LONDON, July 24 — Faced with the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, the fashion industry pledged to change. So where do things stand a year down the line? A new British study sadly reveals that “discrimination pervades in the fashion industry.”
While this discrimination manifests itself in a variety of ways, many minority respondents report not having the same professional opportunities as some of their colleagues. “Bosses have told me that I should be working harder as I am British Chinese, we do not need as much as anyone else, as we do not ask for
The phenomenon appears to be particularly pronounced among Black respondents. Many report having worked in hostile work environments, where they experienced inappropriate comments about their physical appearance or were insulted. Some manifestations of racism, however, are more pernicious, as one fashion lecturer says: “In terms of witnessing structural racism — I knew it was because of my colour. It’s the silent racism. So silent.
The industry would be wise to remedy this, as the modest fashion market is expected to reach US$360 billion by 2023. But fashion needs to change the way it operates in order to get there, and include more diverse professionals among its ranks.