Are Luxury Brands 'Diversity-Phishing'? by tourayz

Are Luxury Brands ‘Diversity-Phishing’? The Authenticity of Inclusive Practices in the Luxury Industry

zzakia tourayy

abstraact

hough at eye-level, historically exclusive and elitist luxury brands are currently seen as more diverse than ever before, to what extent is diversity and importantly inclusion, entwined throughout their business structures? This paper extends work on the lack of authenticity of inclusive practices in luxury fashion and addresses and analyses whether today’s luxury brands are ‘diversity-phishing’. The researcher aims to interrogate the multitude of factors that have driven the issues of diversity and inclusivity, focusing on the specifics of race, into the forefront of the luxury fashion industry. This dissertation addresses the controversial issue of ‘racial capitalism’ within luxury fashion brands, performative allyship and activism and includes existential research into the creative, structural, financial and social benefits of diversity and inclusion. The researcher also investigated the rise of diversity and inclusion schemes, councils and appointing of Chief Diversity Officers after public blunders regarding cultural appropriation and racism in the products and promotional materials of luxury brands, and the causes and effects of these actions. Primary research included a survey and a range of qualitative interviews with industry professionals, including an emerging luxury streetwear brand owner, a CEO of an established luxury brand and executive at the British Fashion Council, as well as a Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity & Inclusion consultant for luxury brands. This allowed for a well-rounded line of discussion to form around the topic at hand, gaining perspectives and expertise from experienced professionals. A varied scope of qualitative and quantitative secondary research was undertaken in order to help form arguments for this dissertation, supported by primary research. By combining adverse research methods, underpinned by relevant debates, a critically engaged and evaluative resolution has been formed on the subject of the authenticity of inclusive practices in luxury fashion.

Word Count - 301

With special thanks to my survey volunteers and to my interviewees; Jamie Gill, Tom Martin Hughes and Benjamin Kyei

ackknowwledgementss

glosssssary Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement protesting against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against black people. (Wikipedia.com, 2021)

‘The Culture’

The community. Our people, our Hood, our ancestors. (urbandictionary. com, 2019)

Racial Capitalism

The process of deriving social and economic value from the racial identity of another person - white individuals and predominantly white institutions use non-white people to acquire social and economic value. (Leong, 2012)

People of Colour

a person who is not white (Oxford Languages, N.D)

BAME

Black, Asian, and minority ethnic - an umbrella term, common in the United Kingdom, used to describe non-white ethnicities (healthline.com, 2021)

Corporate (CSR)

Social

Responsibility

a self-regulating business model that helps a company be socially accountable—to itself, its stakeholders, and the public. (Investopedia. com, 2021)

Performative Allyship

condemning racism through broad gestures but enabling its effects in their own workplaces (Fortune, 2020)

Performative Activism

activism done to increase one’s social capital rather than because of one’s devotion to a cause (Wikipedia, 2021)

Virtue Signalling

the action or practice of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one’s good character or the moral correctness of one’s position on a particular issue (Oxford Languages, N.D)

Tokenism

The practice of making only a symbolic effort e.g. recruiting a small number of people from under-represented groups in order to give the appearance of sexual or racial equality within a workforce. (Oxford Languages, N.D)

coontents Abstract............................................................................................................................................................................................i Acknowledgements........................................................................................................................................................................ii Glossary..........................................................................................................................................................................................iii Contents........................................................................................................................................................................................ iv Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................................................v Methodology..................................................................................................................................................................................vii “Everyone is trying to stay relevant; everyone wants to be relevant; everyone needs to stay relevant”..............................1 “Without inclusivity, diversity can be seen as tokenistic”...........................................................................................................3 “Fashion is Reactive, not Proactive”............................................................................................................................................6 Collaborations – Performative Inclusion?....................................................................................................................................9 “They need to have a strategy around it, as they’ll have a strategy around sustainability, they’ll have an e-commerce strategy, they’ll have a sales strategy”.......................................................................................................................................12 Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................................................................14 Further Study.................................................................................................................................................................................16 References.....................................................................................................................................................................................17 Image References.........................................................................................................................................................................18 Appendices................................................................................................................................................................................... ix

inttroductioon B

y trade, luxury symbolises inaccessibility and ultimate exclusivity. Traditionally elitist, Eurocentric-focused luxury brands howbeit, now have no choice other than to answer to the new diverse generation of consumers, compete with new and emerging pioneers of luxury and ultimately, substitute exclusivity, with inclusivity. Whilst some brands appear diverse on the surface, what remains to be contentious, is whether such public displays of diversity are mirrored in the structure of the business. The purpose of this dissertation is to determine the extent to which luxury brands are implementing structural change to become more inclusive, diverse and representative of wider society, and whether these measures are authentic in their missions to drive positive innovation or simply opportunistic endeavours to improve brand image, public relations, and financial profit.

The objectives for this project include:

Interrogate the factors that have driven the issues of diversity and inclusivity, focusing on the specifics of race, into the forefront of the luxury fashion industry.

Address the controversial issue of ‘racial capitalism’ within luxury fashion brands and research into the creative, structural, financial and social benefits of diversity and inclusion.

Investigate the rise of diversity and inclusion schemes, councils and appointing of Chief Diversity Officers after public blunders regarding cultural appropriation in products and marketing, and the causes and effects of these actions.

Assess the effects of celebrity collaborations with high-end luxury brands, tokenism and employing the ‘halo’ effect in the appointing of people of colour in the luxury industry

Examine luxury brands that are authentic in their diversity and inclusion schemes and succeeding in creating a more inclusive ethos and community for the future of luxury

hapter one introduces the current state of luxury, an evolving customer base and societal conditioning. As there is not enough diversity in the luxury workforce (Bain, 2019) and as racism, sexism and politics are key triggers for brand boycotting (Euclid. com, 2017), traditional Eurocentric luxury brands are attempting to diversify, to maintain relevance (Appendix A). For chapter two, research gathered from Nancy Leong’s ‘Racial Capitalism’ (2013) theorises businesses socially and financially profit from another person’s racial identity. Brands have found that diverse identities are a commodity (McClintock, 1995). There is also an array of benefits of diversity including increased creative innovation, and performance (Carpenter, 2002; Dezso & Ross, 2012; Zhang & Bartol, 2010). Chapter three highlights the correlation between lack of inclusive practices in the workplace and acts of cultural appropriation in products and marketing. Not all brands lack diversity in the workforce but lack inclusion as those in senior positions do not consult their employees. Outcomes are mere reflections of the personality and behaviours of the individuals at their pinnacle (Hambrick & Mason, 1984). This chapter also investigates OptimalDistinctiveness Theory (Brewer, 1991, 1993).

Chapter four focuses on celebrity endorsements and brands that strategically employ individuals with strong cultural relevance for social and financial gain, using research found in ‘The New luxury: Defining the Aspirational in the Age of Hype’ by Highsnobiety (2019). The researcher studies the ‘Halo-Effect’ (Thorndike, 1920), analysing the authenticity of collaboration, as celebrity endorsement leads to increased positive attitudes towards the brand (Till et al, 2008). Chapter five is dedicated to appraising the luxury brands that are authentic in their diversity and inclusion commitments, and advocating how brands can be, at all levels of the company. Whilst traditionally Eurocentric brands are more prone to nonconformity; newer, culturally relevant, luxury brands have a certain sensitivity to the preferences and expectations of others, known as ‘Other-Directedness’ (Reisman, 1953) and therefore have a significant competitive advantage (Bunderson & Sutcliffe, 2003). Conclusively, a well-rounded summary of the evidence from reliable research sources will be formed.

mmethhodologgyy This dissertation has been written from the position of a 22-year-old, BA Fashion Branding and Communication student with a great interest in and work experience within the luxury fashion industry. The research has been analysed from the perspective of a mixed black African and white, western females’ viewpoint.

Primary Research

Primary research was undertaken to gain an in-depth insight into the industry and ideas existing within the community of luxury fashion. Through qualitative and quantitative primary research, the question surrounding the authenticity of inclusive practices in luxury fashion was critically analysed. Interviews The leading method of primary research was through conducting a series of qualitative interviews which each provided a rich insight into the topic of this dissertation. Due to Covid-19 guidelines, interviews were conducted via online social platforms such as Microsoft Teams and via email due to scheduling and geographical difficulties. In order to form an unbiased and well-rounded discussion into this niche topic, the interviewees ranged from industry professionals such as designers at luxury fashion brands, executive and diversity officers, corporate social responsibility specialists and cultural curators. Participants also derived from a range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds which allowed for a balanced body of research.

Survey An online survey consisting of 11 qualitative and quantitative questions was conducted in order to gauge a general consensus on the topic of diversity and inclusion in the luxury fashion industry. This assisted in the gaining of an insight into the public opinion on the progress of diversity in the luxury industry, cultural appropriation, tokenism, innovation, racial capitalism and model luxury brands that authentically embody diversity and inclusion. Surveyees ranged from ages 18-35, derived from a range of ethnicities and occupations in order to reflect the consumer demographics of this modern age.

Secondary Research

Secondary quantitative research was conducted using reliable trend tracking and consumer analysis sources such as WGSN, LSN: Global, Mintel, Business of Fashion, Bain & Company, Luxiders, The Financial Times, R/ GA, Deloitte, BCG and Catalyst and Euclid to gather important statistics and gain insight into relevant emerging trends within the area of diversity in luxury fashion.

Articles/Studies Qualitative secondary research was conducted using online articles & resources including information from websites such as Papermag, Vice, i-D, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, Highsnobiety, Hypebeast/Hypebae, The Independent, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, OMD, Vogue Business, The Guardian, Forbes, BBC, The Atlantic, The Sole Supplier, The Thirlby, The New York Times and Retail Dive. This large scope of online sources allowed for a wide-ranging body of secondary research to help form a well-balanced discussion, by revealing trends and important studies on the dissertation topic at hand.

