By: Riya Chaturvedi, Anyssa Dang, Tiffany Zhang, and Roya Yaghami
THE REFORMATION SCANDAL:
Racism scandals are nothing new in the fashion industry. However, more scandals have been appearing today because we as a society are tackling the issues of racism by speaking up. The Reformation scandal sparked the voices of multiple employees with similar experiences of mistreatment. Racism in the fashion industry has continued, and many companies have yet to publicly address or make significant changes to their policies or corporate culture after the confrontations from the public and media.
WAYS RACISM IS SHOWN IN THE INDUSTRY:
Racism can take place in a variety of forms throughout the industry: from the absence of diversity in models, to direct attacks at women of color, to cultural appropriation. Their recurring defense of companies is that this diversity does not fit within their “creative vision”. It is common for certain aggressions towards people of color to be overlooked or ignored because of beauty standards that have been enforced for decades. Injustice is found in several areas of the beauty industry as well, such as makeup brands only featuring and selling a limited spectrum of foundation shades that exclude a huge demographic. These actions have received backlash, but most companies have yet to acknowledge or make any adjustments to these wrongdoings at all.
COMPANIES THAT HAVE FAILED TO ..?
Companies that have demonstrated racism include Shein and L’oreal Paris. Shein has many issues to be addressed; however, regarding racism, they have sold many offensive items that were ignorant to others cultures and religions. L’oreal Paris has had backlash on their “whitening” skin products for many years, but continues selling them. The Brands’ behavior is unacceptable and inexcusable, as influential, popularized brands, they should be mindful of the messages they convey to the public.
HOPE FOR THE INDUSTRY WITH CHANGE
With the recent light shone on the Black Lives Matter Movement and protests, chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), Tom Ford, sent a letter to his board to create a plan against the systemic racism and racial injustice in the fashion industry. They issued a statement: speaking out against the injustice was not enough and how they needed to take action; so, they started an employment program to help fashion businesses reach a racially balanced industry. The Kelly Initiative, formed by over 250 black fashion professionals, sent a letter to the CFDA announcing a new plan focused on taking accountability for prejudice and discrimination.
They started the Black in Fashion Council to hold fashion and beauty brands accountable for the work they have done and the areas that need improvement. Black people compromise 15% of the U.S. population, but black-owned businesses only constitute 1.3% of total retail sales in the U.S. compared to the overall 88% sales for white-owned businesses. Retail needs to sustain these black-owned businesses and give them representation
OUR CONCLUSION RN:
The fashion industry is starting to make a systemic change and build a new foundation for inclusivity, making history and advocating for much needed rights. Lindsay Peoples Wagner, editor in chief of Teen Vogue, states that “we are in a state of cancel culture right now, but we want to move to accountability culture.” Change is a force to be reckoned with and the fashion industry will not stop until they reach their goal of equity, equality, and anti-racism.
Companies that we have seen set a good example for others include Fenty Beauty. Fenty Beauty was founded by Rihanna and broke into the beauty industry with over 50 shades of foundation, something that was not seen often in makeup. This inclusivity led to many customers finding their “perfect match”, something that other brands made impossible for people of color in the past. Since Fenty Beauty’s appearance in the beauty industry many other companies have followed their example and provided more foundation shades! Once influential companies set the stage for inclusivity, many will follow their example.
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