and underpinning their message with both the positives and negatives of a diverse design workforce. The Design Council explains that a more diverse workforce will be able to understand the needs of an increasingly diverse population.
Using both the full Design Economy 2018 report and their article on the link between diversity and business performance, Fashion Roundtable looks to break down their findings and view them from the perspective of the fashion industry.
Beyonce said of her commission: "If people in powerful positions continue to hire and cast only people who look like them, sound like them, come from the same neighbourhoods they grew up in, they will never have a greater understanding of experiences different from their own."
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Fashion Roundtable took to the Sunday Papers Live stage at Citadel Festival on Sunday with a panel discussion #areyourepresented on ethnic representation in the fashion industry (currently at 9%). Karen Binns our Fashion Expert was joined by Frederica Boateng a fashion academic, Rahemur Rahman and menswear designer and celebrity stylist Karen Williams. Chaired by Tamara Cincik, the panel explored the concrete ceiling facing talent from diverse backgrounds across the fashion industry. With London now at 30% BAME residents and the rest of the UK at 13%, it is clearly a timely conversation. #areyourepresented will be at Wilderness Festival on 5th August for Sunday Papers Live with Dr Royce Mahawatte from Central Saint Martins, our Retail Expert Bev Malik, Rahemur Rahman and Isabella Silvers from Hearst Publishing.
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