Books To gain a qualitative comprehensive insight into the zeitgeist of today’s luxury industry, the researcher looked at Highsnobiety’s The New Luxury: Defining the Aspirational in the Age of Hype. This provided a rich and substantial foundation on which this dissertation was formed. Other books such as The Social Psychology of Clothing by Susan Kaiser, and Dress and Identity by Mary Ellen Roach-Higgins provided intelligence on psychological theories and studies and also identity within fashion. This helped to devise an educated, psychological and academic angle to the debate.

Media Other forms of qualitative secondary research including documentaries, interviews & podcasts also helped to form an insightful line of evidence. Platforms such as OTHERtone Podcasts, TEDx Talks, GQ Interviews and Business of Fashion Professional Talks allowed for the researcher to be educated on the experience and the expertise of industry professionals and academics.

Academic Studies: Academic studies and theories such as The ‘Halo-Effect’ (Thorndike, 1920), and OptimalDistinctiveness Theory – (Brewer, 1991, 1993), Other-Directedness Theory (Riesman, 1954), were explored to draw psychological comparisons and to gain reasoning into how and why luxury brands orchestrate their decisions.

“eeveryone is trying to stay relevant; everyone wants to be relevant; everyone needs to stay relevantt”

chapterr oone

hat is ‘Luxury’? By definition, Luxury is ‘a state of great comfort or elegance, especially when involving great expense’ (Oxford Languages, N.D), deriving from Latin word ‘luxus’ meaning ‘excess’. Old luxury, traditionally Eurocentricfocused in markets and within their business structures, simply enhanced elitism, and thus, exclusivity, in every sense. In the 19th century, Sumptuary laws were imposed in order to maintain class structure according to rank and class and to restrain luxury (British Library, N.D). Luxury was reserved for the white, rich and elite, with strict, even fatal barriers of accessibility. However, with time, society has transformed. Susan Kaiser, in her book The Social Psychology of Clothing (1990), stated that there was a commercial realisation that there is a substantial buying power within ethnic cultures, thus the time of ‘new luxury’ has emerged. According to former Rimowa CEO Alexandre Arnault “luxury has very little to do with price points and more to do with cultural values” (Highsnobiety, 2019), which highlights how diversity and inclusion are now the rule, rather than the exception if brands want to succeed. But what is the meaning of new luxury in the world of today? New luxury is about inclusion and the breaking of barriers. There are a multitude of factors that are driving diversity into the core of the luxury industry, as there is a value in diversity (Hoffman, 1959). Generations Y and Z will drive 180 percent of market growth from 2019-2025 and who are reportedly going to be the biggest buyers, representing two

thirds of global purchases (Bain, 2021). Brands must begin to align with a changing customer base, relevant cultural forces and social conditioning, as millennials and Gen Z are the most diverse of generations yet. Along with this, the cultural shift is driven by the Internet Age, where social media allows consumers to put brands on trial for their misconduct. Millennials, according to (RetailDive. com, N.D), “want more than just a brand”, they want values and ethos to be culturally correct. A 2018 study by Highsnobiety reported that 87 percent of their readers consider a brand’s values when purchasing a luxury product, 53 percent will not buy from a brand if it fails to appeal positively to their emotions. Benjamin Kyei, owner of luxury streetwear brand ‘Gosse au Coeur’, describes how growing up, he would not “wear brands that [are] racist and don’t care about [him]” (Appendix A). This highlights the significance of brand boycott, with key triggers being racism, sexism and politics (Euclid, 2017). In order to improve brand perception, brands must attempt to become more truly diverse and inclusive in their workforce and image. A comparison can be drawn from Kaiser’s ‘The Social Psychology of Clothing’ in which people who value conformity and desire acceptance, want to maintain positive relations and express their affiliation with others (Taylor & Compton, 1968). An ongoing issue in luxury is a lack of diversity in the luxury workforce, from entry-level to senior positions. (Mintel.com, 2019) reported that only 2

out of the 12 members on the LVMH Executive Committee are women, the youngest member was born in 1975, and all are of white European origin (Baram, 2019). As society rapidly progresses, fashion, one of the biggest industries in the world, should be progressing simultaneously. As the most prestigious fashion houses and conglomerates are being publicly outed for their lack of diversity and inclusion within the workforce, brands now must begin to diversify as a means of retaining relevance, or they may face boycott. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) refers to a self-regulating business model that helps companies be socially accountable (Investopedia.com, 2021). Regarding social CSR, brands have an active responsibility to sustain high levels of awareness and an optimal level of diversity and inclusion, Succinctly, it is evident that there are a range of factors contributing to the era of new luxury, whereby brands must be able to diversify. Defined by Jamie Gill, CEO of Roksanda and an Executive on the Board of the British Fashion Council, is “a collision is what diversity is, bringing out different people together” (Appendix B). Brands must essentially break away from the shackled connotations of high status and culture, instead redefine them “through a multicultural, yet still monied, lens” or they “risk being left in the dust” (Highsnobiety, 2019). In today’s industry, where fashion correlates with culture, Kyei states “everyone is trying to stay relevant; everyone wants to be relevant; everyone needs to stay relevant, especially with the way fashion moves” (Appendix A).

“Without inclusivityy, ddiversity can be seen as tokenistic”

chaapter twwo

ositive public publicity, greater financial profit and social approval; his is what luxury brands that succeed in delving into the realms of diversity and inclusion receive. An online survey was conducted in order to gauge a general consensus on the authenticity of inclusive practices in luxury fashion. The question ‘do you think being diverse adds to the profitability of a brand?’ was asked in which 94 percent voted yes, a sample answer stating ‘yes, as a brand which embraces diversity and inclusion has a wider global appeal, therefore naturally a wider global market’ (Appendix E). This elucidates that brands have realised that diversity is a commodity, having a monetary value, and attempt to take advantage of this. In the Harvard Law Review, ‘Racial Capitalism’ by Nancy Leong (2012), instances of deriving social and financial gain from racial identity are investigated. Leong explains how racial capitalism is a “systemic phenomenon” whereby “predominantly white institutions derive value from non-whiteness”. This exudes that there is a lack of authenticity in inclusive practices within the luxury industry, as brands can have an ulterior motive when playing up to the requirements and public demands of diversity and inclusion within the workplace and on the exterior face of a company. Correspondingly, at a time where the political

climate requires brands to have tactfulness, following the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement and the significant 2020 protests against racially motivated violence and police brutality against black people, the issues of performative allyship and activism have fermented. Hughes states “people are looking more towards corporate to step up and do what the government should be doing, obviously Black Lives Matter originally years ago, that would be a government issue to address racism, and now it’s the corporate sectors responsibility to do that as well” (Appendix C). These forms of surface-level activism, which include “virtue signalling” (Leong, 2012) and tokenism for economic purpose (Vox, 2019), are defined to increase financial and social capital rather than to authentically exhibit a brands commitment to a cause. A study by (Fortune, 2020) revealed that black employees say that their companies “speak out in support of racial equality but don’t hire black executives or equally pay black employees, don’t listen to their concerns regarding discrimination, or were completely silent about racism up until now”. Brands have routinely disregarded political issues surrounding race in the past to “avoid offending one side or the other” (Harvardbusinessreview, 2020). The question therefore lies, what are the motivations for this shifting paradigm?

An adequate explanation for this change can be drawn from Mary Ellen RoachHiggins’ book ‘Dress and Identity’ where it is theorised that “the prestige of elite groups, in place of setting the direction of the fashion movement, is effective only to the extent to which they are recognised as representing and portraying the movement”. This signifies that brands may attempt to conform to the political demands of society regarding race, in order to maintain their significance, relevance, and ultimately gain “cultural clout” (Canvas8, 2020), i.e. a boost in their social status amongst the socially conscious younger consumers. Advancing from the realisation that brands have the ability to capitalise from diversity, it has been studied that increased diversity can also assist in increased levels of firm innovativeness, creativity and performance (Carpenter, 2002; Dezso & Ross, 2012; Zhang & Bartol, 2010). In a survey, 100 percent of people agreed with the question ‘do you think having a more diverse and inclusive workforce can lead to increased innovation in design?’; an answer stated “as a lot of ideas are taken from diverse groups and different cultures, having those same people help with the process of creating things would help create even better things. The brands get the chance to really research the people from the cultures they get inspiration from. It would help them take fashion further” (Appendix E).

There are significant financial benefits for companies that have high diversity scores according to a BCG Diversity and Innovation Survey (2018) study, which reported that companies with below-average diversity scores scored just 26% average innovation revenue whereas companies with aboveaverage diversity scores scored 45% average innovationrevenue. Gill states that the result of a more diverse workforce means that brands will “be able to do things differently and innovate in a business sense - to stay ahead” (Appendix B). Furthermore, in a 2020 study by Catalyst, it has been verified that there are several multifaceted benefits for companies that have a commitment to diversity and inclusion. According to Catalyst, a business that has inclusive policies experience a “59.1% increase in creativity, innovation, and openness” and “37.9% better assessment of consumer interest and demand”. Equally, it was reported that having a diverse management team can earn companies an average of 38% more of their revenues than those with lower diversity management teams. In regard to management teams, having a fluid level of diversity in gender, nationality, career path, and industry background has been correspondent with innovation. In terms of company structure, if inclusion is part of the ‘organizational culture’ of the company, it can amount to 49% of team problem-solving and 18% of employee innovation. (Catalyst, 2020). Diversity and inclusion also have an array of social benefits

for companies, including boosting company reputation e.g. companies with “inclusive business cultures are 57.8% more likely to improve their reputations”. A survey response stated that “people from diverse backgrounds buy into a [diverse] brand for that very reason” (Appendix E). Therefore, consumers are evidently more likely to purchase from a brand if the brand is recognised as diverse or inclusive. To summarise, whilst diversity is a positive facet to a brand, “without inclusion, diversity can be seen as tokenistic” (Mintel, 2019). If brands fail to authentically entwine inclusion into their business structures, gestures involving diversity can appear as nothing more than an opportunistic endeavour to improve brand image, public relations, and financial profit.

