Campaign calls for diversity of BAME, POC and female hires in fashion industry

The (Fashion) Minority Report, a new campaign calling on the fashion industry to tackle workplace inequality, has launched

The campaign, created by menswear designer Daniel Peters, formerly of Burberry and the British Fashion Council, seeks to close the disparaging gaps of inequality in staff, calling on employers to pledge their commitment to increase diversity by 5% over the next year.

BAME, POC and female professionals remain ‘vastly underrepresented’ in the fashion industry, with around 11% of jobs in the creative economy filled by BAME workers. When this is weighted against each job location, BAME professionals should hold at least 17.8% of positions in creative industries, if they are to reflect the population at large. Women only currently hold 37% of all positions.

It’s not enough to drip feed diversity, we must join together, take effective public action.

The (Fashion) Minority Report (TFMR) aims to tackle this existing inequality by calling on companies to pledge to increase diversity within their teams and make this employment data available to the public, alongside signing up to the Diverse Talent Support Programme.

Founder Daniel explains that the time for change is nigh, as “for so long credible hires from minority groups have been overlooked.” He says, “2020 has already been a year of monumental change, but the fashion industry – as ever – is dragging its heels. It’s not enough to drip feed diversity, we must join together, take effective public action and provide opportunities for the next generation of talented yet unrepresented professionals to thrive.”

This initiative seeks to address inequality across all ages, and will be pairing companies and young BAME, POC or female talent together on a mentoring scheme, through a collaboration called the Diverse Talent Support Programme.

Behind the scheme, mentoring specialists, Creative Mentor Network have joined forces with TFMR to offer support, training and paid work experience to the next wave of young budding fashion professionals. By pledging support and donating to the cause, companies will be partnered with a young person looking to expand their knowledge of the industry.

Leading fashion names who have already pledged their support include Fashion and Celebrity Stylist Nana Acheampon, Dazed & Confused Editor-in-Chief Isabella Burley and the Fashion Retail Academy’s Principal Lee Lucas.

In pledging her support for this long overdue campaign, Nana Acheampong adds, “2020 needs to be remembered as the year that we saw a real shift and changes in attitude to POC hires within the creative and fashion industry. I am fully supporting this campaign – brands will be held accountable and we will begin to see the positive changes that are so long overdue.”

To pledge your support to The (Fashion) Minority Report, the campaign is asking for companies and the general public to sign up via the fashionminorityreport.com. For each company, TFMR will work closely with them to ensure employment diversity is encouraged and supported, and employment data is visible to all.

In signing this pledge as a company, it will see organisations commit to an increased representation of BAME, POC and female professionals by 5% over the next year.