A new report from the Fashion Minority Alliance x Blurred shines a spotlight on inclusion and belonging among underrepresented groups in the fashion and creative industries.
· The findings highlights the work done to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces with 42% agreeing that they believe the senior leadership team has shown commitment through visible actions to creating a more diverse and inclusive environment’.
· Yet 45% of respondents have had to leave their current role to achieve a promotion. Of these, 52% are now at the management and mid-senior level.
· Backlash to inclusion and equity should not deter brands and businesses from working with intention and purpose to create an inclusive and equitable workplace and employee experience.
· Representation supports sustainability efforts, particularly in areas such as waste and community engagement.
The study assessed representation and the employee life-cycle for underrepresented groups within the fashion and creative industries, specifically exploring how companies draw in applicants from underrepresented backgrounds, their ability to retain underrepresented employees and whether they are enabling underrepresented progression within organisations and the wider industry relative to non-minority employees.
As part of the research, Blurred applied its expertise in ESGP (ESG + Purpose) to explore the gaps between intention and performance when it comes to underrepresented representation and the implications for sustainability more widely.
Through our research, Blurred x FMA found that the fashion and beauty industries are still facing three critical challenges related to equity and inclusion in the employee life-cycle, namely:
1. Difficulty in creating a sense of inclusion and belonging consistently across corporate culture and business practices.
2. Attrition of staff from under-represented backgrounds at the mid-level linked to lack of progression or promotion prospects.
3. Lack of preparation and education to avert crises related to representation – both internally and externally – that demonstrate performative commitment to inclusive practices.
The report builds on these findings with targeted, actionable recommendations for brands and businesses which can be scaled to fit any organisation within any industry.
Alexis Williams, Chairman at Fashion Minority Alliance: “Fashion Minority Alliance is proud to have partnered with Blurred in this endeavour. The work will help give a deeper understanding of the status of inclusion and belonging in the fashion and beauty sectors. Providing pathway support for individuals from underrepresented communities together with inclusion and belonging strategies to fashion and beauty businesses as a whole are central to our work at Fashion Minority Alliance and this research will help us to strengthen our efforts.”
Nik Govier, Founder and CEO of Blurred said: “The Fashion Minority Alliance is a truly impactful organisation that is raising the standards of representation and diversity in the fashion industry. Diversity, Equity and inclusion are core to our values at Blurred, so we’re excited to be launching this much needed research with the Fashion Minority Alliance, and looking forward to delivering insights that can drive change.”
