Diversity news and archive

Square's Forward program awards funding to 25 Black and Latino small businesses

Forward, the accelerator program by Square to support early-stage Black and Latino small businesses in the retail sector, received over a thousand applicants by its April 1st deadline. The majority were women-owned businesses. The inaugural program was launched in partnership with 1863 Ventures, American Express, and Social Change Fund United,...

Fashion

Male model dismisses gender norms in an evolving Saudi Arabia

With his hot pink hair extensions and leopard print pantsuit, model Ziad al-Mesfer was bound to turn heads during his recent public photo shoot in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia. Passers-by began sneaking pictures on their mobiles merely minutes after Mesfer emerged from his white luxury car onto the cobbled sidewalks of a high-end cafe...

Fashion Featured

Bringing sexy back to fashion while redefining gender codes

International catwalk regular Teddy Quinlivan who came out as trans at the height of her modeling fame in 2017 told guests at the Fairchild Media Group’s Diversity Forum last week, “We are really on the precipice of a cultural turning point.” Speaking on a panel entitled, “Redefining sexuality and style for any gender, what will it take?” she...

Fashion |Interview Featured

Brooklyn-based BIPOC brand discusses impact of Black History Month on business

In honor of Black History Month, Edify, an online direct-to-consumer marketplace for ethical and sustainable BIPOC(Black, Indigenous, and people of color)-owned businesses highlights brands to make it easier for shoppers to allocate their purchasing power accordingly. Edify’s purpose of hand-picking products and companies that appeal to a...

Fashion Featured

SPFW N52: Fashion as a tool for social inclusion and diversity

Fashion, which for so long has been elitist, can also be a tool for social inclusion. This was the message that remained after the end of season 52 of SPFW - São Paulo Fashion Week. The event took place from 16 to 21 November at the Brazilian Cultural Pavilion in Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo. Dominated by diversity, the catwalk displayed a...

Video

Video: George at Asda Slay It campaign

In this video, George at Asda has released its inclusive holiday campaign and collection in collaboration with Diversity Role Models. Watch the video below. Click here to read more about the holiday campaign. Video: George at Asda via YouTube Photo credit: George at Asda

People

LVMH appoints chief diversity and inclusion officer

LVMH has appointment Vanessa Moungar as chief diversity and inclusion officer. She will report to Chantal Gaemperle, executive vice president of human resources and synergies. Her role will be to build a network of diversity and inclusion leaders in the group’s portfolio of brands. “Vanessa will bring her extensive experience to take our...

Fashion Featured

"Africa is the future": Nigerian models take over fashion's runways

Champagne corks popped and sequins sparkled like a thousand tiny stars in Nigeria's economic capital Lagos, where an international model casting was on the hunt for the face of the future. Elizabeth Elohor is sure that it will be an African one. The former top model created the first modelling agency in Nigeria back in 2004, when there was no...

Fashion Featured

Black models who changed the face of fashion

This Saturday is Juneteenth, now a federal holiday according to a bill just signed by President Biden. This September will bring a reemergence of New York Fashion Week as in-person shows are being planned by, among others, Tom Ford, the Chairman of the CFDA. The anniversary of George Floyd’s murder is now in the rearview mirror. While these...

Fashion Featured

Prada Group to “deepen” its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

The Prada Group has announced a series of talent and educational initiatives aimed at intensifying its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion within the company and the fashion industry as a whole. Prada said that it is committing “substantial” investment to increase representation within the industry, starting with internship and...

Fashion Featured

Hudson’s Bay invests 30 million dollars in new social impact platform

Hudson’s Bay has launched a new social impact platform, called Hudson’s Bay Charter for Change, which aims to accelerate racial equity and inclusion in the fashion retailer’s home country of Canada. The platform has been launched through the Hudson Bay Foundation with a commitment of 30 million Canadian dollars over the coming 10 years. It will...

People

Sports Direct launches Equal Play initiative for women in sport

Sports Direct is committing to ‘equal play’ as it aims to spearhead a new era for women in sports. The initiative has been informed by a new report by Sports Direct charity partner Women in Sport, which calls for immediate action to address the challenges facing female athletes at all levels. Beckie Stanion, chief marketing officer at Sports...