The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and PVH Corp. have come up with the State of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Fashion report.
The report is a definitive work of research and suggests next steps for the American fashion industry to be more representative and equitable in its workforce, talent pipeline and consumer base.
The CFDA and PVH advocate for measurable change to increase workplace opportunity for all through representation, retention and advancement of talent.
This report, which draws on research and analysis by McKinsey & Company, can be used as a framework to help advance the journey towards equality in organisations throughout the industry.
This research included a survey of over 1,000 working industry professionals across 41 companies, 20 stakeholder interviews and three focus groups with students and emerging designers during fall 2020.
The report highlights the experiences and structural challenges of inequity in the industry. Through this research, the CFDA and PVH identified six key areas of opportunity: awareness, access, promotion, advocacy, compensation and belonging.
Addressing these areas provides a framework for companies to quantify their culture’s strengths and opportunities for improvement; provide insight into actionable steps towards a future more reflective of our citizenry; and foster a talent pipeline from under-represented communities.
The tragic and senseless acts of racial injustice in 2020, including the loss of all victims of racism in the US, as well as the wide-reaching economic impacts of COVID-19, have made this work even more critical.
“The inclusion and diversity challenges in the fashion industry are real. This important research not only confirms that; the learnings from it will also help guide the work towards positive and lasting change,” said Stefan Larsson, CEO, PVH Corp.
He further added that we have work to do at PVH, together with our larger industry; we have a collective responsibility to lean in and drive real impact. This is as important as any business strategy and speaks more broadly to who we are as human beings and the impact we can have on society.
The CFDA is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1962 with a membership of 477 of America’s foremost womenswear, menswear, jewellery and accessory designers.