“Fashion is rreactive, not Proaactive”

chhapter thrree

It is it important to understand the structure of a luxury brand in the events of controversial public blunders. Tom Martin Hughes, a former Global Brand & Culture Engagement Board Member at Gucci and high-end luxury consultant of CSR and Diversity and Inclusion, explains that “fashion is reactive and not proactive” (Appendix C), “brands are so huge in terms of population of employees, they do have the D&I resource - they just don’t reach out to their employees”. This is evident in the case of Prada at the time of their racially insensitive Samboesque Pradamalia ‘blackface’ keyring, where at the time there were no black employees at Prada’s Headquarters in Milan (Financial Times, 2020). As a result, Prada launched a Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council aiming to “elevate voices of colour within the company and fashion industry at large” (Mintel, 2019). Similarly, Gucci appointed Renée Tirado as the new Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, only after their controversial balaclava style ‘blackface’ jumper backlash in 2019 and a £1 million plan to support young designers from underrepresented backgrounds. Whilst these endeavours are steps in the right direction, it is important to identify whether brands can sustain such commitments long-term or if they are simply quick fixes to end publish backlash. According to Hughes, “there’s a much more meaningful way than to pay someone a six-figure salary, put them in the public eye and say, ‘look at us’” (Appendix C), “diversity and inclusion should be entwined into a company”. As explicated by (Hambrick and Mason, 1984), the Upper Echelons Theory (UET) explains that organisational outcomes are mere reflections of the personality, values and behaviours of the individuals at their pinnacle. For example, following Prada’s

s controversy over racism, Miuccia Prada, along with other senior executives will undergo ‘racial equity training’ (Harpersbazaar.com, 2020). Whilst this process is necessary, why is it that this is thought of only post-public outcry? Not all brands lack diversity in the workforce but most lack inclusion as those in senior positions do not consult their employees. In the industry, the backgrounds of key decision makers and the lack of centrality thereof, can be a pivotal factor in the long-term existence and survival of a brand, it is censorious to form complementary teams relating to background, expertise and sensitivity (Kapferer & Bastien, 2012). As the largest luxury fashion brand conglomerates are predominantly European based, demographically speaking, there is a lack of diversity. Jamie Gill, CEO of Roksanda and an Executive on the Board of the British Fashion Council, states that the “biggest consumers of luxury are the Chinese, Asia and the Middle East” but “internal representation doesn’t exist” (Appendix B). Similarly, Hughes states that in each of his workplaces “are white, male, straight, Italian Chief Executives” and that “there isn’t any diversity in the colour of those people – in terms of the diversity of senior leaders” (Appendix C). It is evident that the biggest luxury brands such as those under European conglomerates such as LVMH, Kering, Richemont, The Prada Group and Hermès, each lack appropriate representation within the structure of the business. In today’s age however, a link can be brought from Kaiser (1990) whereby brands can “appear to belong to cultural categories” by managing their appearances, “conforming to traditional conceptions” of category appearances, or attempt to blur the lines between categories by juxtaposing elements from each. These can be in the form of campaigns, diversity on the runways

and an attempt to culturally appropriate in design.

Nonetheless, why do brands only attempt to appear diverse rather than truly become diverse? Optimal-Distinctiveness Theory (Brewer, 1991, 1993) asserts that individuals, or similarly brands, yearn to reach an optimal balance of inclusion and distinctiveness within and between social groups and situations. There is a constant, competing tension between the need for inclusion and the desire for individuality. This implies that brands may not want to become truly internally diverse as they crave individuality and distinctiveness within the respective luxury sector, sticking to familiarity, but will attempt to appear as diverse as a streetwear brand for example. In this sense, brands may fear that greater diversity could potentially lead to communication interruptions, slower decision making and interpersonal conflicts (Hambrick & D’Aveni, 1992; Li & Hambrick, 2005). Top management team diversity has also been defined as a “double-edged sword” (Triana, Miller & Trzebiatowski, 2013). However, it is important to note that this likely only if the wrong teams are formed, and people are employed for the sake of employing certain individuals based on appearance or diversity measures which Hughes refers to as “unconscious bias” (Appendix C). Gill theorises that “some brands and businesses are just scared” but “need to take a leap of faith” as there is “guaranteed to be a fresher perspective than the same kind of workforce, of the same illcut people who have been doing it for so long” (Appendix B). Luxury brands must become proactive regarding diversity and inclusion, in order to gain authenticity and approval from the younger consumers of today, by “looking for the future, at what we could be doing in advance” (Appendix C).

Collabborations – “Performattive Inclussion”

cchapter fouur

or luxury fashion brands, collaborations act as an astute method of engagement as they can potentially access a brand-new target audience, by transforming social relevance within specific demographics, and engineer a new personal form of cultural clout. Whether this is with an artist, musician, influencer, athlete, brand or designer, (Highsnobiety, 2019) states “collaborating with a relevant artist is the quickest way for a luxury house to connect with the modern consumer”. The motivations for brands to collaborate with and appoint individuals who are “carrying the culture” (Appendix A), can be evidently beneficial for the brand image. This can ultimately lead to increased positive attitudes towards the brand (Till et al, 2008), it also has an influence on the effectiveness of advertising, the recognition of a brand, purchasing intentions, and purchasing behaviour (Spry et al, 2009). In recent years, there has been a palpable shift in diversity regarding collaboration and the appointing of people of colour to senior positions within positions normally reserved to white counterparts, for example, Edward Enninful became the first black Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue, Rihanna became the first woman and the first woman of colour to join LVMH with her brand Fenty, and the late Virgil Abloh became the first black Artistic Director of an LVMH-owned brand (BoF, 2019). Whilst these actions are extremely progressive and positive in paving the way for a more diverse and inclusive luxury industry, (Leong, 2012) states that “predominantly white institutions exploit relationships or affiliations with nonwhite individuals in order to accumulate for themselves the capital associated with nonwhiteness”. Leong explains that there is an “underacknowledged exchange” whereby there is an offer of “social status, friendship, goodwill, professional advancement, prestige, monetary compensation, tangible goods, or any number of other benefits in return for the capital derived from the affiliation”. This emphasises the proposition of racial capitalism, therefore alluding to a lack of authenticity in inclusive practices as brands may potentially carry out such endeavours in order to gain financially and socially from another’s racial identity.

In a survey, the question ‘do you think brands employ with an element of tokenism?’ was asked in which 100 percent of answers agreed that luxury brands do employ with an element of tokenism. Answers dictated that brands do so as a means of “fulfilling quotas”, “performative inclusion”, “using diversity as props and for brand image” and to avoid being “labelled negatively” (Appendix E). By the same token, the idea of the ‘HaloEffect’ defined by Edward Thorndike (1920), is where positive impressions of a person in one area can positively influence opinions in other areas. This can be used as a psychological motive for luxury brands to use collaboration as a means to unauthentically gain from those individuals. Brands may have previously attempted to appropriate the work of an individual until faced with pressure to collaborate e.g. Gucci “lifted some of the legendary Harlem designer and artis Dapper Dan’s ideas” but only decided to collaborate with him directly, after “public outcry” (Atlantic, 2020). For some brands, tactical selection is crucial in attempting to act as a tool for expansion. For Louis Vuitton, “by committing itself to forward-thinking, boundary breaking designers – [they] have kept its name in the news, its cultural relevance intact and it’s register tills bursting”. Forbes reported that in 2019, the brand was worth $39.3 billion. (Highsnobiety, 2019). Today, it is worth $47.2 billion (Forbes, 2020). As a result, it can be argued that the appointment of Abloh may have been strategic but ultimately, it is difficult to decipher whether brands make entirely strategic or authentic decisions. What can be a cynical factor however, is “a business that is profiting off a minority culture, in terms of campaigns, in terms of sales, and doing nothing internally to change their inside network”, Gill states (Appendix B). “As long as it’s in the journey of progression and steps are being made to change that business”, collaboration and the joining of forces with significant cultural relevance act as “baby steps” (Appendix B) towards a more inclusive industry.

Namely, Matthew Williams, owner of brand 1017 ALYX 9SM, who Kyei describes as having “diversity of thought” (Appendix A), is “on the ground connecting with their clientele.” In this way, “Williams and a new wave of designers stay informed and, ultimately, stay ahead” (Highsnobiety, 2019). Whilst historically Eurocentric brands are struggling to come to terms with conformity, as maintained by (Highsnobiety, 2019), “1017 ALYX 9SM resonates with young, informed audiences who are able to cut through the noise of partnerships done for the sole sake of novelty and driving up profit margins”, Williams understands that “product collaborations fit into that ethos of breaking down the traditional hierarchical barriers found in luxury fashion.” This is vital for a brand of today to get to terms with, as luxury is being shifted by meaning, from aspiration to representation. Newer, fresher and up and coming luxury fashion brands have aided in the shift towards new luxury, breaking the barriers to accessibility and achievability, the old-school Eurocentric brands have no choice other than to follow in their footsteps, to retain a certain cultural relevance. For Williams, he explains that rather than making decisions based purely on profit and sales, “it really is about expression and doing things that we’re proud of.” It’s also about seeing “how their teams work and sharing knowledge with them. We can then bring those learnings into our own processes. It’s very beneficial” (Highsnobiety, 2019).

