The findings of the British Fashion Council’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) report should serve as a “wake-up call”, warns chief executive Caroline Rush.
The report, which is based upon findings from the UK Fashion DEI Census and other new data sets, found that 9% of executives and boards in the UK fashion industry are held by people of colour, and 39% by women.
It also highlighted that 17% of companies have published quantitative DEI targets as opposed to 56% who have published sustainability targets.
Other data revealed that 11% of the executive team and c-suite power roles – namely CEO, CFO, chair and creative director – are held by people of colour and 24% by women.
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Rush said the fashion industry needs to “embrace DEI as a lever for advantage”.
“It is critical for brands and organisations to align their external messaging and internal practices to authentically and tangibly contribute to DEI goals,” she added.
British Fashion Council non-executive director and The Outsiders Perspective founder Jamie Gill commented: “Our catwalks are diverse, our campaigns are diverse, our consumers are diverse, but our workforce and our decision-makers are not.
“There is a solid business case for a diverse team, which is arguably most relevant for fashion. We, as an industry, should be leading the charge – because we have the most to gain.”
