The Black in Fashion Council is working to hold fashion and beauty brands accountable to their diversity initiatives.
The council, which was established by Teen Vogue editor in chief Lindsay Peoples Wagner and fashion consultant Sandrine Charles, was launched in response to major brands pledging their support to the Black community after the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other unarmed Black people across the country. The council is addressing systemic racism in the fashion and beauty industries and working to secure the advancement of Black professionals in the workplace.
“As a collective, we envision a world in which Black people in fashion and beauty spaces can be open and honest, guaranteed equal rights, and be celebrated for our voices,” reads a statement on the council’s web site.
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As virtually all major fashion and beauty brands have made pledges to improve diversity and inclusivity at their companies, the Black in Fashion Council is establishing ways to hold these brands accountable.
The council is working with the Human Rights Campaign to establish an equality index score that will provide benchmarking around corporate policies that aid in the advancement of Black employees. The Black in Fashion council will also release annual public reports to track the progress of companies that have signed three-year commitment pledges to advance their Black employees.
The Black in Fashion Council will also create a digital directory of Black fashion and beauty professionals to assist companies in their hiring processes.
The council’s creation comes after the Council of Fashion Designers of America announced measures it is taking to foster Black talent and improve on diversity, including an in-house employment program tasked with placing Black professionals in roles across the industry and a mentorship and internship program for Black fashion students.
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