“tthey need to have a strateggyy around it, as they’ll have a strateggyy around sustainabilityy, they’ll have an e-commerce strateggyy, they’ll have a sales strategy” chappterr fivee

Brands that are authentic in their diversity and inclusion schemes have an all-round well entwined inclusive business model and values, at all levels of the company. (Highsnobiety, 2019) states that “to have an impact on any culture, one must understand the dynamics of many different ones”. This illustrates that brands must learn to understand that aspiration is synonymous with cultural value. Luxury must make room for a new sound of voices and new set of visions in order to pioneer ahead, shifting away from old luxury’s cultural paradigms. Drawing from a concept proposed by sociologist David Riesman (1953) in Kaiser’s The Social Psychology of Clothing, “Other-directedness describes a quality in an individual that involves sensitivity to the expectations and preferences of other. In contrast, inner directedness is more closely related to nonconformity, or a tendency to possess an internalised set of goals, with less concern for the expectations of others”. In order to reflect wider society, luxury brands must, to an extent, attain a quality of otherdirectedness – sensitivity to cultural, social and political issues to prevent any possibilities of backlash following public blunders, hindrance to brand reputation, lack of understanding of sensitive cultural issues. Brands that are paving the way towards a more authentically diverse and inclusive luxury industry are those under the direction of the “allencompassing”. Gill simplifies how the leading creative directors of today such as Kim Jones “who isn’t a person of colour, then you’ve got Virgil who is – [bring] in the real community into

the collaborations you’re seeing” (Appendix B). It can be seen that brands such as Louis Vuitton and Dior are the real path-blazing changemakers in the realms of diversity and inclusion in luxury. Gill also explains how “being a person of colour - being innate, you’ve grown up as a minority, so in that regard, anybody who has grown up in that way carries it closer to their heart, because they know the challenges that comes with. I therefore think, and hope that anyone who is in a position of influence carries that with them to make change”. This can highlight the importance of top management team diversity as studies have found that top management teams constructed by managers’ different observable background characteristics (e.g. gender, age, education and professional experiences) can yield a consequential competitive advantage (Bunderson & Sutcliffe, 2003). For brands to succeed in this way, they must be proactive instead of reactive, they have to think ahead, think of the future. A brand that is completing these tactics is Ralph Lauren who have been embedding diversity councils at each and every level since 2003. (Vogue Business, 2019). These groups “focus on employee satisfaction, talent recruitment, and store, office and production facilities” claims Roseann Lynch, and to run it is “not a huge investment.” Similarly, Gill suggests that if a brand wants to be “30% BAME by 3 years’ time, put it in place. It doesn’t need to be any harder than that” he states that brands “need to have a strategy around [diversity & inclusion], as they’ll have a strategy around sustainability, they’ll have an e-commerce strategy, they’ll have a sales strategy” (Appendix B). Brands just have to

make a start and ensure authenticity in their respective methods as this is vital to keep consumer’s content. As Kim Jones, artistic director of Men’s Dior stated, “if you don’t change, you won’t survive” (Highsnobiety, 2019).

“if yyou ddon’tt chaange, yoou won’t survivee” kimm jjonees

The question as to whether luxury brands are diversity-phishing, and therefore lack authenticity in their missions towards increased inclusion, can be evaluated from a range of angles and theories. As evidently portrayed by the researcher, due to the strict Eurocentric history behind today’s largest luxury brands, there is simply not enough diversity, and therefore, not enough inclusion in the luxury workforce (Bain, 2019). There is progress, but it is at a slow and steady pace. As society’s current paradigm shifts as a result of social conditioning, a changing customer base and with there being a realisation that there is ‘value in diversity’ (Hoffman, 1959), millennials now want more than just a brand and will not accept anything less. In the climate of the internet age, brands are expected to be socially and politically aware and educated, otherwise they face the fear of being left behind, and boycotted (Euclid, 2017). With how quickly time progresses, they must attempt to retain their relevance in an authentic manner, with positive motivations behind their actions rather than shows of mere tokens of display for public perception.

Ultimately, whilst it is evident that there has been a series of attempts at progression and growth in the luxury fashion industry, regarding diversity and inclusive practices, there are also a multitude of wrongdoings and brands displaying a lack of authenticity in their measures. What does remain to be slightly unclear, is deciphering what brands are truly attempting to positively innovate the luxury fashion industry and workforce, and who is purely motivated by financial and social gain to appear authentic in their measures., due to a lack of control, policy and regulation of luxury fashion brands. Chapter one states “everyone is trying to stay relevant; everyone wants to be relevant; everyone needs to stay relevant, especially with the way fashion moves” (Appendix A). This highlights that there is fight for relevancy between fashion brands, and they may take whatever steps are necessary, positive or negative, to win this race. For example in chapter two, the (Fortune, 2020) study revealing that brands “speak out in support of racial equality”

but simultaneously are negligent of people of colour within the business when faced with “concerns regarding discrimination”. This aids to support the argument that there is a lack of authenticity in inclusive practices in luxury industry, brands want to appear sensitive to public issues but are not reflective of such issues behind closed doors. Furthermore, with there being several studies and reports surrounding the financial, structural, creative and social benefits of diversity and inclusion within the workforce, and on the exterior face of a brand as highlighted in chapter two, it is discernible to suggest that brands will grapple at this opportunity to improve their business in any array of means. Diversity and inclusion can therefore be deemed as a quick fix for some brands looking to increase their profits and cultural relevance.

ffurtheer stuudy Regarding future studies, the researcher has concluded that the luxury industry is one of great complexity. There are a series of factors involved in the area of diversity and inclusion within and around the workforce, and during the time of Generation Y and Z; the ‘internet generation’, the industry is the most diverse and inclusive that it ever has been. However, it is still not enough and there is still a long way to go in terms of progression and the aim towards a more reflective luxury industry in regards to wider society. It is also interesting to attempt to delve deeper into the cases of different luxury brands that are known to be successful within the realms of diversity and inclusion and also the brands that have received public outcry and media backlash from their mistaken endeavours of racism and cultural appropriation, in an attempt to understand why, and how these controversies have occurred in such a diverse time.

Further research into this topic would be beneficial for the researcher in terms of gaining a deeper understanding of the industry, for example, gaining more opinions from academics, learning of the experiences of more people of colour that work within the industry within different sectors of the workforce, conducting case studies, and also constructing focus groups with industry experts could be very beneficial to the research etc. These forms of primary research could help to enrich the debate at hand and further strengthen reliability of gathered secondary research. Reflecting on the module, the researcher would have allowed more time to gather a series of substantial forms of In terms of the Independent Final Project, the research, widening the depths of the dissertation. research from this dissertation could be taken further by the researcher, as it is of significant personal interest. Regarding issues of diversity and inclusion could be carried into the Independent Final Project in an open-ended list of possibilities for development. The researcher aims to delve further into the conversation around diversity and inclusion within the luxury fashion industry.

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Ekinci, S., 2020. The importance of diversity and inclusion in the luxury world | OMD. [online] OMD. Available at: <https://www.omd.com/thoughts/theimportance-of-diversity-and-inclusion-in-the-luxury-world/> [Accessed 7 November 2021]. This article explains how crucial diversity and inclusion is for the future of the luxury fashion industry. This also proivded insight into how cn commit to long term investments in inclusion and diversity in the workforce. Ellen Roach Higgins, M., 1992. Dress and Identity. [online] Available at: <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/247783642_Dress_and_Identity> [Accessed 7 November 2021]. This book helped to form a range of psychological theories regarding the topic at hand, with insight into the prestige of luxury brands and how they must conform in order to be effective. ENNINFUL, E., 2020. “Racism Is A Global Issue”: Edward Enninful On The Importance Of Cultivating An Anti-Racist Agenda. [online] British Vogue. Available at: <https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/edward-enninful-racism> [Accessed 11 November 2021]. This article explains how racism is a global issue and how fashion, as a huge and influential industry, has a big part to play in tackling this. En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Black Lives Matter - Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lives_Matter> [Accessed 4 December 2021]. This helped to form the definition of Black Lives Matter. En.wikipedia.org. n.d. Halo effect - Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_effect> [Accessed 7 September 2021]. This helped to form the definition of the ‘Halo-Effect’. En.wikipedia.org. n.d. Tokenism - Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokenism> [Accessed 11 November 2021]. En.wikipedia.org. n.d. Upper echelons theory - Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_echelons_theory> [Accessed 1 December 2021]. This helped to explain the definiton and meaining of the Upper Echelons Theory in relation to how senior management within brands are not inclusive enough. Fernando, J., 2021. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). [online] Investopedia. Available at: <https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corp-socialresponsibility.asp> [Accessed 7 December 2021]. This helped to form the definition of Coporate Social Responsibility. Francis, T. and Hoefel, F., 2018. [online] Available at: <https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/true-gen-generation-zand-its-implications-for-companies> [Accessed 11 November 2021]. This helped to form a well-rounded undertsanding of Generation Z and how they are having an effect on companies. This helped to recognise the strong influence of Gen Z consumers in the world of new luxury. Geisel, N., 2021. Racism as a Marketing Tool: How Fashion Brands Continue to Profit from Stereotypes — The Thirlby. [online] The Thirlby. Available at: <https://www.thethirlby.com/camp-thirlby-diary/2019/5/24/racism-as-a-marketing-tool-how-fashion-brands-continue-to-profit-from-stereotypes> [Accessed 1 November 2021]. This article aided in the understanding of racial capitalism within the fashion industry as a whole, and helped to build upon ‘performative inclusion’ in chapter four. Harper’s BAZAAR. 2020. Miuccia Prada and her team to receive sensitivity training. [online] Available at: <https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/fashionnews/a30774675/miuccia-prada-and-her-team-to-receive-sensitivity-training/> [Accessed 16 November 2021]. This source explains how Prada has dealt with their public backlash following claims of cultural appropriation and racism. Herman, B., 2019. [online] Available at: <https://www.rga.com/futurevision/trends/generation-z-nonrebels-with-a-cause> [Accessed 13 November 2021]. This source helped to create an informed insight into Generation Z, who they are and what the require as consumers. Hoffman, L. R. (1959). Homogeneity of member personality and its effect on group problem-solving. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 58(1), 27–32. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0043499 This article explains homogeneity and how it effects the workplace, helping to understand how diversity affects problem solving. Kapferer, J. N., & Bastien, V. (2012). The luxury strategy: Break the rules of marketing to build luxury brands. Kogan page publishers. This article explains how to be innovative in marketing and how it it censorious to form complementary teams relating to background, expertise and sensitivity

Indvik, L., 2020. Fashion forward: luxury brands try to weave inclusivity into their fabric. [online] Ft.com. Available at: <https://www.ft.com/content/1e10808dab19-4f8d-b568-508290cc1192> [Accessed 2 December 2021]. This article explains the methods of how luxury brands attempt to be inclusive.

