I am a black woman, and the founder of the lingerie brand, the underargument. I'm one of the many designers whose identity makes them hot property for larger retail businesses right now. These retailers are aiming to show the world they are not only woke, but committed to creating more equality for minority groups. But my recent experience with a large American retailer has forced me to question the authenticity of these so-called positive actions…
Read MoreOur event last week was packed with an audience of all ages, backgrounds and voices. Karen covered her work but what for me was perhaps most moving, especially as it aligns with our work on Representation and Inclusion, was when Karen covered what cultural appropriation in fashion looks like in her own inimitable way.
Read More“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.”
Read MoreSince launching in early 2017, Zebedee Management has become the UK’s first modelling agency to exclusively represent people with physical and learning disabilities. With clients including luxury womenswear brand Teatum Jones and popular high-street stores like River Island and H&M, they are fast proving that diverse casting is the future. Founded by sisters-in-law Zoe Proctor and Laura Johnson from Sheffield, the idea for their agency arose during a discussion about the severe lack of opportunities for people with disabilities. According to the pair, it was truly “a light bulb moment” while out walking their dogs. In reality, this shared desire to champion diversity was by no means a spur of the moment decision, rather it was a culmination of years working in parallel industries; where Laura is a qualified social worker with a wealth of experience working with vulnerable adults and children, Zoe is a performing arts teacher specialising in teaching people with disabilities.
Read MoreThe role of the CEO in a brand is very important in making conscious transformations in the company. The barriers between CEO and shop floor create dominant social structures in house, which in turn hamper conscious structures of societies. Communication barriers and no personal involvement of the top team with shop floor pushes them to engage in practices that does not support transformative power of the organization in a positive way. All shop floors can hear is the economic growth driven voice of the CEO and they work towards luring customers to spend and consume unconsciously. Although one can argue that brands priorities are in keeping up with trends and current lifestyles of consumers, isn’t there a way they can use it towards transforming lifestyles? While sales driven autonomous corporations and economic growth driven governments think that fostering conspicuous consumers to buy more and more seems like a victory to them, it is not.
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