Color of Change, Joan Smalls, The Black in Fashion Council, and IMG are working to increase Black employment in the fashion industry.
Endeavor, an associate of the Council of States Government—an organization that serves all three branches of the US government—has partnered with the progressive civil rights organization Color of Change, model Joan Smalls, The Black in Fashion Council, and IMG to create #ChangeFashion, an online initiative designed to end racism in the fashion industry and advance racial justice. Although racial inequality and a lack of representation have long been a conversation within the fashion industry, this collaboration initiates concrete action.
The Councils and organizations hope to bring designers and brands under the same umbrella to join the fight. Color of Change has designed a Roadmap where brands can participate in carrying out their universal steps:
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Invest in Black talent and careers.
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Commit to transparent reporting and equal representation of black people.
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Invest in content that advances racial justice.
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Invest in Black safety
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Invest in the growth and prosperity of Black communities.
By signing to be a part of the movement, they will be held accountable to maintain and grow their initiatives of recruiting Black employees and creating a nondiscriminatory environment in the workplace.
The Black in Fashion Council conducted a report this past October which outlined the racial inequalities in fashion. “Given that Black people have a yearly spending power of $1.3 Trillion, marketing agencies do not engage Black consumers relative to the size and economic status of the Black community,” read the report. Out of the $200 billion allocated to fashion advertisement in 2019, only $3.86 billion was spent on marketing to Black communities. This is largely due to companies not hiring people of color in marketing positions.
To broaden inclusivity in marketing and modeling campaigns, the #ChangeFashion founders created the “first directory focusing on increasing opportunities for Black professionals in the fashion industry.” This Tuesday, the directory of over 300 Black industry professionals along with their portfolios and resumes was released. It includes models, makeup artists, photographers, and other talent, and is only available to brands who have signed onto the #ChangeFashion Roadmap.
However, #ChangeFashion aims to go beyond the industry itself. Besides preventing the perpetuation of stereotypes and the extortion of Black culture for profit, #ChangeFashion dedicated the final two steps of their Roadmap to changes outside the fashion industry. As stated on their Roadmap, “If the rules around whose communities we support stay the same, none of these steps are possible. The unwritten rules keep the Black community under siege, robbed of resources, equal access, visibility, and rights. The fashion industry must invest in the Black community by aligning and partnering with the Black community, promoting civic advocacy and participation, and influencing politics to enhance racial justice.”
The fashion industry holds extraordinary power over our world’s culture. When used correctly in cases like #ChangeFashion, it can be used to facilitate growth beyond designer trends and runway shows.
Images courtesy of IMG Models.