Laux, C., 2019. Who decides what is cool?. [online] Bbc.com. Available at: <https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20190109-who-decides-what-is-cool> [Accessed 1 November 2021]. This article helped to build an understanding of the shift of old luxury to new luxury, the causes, the pioneers leading the shift and the results of this.

Illing, S., 2019. How capitalism reduced diversity to a brand. [online] Vox. Available at: <https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/2/11/18195868/capitalism-racediversity-exploitation-nancy-leong> [Accessed 13 November 2021]. This article helped to gain a further understanding of racial capitalism, with an interview from Leong further explaining the causes and benefits.

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Igi-global.com. n.d. What is Upper Echelons Theory | IGI Global. [online] Available at: <https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/upper-echelons-theory/58132> [Accessed 21 November 2021]. This source helped to explain the Upper Echelons Theory, this was useful in performing a critical analysis of luxury brands and their lack of inclusion. Jahshan, E., 2019. Prada forms diversity council after blackface row - Retail Gazette. [online] Retailgazette.co.uk. Available at: <https://www.retailgazette. co.uk/blog/2019/02/prada-forms-diversity-council-after-blackface-row/> [Accessed 12 November 2021]. This article explains how Prada dealt with their accusations of racism and their commitment towards change and inclusion. This was useful in analysing the lack of diversity and inclusion within the workforce, the reasons behind this and how it can prevent future controversies. Jolly, M. (1997). [Review of Imperial Leather: Race, Gender and Sexuality in the Colonial Conquest, by A. McClintock]. Journal of the History of Sexuality, 7(3), 444–448. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4629641 This source helped to gain an understanding of how race and class can be psychoanalysed against fashion. Kaiser, S. and Kaiser, S., 1998. The Social Psychology of Clothing. New York: Fairchild Publications This source was used to draw a range of psychological theories relevant to the topic at hand, in support of the argument. This helped to provide further evidence in different chapters and explain the psychology behind a brands choices. Knowledge@Wharton. 2021. How Can the Luxury Industry Become More Inclusive? - Knowledge@Wharton. [online] Available at: <https://knowledge. wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-can-the-luxury-industry-become-more-inclusive/> [Accessed 7 December 2021]. This article explains how the luxury industry can attempt to the become more truly inclusive, drawing upon the opinions of industry professionals and academics. This source was useful in analysing the shift towards more inclusivity and less exclusivity.

Li, J. and Hambrick, D., 2005. Factional Groups: A New Vantage on Demographic Faultlines, Conflict, and Disintegration in Work Teams | Academy of Management Journal. [online] Journals.aom.org. Available at: <https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/amj.2005.18803923> [Accessed 13 November 2021]. This source helped to build an understanding of how increased representation in the workforce can sometimes lead to lower levels of productivity and difficulties surrounding decision making and problem solving. Lorenzo, R., Voigt, N., Tsusaka, M., Krentz, M. and Abouzahr, K., 2018. How Diverse Leadership Teams Boost Innovation. [online] BCG Global. Available at: <https://www.bcg.com/publications/2018/how-diverse-leadership-teams-boost-innovation> [Accessed 21 October 2021]. This source helped to explain the positive effects of diverse leadership teams in how they can be proven to boost creative innovation. Louise Hamar, C., n.d. Diversity Vs Inclusivity | What Needs to Happen In The Fashion Industry. [online] Sustainable Fashion - Eco Design - Healthy Lifestyle - Luxiders Magazine. Available at: <https://luxiders.com/diversity-vs-inclusivity-fashion-industry/> [Accessed 22 November 2021]. This source explains the constant misunderstanding between diversity and inclusion and how they are used in the fashion industry. This source aided in providing clear support for the argument at hand. Morris, C., 2020. Performative Allyship: What Are The Signs And Why Leaders Get Exposed. [online] Forbes. Available at: <https://www.forbes.com/sites/ carmenmorris/2020/11/26/performative-allyship-what-are-the-signs-and-why-leaders-get-exposed/?sh=256de9ce22ec> [Accessed 7 November 2021]. This source explains the signs of performative allyship and the lack of authenticity in relation to diversity and inclusive practices. This was useful in bulding a strong and well informed argument in order to form an conclusion in agreement with the question of the dissertation.

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immagge rreferenncess Bae. J. (2021). Paper Fiction — Jooeun Bae. [online] Available at: <https://www.jooeunbae.com/paper-fiction> [Accessed 7 December 2021]. Bae. J. (2021). I Wish I Could See You — Jooeun Bae. [online] Available at: <https://www.jooeunbae.com/i-wish-i-could-see-you> [Accessed 7 December 2021]. Bae. J. (2021). Invite Your Hands — Jooeun Bae. [online] Available at: <https://www.jooeunbae.com/invite-your-hands> [Accessed 7 December 2021]. DIDERICH, J., 2018. U.S. Designer Virgil Abloh Writes New Chapter at Louis Vuitton – WWD. [online] Wwd.com. Available at: <https://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/virgil-abloh-debut-louis-vuitton-kanye-west-1202720839/> [Accessed 7 November 2021].

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aappendicess

Appendix A Benjamin Kyei runs a London-based, luxury streetwear clothing brand named ‘Gosse au Coeur’. 1. What is your role in industry?

My role is Brand Creative Director / designer of a menswear fashion brand called ‘Gosse au Coeur’, it means ‘kid at heart’, which was what it was originally when I first formed the brand, but because I love Paris and I love high fashion, Paris has always been my dream city, so I put it in French. 2. How would you define the term diversity? I would say diversity is having for example if you had a group of people from different backgrounds, different ethnicities, I guess I can’t use the word diverse but a wide range of different types of people or things 3. Is considering diversity a part of your everyday job? Yes, especially in the last year a lot of stuff has been going on for myself in terms of Black Lives Matter, but diversity is key because you want to be able to reach out to as many people as possible as well as keeping it quite niche with my brand or my business model. Same way, you don’t want to discriminate or have anyone feel left out so it’s important to reach out to all different types of people. 4. Do you think today’s luxury industry reflects how society has changed in the last 50 years? If so, how? I would say so yes i think that’s a large part of the reason why I felt like I could join the luxury field. It’s progressing very slowly but we have come a long way. The luxury industry has tried to reflect the progress in society for example, I feel like over the last three/four years now, even with the point of someone like Virgil Abloh going into Louis Vuitton, I think that was like a big shift. Also with the likes of Matthew Williams into Givenchy, who wasn’t necessarily a designer, I feel like there’s been a diversity in thought but also in terms of race and colour, in terms of who’s accepted as a designer in the industry but then on the other side of that, I feel like there has been a start, but I don’t think the industry is fully diverse. The start is different cultures and styles being brought into the design. I think it has started it’s a good positive sign to show that we’re going down the right path it’s also the reason why I felt like I was welcome into the industry in a sense. It’s been a good start, but we still have a long way to go for society to be fully reflected. 5. Can you recall a particular period or moment when luxury felt more accessible or representational? I would say, I don’t know, maybe for some reason this moment just came to my mind, when Virgil started his first collection at Louis Vuitton even when he did his showroom in the UK it was open to pretty much anyone, anyone and everyone could I feel like beforehand it was only a particular set of people and it was hard getting access to those things but I don’t know if it was a change in industry or if he wanted to do something different that allowed everyone to purchase the presale. I was given the chance to go and see the new stuff along with my friends. That was in 2018 that was quite a standout moment to me of when I feel like luxury was becoming more accessible for someone like myself. 6. Have you experienced any forms of good practice within a workplace in relation to diversity? Well I haven’t worked anywhere directly fashion related, but I guess with the corporate place that I work, I work as a UI designer, when it came to the Black Lives Matter movement they were trying to and even now they try to, they’re not always getting it right but at least they are trying to be more inclusive. The company I work for they are a training company, so they train staff, they even introduce modules about diversity and inclusion in a workplace. That’s the one thing I can say, that happened last year, I guess it was a reaction to the BLM movement but at the same time I give people praises where they are due. Some people chose not to react, and they did so i guess that’s something I can relate to, being diverse. 7. Can you give an example of where you may have experienced unsuccessful industry practice in relation to diversity? This would have been a while back; I was working in Primark. It seemed like there wasn’t the opportunity to grow. When I was looking at opportunities for growth for other people as I was a young age, I was observing my friends who were looking for promotions, they weren’t necessarily hired. But people who were white would get the promotion, but someone that was doing the hard work example a few Asian friends and black friends wouldn’t get the opportunity to progress. I haven’t had anything directly aimed at me, but I have witnessed unsuccessful practise and of diversity. 8. What do you think brands need to do to become more diverse and inclusive? I feel like I’ve seen brands that have got it wrong, and I’ve seen some brands that have got it right. I feel like there’s been some brands who feel like they can suddenly just slap some black faces or Asian faces on their brand and be like yeah, we’re diverse now. But I think diversity is not necessarily about what you show, it’s about what happens within the company. So I know a friend who works at the BBC and um, their first reaction to the BLM movement, was when they began using black faces to do certain things. But then I think the real changes within began when they were giving opportunities and giving a voice to ethnic minorities, to speak out and have a voice and provide equal opportunities. You know what I mean? I don’t think everyone should be looked at for their colour, or their religion but just generally looked at for how hard you work. I think the real change comes from within, rather than you know, I would prefer if there was more change within a brand than just on the face of it to be honest. At the same time, brands should, where they can, show it, but I prefer the change coming from within.

I think brands do that for one, it’s the right thing to do, but for some people, it’s a strategy to reach out to more people. Some brands I think do it because it’s the right thing to do, because of morals, ethnic morals and stuff like that. But then again, there’s something called ‘CSR’ – Corporate Social Responsibility. I feel like there’s a lot of brands that are doing it just to tick that box saying, “yeah we hired one black person and one Asian person, so we’re diverse”, which is the wrong way to do it. But I feel like there is a mixture, there is a handful of businesses that are doing it for the right reasons, so I feel like, there’s a bit of both. It’s hard to really tell which ones are doing it right and wrong unless doing deep research into them, because everyone looks diverse at face value, but I feel like in the long run, the real will stand out and the fakes will show themselves. I had this conversation with uh, with a group of guy friends. They were talking about how Virgil going to Louis Vuitton was either a strategic move or was it authentic, and I feel like it was a bit of both, um, where there’s certain people who are carrying culture and starting to really push the culture and where culture is being influenced in a lot of areas, football sports, music, fashion, expression, I feel like a lot more people are doing it strategically. At the same time, I feel like a lot of people are doing it strategically but it’s hard to tell who is and who isn’t doing it. But again, I guess that can be conclusion to the conversation about Virgil and Louis, it’s a bit 50/50. It was a great strategy move because it was about strategy, because hiring someone who is the ‘guy’ at the moment allows him bringing in more diverse models, diverse designs. It’s a bit of both. 11. Do you think there is any insincerity behind luxury fashion brands choosing to steer from their traditional roots to a more cultural approach? I feel like, it is kind of like, again it’s a strategy, they have to change over time, certain businesses react, certain businesses don’t. like you can see for example, the likes of, pretty much everything has tried to incorporate a little bit of streetwear into their brands like even someone like Hermes, one of the most luxurious brands, allowing certain things to go into their designs like, thinking about their Birkin’s, and Goyard, allowing people to graffiti on their bags. I feel like everyone is trying to infuse culture in, I don’t think it’s done in a harsh way, but it’s a business strategy as businesses have to change over time. Erm, by them not doing it, they are just going to become irrelevant, I guess. Everyone is trying to stay relevant; everyone wants to be relevant; everyone needs to stay relevant, especially with the way fashion moves. So you can see certain brands that haven’t gone with the times, and have stuck to their old ways, have just fizzled out and are dying. But then, there’s also brands who are doing fine, brands like Tom Ford, maybe not necessarily infuse culture into their things, maybe culture has been a part of it, but they haven’t gone down the streetwear route or everything is diverse. I think they still grow; you know I guess; it depends how strong a brands core fanbase is and how strong the brands messaging is, and how kind of being diverse already so they didn’t have to do a lot. But there’s certain brands that weren’t and all of a sudden, they do a complete shift, you give side eye, it’s a bit weird. Its strategy I guess, its business moves, I don’t think there’s any insincerity that I can see, I guess. 12. Do you think traditionally Eurocentric luxury brands capitalise on diversity? Yeah definitely, that’s the hard thing. For me, someone who loves business and who understands how important it is to innovate and grow a diverse business but the same way, knowing there’s some businesses that do it just for money. Probably a lot of racist people within the company or doing it because it’s going to make their wallets bigger. That’s the hard thing for me, because I can look at a brand, I do a lot of research on brands and when I see certain brands, like yeah you changed a lot. But it’s always hard because you don’t know anyone in the business, I don’t know what the real motives and the morals are. There was a rumour that Daniel Lee, the creative director of Bottega, left because he called someone a racist term, the ‘n’ word. I don’t know if that’s true, we may never find out, but then Bottega is using diverse people for their campaigns for example Skepta, using people of colour, but if that’s how he really thinks, whilst he’s using those kinds of words, and we don’t know if it’s true or not, I hope it’s not true. I just bought a pair and now I’m thinking “damn, I can’t wear these anymore”. If the rumour is that the head of creative direction is getting kicked out of the company, where do they stand? If that’s true, then they are clearly making a move based on making money rather than trying to become more diverse. Then again, it is a rumour, so I don’t know if that’s true, but I think that is a good example to show where businesses stand. It is a rumour, so we may never find out because they hide this stuff so well. It’s definitely a problem for consumers, and even me as a designer, for someone who loves fashion, what brands do I really rock with and what brands do I not because, I ain’t trying to wear no brands that’s racist and don’t care about me. It’s hard, the reason I don’t wear timberlands is because when I grew up, I heard Timberlands was a racist brand, Tommy Hilfiger. These are things I’ve heard when I was a little kid, so it’s always stuck with me, I’ve never owned Tommy Hilfiger, I’ve never owned any Timberlands because that’s what I’ve heard when I was younger. It may not be true, but this is the effect it has on people. 13. There has been a trend in luxury brands launching diversity and inclusion programmes and hiring D&I officers after public accusations of cultural appropriation and racism in their products and marketing. What is your opinion on this? I think it is a lot of BS! Honestly, why are, I hate when, it’s hard, because I love Prada, I’m not really a fan of Gucci so I couldn’t care less what they do. But Prada, for example, I love them, and it’s like why are they now reacting. I think it was them or Moncler who did the blackface stuff, and suddenly, the next week, they’ve got a black face as the lead of their campaigns, waving LGBT flags. I’m thinking, really and truly, my opinion on it is that it’s very ingenuine, but unfortunately that’s just the way it is, there needs to be a change. People need to stop reacting, because when they react, suddenly, it covers everything up until the next thing, they do the same thing, and it covers it up. So it means that the problems don’t really get solved. For example, even if you think about football, the reason why certain footballers have stopped taking the knee, is because a lot of racist people are still taking the knee and not trying to deal with the actual issue and just covering it up. I feel like, all these reactions are short-term cover-ups, and we need to start seeing is long term changes and brands making long-term commitments to diversity and inclusion rather than a 6–12-week campaign about being diverse. 12 weeks later down the line, they’re doing something else controversial, like the H&M monkey controversy, it’s just silly. It’s hard when you love certain brands, I’ve had to stop wearing certain brands because of that, it confuses everyone. 14. Do you think there is a correlation between the lack of diversity in a brands workforce and the acts of cultural appropriation in their products/promotional I’m going to give two answers. I would like to think yes, because there is a lack of diversity within the workforce, there is a lot of cultural appropriation, that’s what I would like to think. But then, excuse my French, there are a lot of scumbags who don’t give a crap about anyone else, really and truly, it doesn’t take someone being in your workplace to understand certain things. The blackface for Moncler, everyone knows that is the wrong thing, worldwide, that’s a thing of history that is known to be racist. They could have zero black people in their company, zero levels of diversity but I still feel like for them to do that, is just ignorant. You wouldn’t do certain things, I would like to think it’s because there’s a lack of diversity in the workforce but there’s a lot of people that are just very naïve and just don’t care, they just do what they want. There could be black people in the company or not, and they still do the same thing. The reason I gave two answers is because I would like to think otherwise, I would like to think that maybe if there are more diverse workforces, we won’t be seeing these things.

9. What do you think would be the result of a more diverse workforce within a luxury fashion brand? I feel like a more diverse workforce would be, um, I think that would also allow, I think that links to one of the first questions, about does today’s brands reflect society, I feel like the more diverse, the more opinions, the more points of views, from within. So I mean, that will allow brands to reflect more of society where the world is becoming more diverse, it’s happening at a very slow rate but in the same way, I think including people in certain decisions and even from a design point of view, a marketing point of view, brands will start to reflect society more considering all of these things, like different races, religions. At the same time, I wouldn’t expect a brand to you know, start promoting themselves like Tesco, because they just want to be more diverse, do it in a way that stays true to the brand but in the same way, true to society.

10. Do you think there is any intent behind luxury brands choosing to diversify their workforce and brand image?

Appendix B Jamie Gill is the Chief Executive Officer of luxury womenswear brand Roksanda. He also is an Executive on the Executive Board of the British Fashion Council. 1. What is your role in industry? My day job is CEO of Roksanda, and I also sit on the board of the British Fashion Council as well, as an Executive Director and I was appointed ultimately to work on making the industry more inclusive for the future and what we can do on a macro-level and on a mediate level, as well as making that a reality. That forms part of my remit as well. 2. How would you define the term diversity? I would define the term diversity to really be, literally what rings in my head immediately, is a racial balance, a racial equality. So that meaning, we’ve got a variety of people from all different backgrounds, races, and immediately sexuality as well, you know a variety of people who are open in whatever they are, heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, whatever it is. There’s a fair representation there, then in age as well, you know, there’s a whole thing about being younger and giving people who are really young a chance and almost giving them a chance that is early for them to get there, as well as being older, you know in diversity as well it can be sometimes harder, if you’re a 60 year old person trying to apply for a job, that can also be challenging if you’re not 30 so I think there’s that. And then, body image as well, when I think we’ve been good at that, diversity has to be inclusive against all different walks. 3. Is considering diversity a part of your everyday job? Yes, for sure. I don’t think that is the case for everybody and I hope it does change and become that way because I think it is for me being a person of colour, and I think being innate, you’ve grown up as a minority, so in that regard, anybody who has grown up in that way carries it closer to their heart, because they know the challenges that that comes with. I therefore think, and hope that anyone who is in a position of influence carries that with them to make change. When you’re always looking at a candidate, when we’re looking at a strategy, when we’re looking at a perspective, you’re thinking who’s perspectives are we including here and have we got a range in that perspective. 4. Do you think today’s luxury industry reflects how society has changed in the last 50 years? If so, how? No. Not at all, a blanket no. I’ll tell you why, I think what I always say as well okay there’s one point that you can look at any designer brands ad campaign, runway show, you go to an event, you look at influencers, of course it looks diverse. You go to London Fashion Week parties, you’ve got a representation of all races, all sexualities, all ages, everything that I was just saying is represented and its visible. Any brand that did a runway show that didn’t have a diverse casting of models, would be called out immediately, you don’t see it anymore. You always see campaigns and shows, of course its diverse, why wouldn’t it be. I think that is progressive in terms of an image, however, what hasn’t changed if we’re talking about industry is, who is the consumer of luxury goods? You know, the real consumer, yes we’ve got a high proportion of ultra-high net worth, middle-aged, upwards, people who have made it in life, who have the means or have come from means to be able to buy luxury but there’s a significant aspirational consumer who is the biggest consumer of luxury, who’s going through the ladder, even when you just said now about not affording Roksanda today, in 10-15 years you will be able to, as you climb up the ranks. What are you going to look for now? You’re going to look for, as I did, more accessible pieces, your leather goods, the entry bags and everything to start your journey into luxury. So if you look at that in that regard, you’re speaking to the world, you’re speaking to the globe, you’re speaking to the east, who are the biggest consumers, yet who is running the fashion business? Still, the middle-aged, upper middle class, white man. Unfortunately, at executive level, at board level, senior management level, still seems to be the case in luxury. 5. Can you recall a particular period or moment, when luxury felt more accessible/representational? The first question was is it representative, and I went straight in with no. But if you’re thinking of a time that it’s felt the most, I think the most is still now, because you know we’re leaps from where it was. The reason being at that is, great helm to those amazing, creative directors who we have now, even Kim Jones, who isn’t a person of colour, then you’ve got Virgil who is, together they’re still very all-encompassing, and bringing in the real community into the collaborations you’re seeing is so unexpected, it is so diverse, it’s a collision. A collision is what diversity is, bringing out different people together. So I think the best we’ve ever been, is now. 6. Have you experienced any forms of good practice within a workplace in relation to diversity? I’m an architect by training, but then I also moved to Deloitte. I did 5 years at a finance firm, ultimately in consulting and advisory and became a chartered accountant then. What they were, as a global firm, they had grasped diversity at the heart of the business, and they recognised quickly, our clients are diverse, very global, the only thing that’s different between us and KPMG or Ernest & Young, is that our people need to be diverse to reflect our clients and how else are we going to sell anything, besides a culture. So from there, in 2010 I joined Deloitte and I was like ‘Wow!’. I’m not saying the firm was as diverse as it could be, but they were aware that there was a journey ahead, and there were metrics in place and they were trying, so that was great. You come to fashion, besides Burberry, McQueen, Stella McCartney, your hand full of macro-fashion players, everybody else included, Rejina Pyo, Roksanda, is a small fashion brand. We’ve got a bigger presence than the size of our business, everyone knows who Roksanda is, a lot of people know who Rejina is as well, internationally, these brands have a good name and representation ahead of them. However, as you saw, at Rejina, there’s not that many people, maybe 20 who are running quite a machine and then in that regard, with everybody being so small, there isn’t that room for best practice. Deloitte’s this trillion-dollar firm, and it’s got offices all over the world, Burberry is a bigger player and have a diversity and inclusion team and there’s a head and they’re making sure that the runways are policed to ensure that nobody’s going to be upset by cultural misappropriation, making sure that there is a recruitment process in place, that we’ve got a metric of 20-25% BAME graduates etc. So I think, unfortunately, some of our big players, Burberry as the leading example have done a really good job around D&I, I think there’s some great examples in other industries, but I think what we’re doing now and what we’re focusing on is how do we get all smaller brands, Rejina included, who I think is a great advocate and is probably a better one being a person of colour herself, naturally again, it comes from a place of innately picking more different people than the norm, because that’s close to our hearts. In a roundabout nutshell, I haven’t seen yet any smaller business who’s got an amazing benchmark for D&I. 7. Can you give an example of where you may have experienced unsuccessful industry practice in relation to diversity? If we rewind 5-6 years back, and go before, there’s been so many examples of seeing things in fashion, public examples, of such faux pas around diversity, big brands; Gucci, H&M, made such visible public blunders that have demonstrated that there wasn’t one single person of colour at the table when those decisions were made. It was cultural misappropriation, it was seen as racist against a black person for instance, it didn’t even need to have just a black person in the room at the time, it showed that there wasn’t anybody of colour who allowed that to happen. That’s been evident, there’s countless examples, you can reference Gucci, H&M, Burberry have even been victim to it before they got into this. June 2020, with the Black Lives Matter movement, was the expedition now of everybody taking diversity seriously. 8. What do you think brands need to do to become more diverse and inclusive? I think they need to have a strategy around it, as they’ll have a strategy around sustainability, they’ll have an e-commerce strategy, they’ll have a sales strategy, so they need to be thinking top down, from their board, who’s representing, who’s ultimately giving a BAME perspective at board level, at management level, executive management level, then midmanagement level and then at recruitment as well. So what is the metrics, and to just begin, something is better than nothing. If you want to be 30% BAME by 3 years’ time, put it in place. It doesn’t need to be any harder than that, in my eyes.

9. What do you think would be the result of a more diverse workforce within a luxury fashion brand? There is a good McKinsey report, there’s a good Deloitte report as well, that just show the tangible benefits of a business case for diversity. I can recall the latest McKinsey one, that a business is 25% more financially profitable with a greater mix of women, 36% more financially profitable with a greater diverse mix of different people, so that’s even further. What that does, and why I think it’s sad that fashion and luxury has a diversity problem is because of the consumer, because of who the market is and who we’re speaking to so if our people in house are not reflective in anyway of our consumer or their walks of life, we’re an industry that tries to be innovative, very creative, very kind of setting the trend, fashion forward, yet we’re lagging so behind on this business sense of having such a fair representation of people. It’s almost been guarded and closed in this very kind of exclusive place that you have to be of a certain ilk to be privileged enough to kind of come in and it’s not just fashion you know its journalism too, I think journalism is very similar, real estate, there’s so many industries that are guarded in this regard. However for us, I think fashion for the nature of what it does and who it dresses and who it speaks to, it just seems benign that we’re in this way so I think the reality is yeah okay if we change the game and you’ve got such a diverse group of all walks of life, of all different ages, of all different sexualities, how are you not going to get such a new collision of new ideas of somebody who’s been brought up here versus been brought up there, had experienced totally different things and went to a different school than this person, who didn’t go to that school in the Midlands, I come from the Midlands. That’s another conversation like how many people you must find in fashion schools have come from London or come from a big city of obvious places, even coming from the Midlands is still a challenge for us to get here and you know if you don’t have family who can financially support you which most of us don’t, it is challenging. So I think to get that perspective, we’ll be able to do things differently and just innovate in a business sense, that we need to do to stay ahead. 10. Do you think there is any insincerity behind luxury fashion brands choosing to steer from their traditional roots to a more cultural approach? In that guarded regard that I was talking about now, I think the people have held the seats at so many houses and I think if you’re looking at the CEO of Dior, a white middle aged, upper middle-class man, that I don’t understand why is sat as the CEO of Dior, the most feminine brand, you’d think why do we not have a female CEO. Even the consumer of Dior Homme, is most likely going to be a woman buying it for a man, which I find crazy. I think to me, is an example of the guardedness of people and I’m not saying he’s doing a bad job in terms of the numbers, in terms of the output, Dior’s doing very well so there’s no incentive for LVMH to kind of shift that boat. But with that kind of going on, what is the future and where is any additional outside perspective coming in at a management level, where can we steer it to? I believe to your question, that I think there’s something in that around Dior has always been this, it has dressed a certain class of people who are from a particular race historically and there’s something precious about retaining that I don’t think they would ever publicly say that, I don’t think that’s overt intention. I just think that’s social bias really kind of retained in there but would never be admitted. I don’t think it’s necessarily just a fashion thing, I think it’s anybody who has got that seed. A real estate firm is thinking this is what culturally we’ve always done, but I do think it’s the industry and its people like you and people like me who are putting pressure on brands now to steer this and say hang on a minute, what is this representative of? 11. Do you think traditionally Eurocentric luxury brands capitalise on diversity? The crazy thing is, from a sales perspective, 110%. The biggest consumers of luxury are the Chinese, Asia, the Middle East, so many different pockets and even if you’re looking at a western luxury consumer, I don’t think the majority of them are Caucasian. I think there would be a mix or even in America, I think you have all different walks of life who are considered as the western luxury consumer. By origin, I do believe that they’re coming from elsewhere from a consumer perspective. So 100%, when it’s coming to who’s buying the brand, when it comes to sales, everybody is welcome because of course it’s a business and we can take the money. But in terms of the internal representation that I don’t think exists and as I said on the campaign side, I think it is mixing it up and I think people like Virgil at Louis Vuitton has done wonders to kind of change that perception. 12. There has been a trend in luxury brands launching diversity and inclusion programmes and hiring D&I officers, after public accusations of cultural appropriation and racism in their products and marketing. What is your opinion on this? Totally. I think the reality is and this is what I hope to change this, and I will fight this, this will be my career fighting it. Unfortunately, even with last summer with Black Lives Matter, a lot of businesses are doing this as a tick box exercise, ‘this has happened, oh dear! We need to react to it; how do we react to it? OK we will hire a head of D&I, we will make up the steering committee for D&I and we can then say we’ve done XY&Z. Public, please get off our case, because we’ve made a difference here.’ The reality of how far that is going, a business might not have done that at all but has just taken it on themselves to be like ‘we need to change, we need to change our talent profile and we need to have this in our head.’ They might be too small, to be able to have a D&I committee yet, but I do think unfortunately it’s the nature of the beast and I think it’s the nature of just pleasing PR, that some of this is done too late and done in a way to make sure that there’s no further backlash. What can anyone say, you’ve acted in xyz? What we need to be doing is, what’s changed two years down the line, three years down the line, four years down the line? Can you show us what your metrics were four years ago, and can you show us what your metrics are four years later? 13. Do you think there is a correlation between the lack of diversity in a brands workforce and the acts of cultural appropriation in their products/promotional imagery? I think some brands and businesses are just scared, we’ve got talented people, they’re doing a good job, everything’s okay. Why do we want to mix it in, what are we missing, and I think that’s the bit where they need to take a leap of faith in this as well and try that ad campaign with a more inclusive styling team, casting director, art director, everything together and then let’s see what the output is. There’s guaranteed to be a fresher perspective than the same kind of workforce, of the same kind of ill-cut people who have been doing it for so long. Unfortunately or fortunately, however you want to do it, as part of my role at the BFC now, as well as industry-wide is, what are we going to do because I think businesses and brands need to be held accountable, I think they’ve got to start being transparent with the numbers of their workforces and what they’re doing to change it. 14. What do you think about luxury brands that have a non-diverse workforce, collaborating on collections/campaigns with celebrities or influential people of colour? I might have changed my view on this had you asked me a couple of years ago, but I think that it’s good. At the end of the day, they still have an issue internally with a non-diverse workforce or they’re not up to scratch yet. It’s more disappointing from a bigger business, there’s not as much available talent for smaller businesses. I think it is and it isn’t harder for a smaller business to change, sometimes the priority for smaller businesses is survival and therefore it doesn’t have the ability to make sure that they have extended the recruitment process long enough to make sure they’ve pulled that, I understand that being from the inside, I get that those challenges exist. But for a bigger business, if you’re hiring 100 or 500 graduates, why the hell not? You’ve got so much room to be able to afford it, if they think you’re taking a risk, I don’t think it is a risk, I’m thinking from their perspective. I think it’s a shame that those larger businesses are in that state but to still collaborate with a person of colour or a celebrity, I still think they’re doing something, there’s an influence coming in from that person or celebrity. They might think we had a successful campaign or there’s something here. It is baby steps but I’d rather them do that, than not do that. But then I think it’s on the onerous of whoever that person is and if they’re comfortable personally to stand in front of that brand and how much it means to them, if they can demonstrate what they’re doing as a business. I think where my answer was coming from, is that it is fine if it’s in the journey of progression and steps are being made to change that business. But, for a business that is profiting off a minority culture, in terms of campaigns, in terms of sales, and doing nothing internally to change their inside network, yeah that’s horrendous.

Appendix C Tom Martin Hughes is a former Global Brand & Culture Engagement Board Member at Gucci and has consulted high-end luxury brands on Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity and Inclusion. 1. What is your role in industry?

I’ve always worked for luxury houses focusing on corporate social responsibility and culture pieces of work, so what does D&I look like within the industry, or the house specifically, what are we doing to support the community? And how are we making this place a place that people want to work effectively. I think a lot of people think of a house, for example Louis Vuitton and its external, it’s an amazing place to work, you see it on Instagram, you see celebrities wearing their clothes but the realism of working for a house is very different to what people see. 2. How would you define the term diversity? I think diversity is a very broad term, but looking at the differences we have, celebrating them or championing them and seeing how we can ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and decision making from bottom up and from top down effectively. 3. Is considering diversity a part of your everyday job? In my previous roles yes, it was always looking at how we make it inclusive. One of the brands I worked for did a huge piece on that, around especially the climate nowadays and people are looking more towards corporate to kind of step up and do what the government should be doing, so obviously Black Lives Matter originally years ago that would be a government issue to address racism and now it’s the corporate sectors responsibility to do that as well. One of the projects was around supporting black people to join the arts industry and support them, every decision was made consciously with diversity and inclusion in mind. 4. Do you think today’s luxury industry reflects how society has changed in the last 50 years? If so, how? In all of the houses I’ve engaged with, are white, male, straight, Italian Chief Executives. When I think of senior leadership, I can see diversity in some female roles within those leaderships aside from the creative director role, I’m thinking of your marketing or chief people officer things like that, female. But no probably not, it’s Italian, it’s still white predominantly. I’m trying to think of the places I’ve worked, there isn’t any diversity of the colour of those people, there’s some sexuality diversity, I think fashion is very inclusive in people’s sexuality and I think it’s expressed more in the fashion industry that may be in any other industry. But in terms of the diversity of senior leaders, there is a lack of diversity and I think that’s due to a lot of the houses being headquartered in France or Italy, and I think France and Italy as a demographic are not diverse and therefore when you look towards the US or to some degree to UK, the US is very far forward thinking in terms of representing diversity at senior levels. 5. Can you recall a particular period or moment, when luxury felt more accessible/representational? One of the brands I worked for, we looked up products and something that people don’t think about is obviously amputees using these products. Therefore they did a piece of work to ensure that every piece of their product in terms of luggage, could be opened by people who are amputees. So that when I was thinking that’s forward thinking and really above the trend because currently, I think fashion is reactive and not proactive. Something happens in the media, or an item gets put on a runway and the media and the public jump at it and we react, and we then put new boundaries in place to ensure that happens again, but we’re not doing is looking for the future at what we could be doing in advance. 6. Have you experienced any forms of good practice within a workplace in relation to diversity? A lot of the houses have diversity and inclusion networks for staff, from taking that step further and look at strategic diversity networks, in terms of product or in terms of culture ensuring that the people making those decisions are diverse. But I think some houses do it better than others and it is all about that executive leadership team. I think D&I is in some people’s eyes not necessary to run a business and therefore it’s like a we’ll do it because we should be seen to be doing it, not because we’re doing it because we value that it’s important to include and be a diverse workforce. 7. Can you give an example of where you may have experienced unsuccessful industry practice in relation to diversity? I’ve always been the voice of young people and therefore sometimes I have suggested that young people should be on board when decisions are being made. Obviously, Gen Z are the future workforce, and they will be the next chief execs and therefore, in terms of a recruitment piece, we need to be looking at what they want. When we’re talking about a workforce strategy, the young people in the company should be involved in that but I’ve always felt that’s been knocked back. I think diversity is also about age and people forget, the age piece of engaging younger people in critical decisions is missed. We focus on whatever the media is doing or whatever is typical for diversity and inclusion, we don’t explore that further than what we know his organisation effectively. 8. What do you think brands need to do to become more diverse and inclusive? I think it’s the workforce, recruitment is the biggest challenge but benefits an organisation when the people you hire, whatever grade within the business, are the people who are going to create change and create momentum. Therefore, the biggest diversity and inclusion piece of what they can do is looking at your workforce and hiring the correct talent. Not hiring for the sake of hiring, I think some people would put a gay man in a D&I role, because he’s a gay man not because he’s qualified to do the role and that’s negative, that’s unconscious bias in another form. So I think looking at who you hire, ensuring they’re qualified but looking at what they can bring to the table, they would then slowly progress up that business and be your next future leaders. The leadership of fashion is not diverse and therefore that recruitment piece, from the bottom up is the approach to challenge that. 9. What do you think would be the result of a more diverse workforce within a luxury fashion brand? Working for these amazing houses is not the reality of work of these amazing houses and I think wherever you work, whether you work for Downing St and the White House or work for Versace or Louis Vuitton, at the end of the day there’s work that needs to be done and it’s a business. I think fashion is a very cutthroat business in the sense of you would be sacked with a smile. Looking at culture is a huge piece; I know loads of people who work for fashion houses because of that name. So if I said to you Birmingham City Council doesn’t seem like a great job, but Burberry does, but the reality is the culture in that council could be 10 times better than the culture map in Burberry. There’s an example that reality is not always what it seems and so the culture piece of making it a place people want to work and not that they work there because of the name, because that can catch a lot of people in, that they want to stay there because it is Dolce & Gabbana, for example. Not because they love their job, just because that’s a great name on a CV. The culture piece is huge about making it an inclusive environment for people to work, making it flexible working and I think Covid has being great with flexible working, it’s proved that you don’t need to be in the office, or you don’t need to be there in person. It’s all about remembering that yes, it’s a money generating business but in the grand scheme of things people nowadays want a job that’s going to support their life, they are not looking for a job for life and therefore making that culture is the piece that is the biggest change that would have the biggest impact. 10. Do you think there is any insincerity behind luxury fashion brands choosing to steer from their traditional roots to a more cultural approach? You’ll always have brands stick to where they’re from, whether that’s Italy, London, New York and I think it’s important to stick with the past of some things. Remember that it’s an Italian brand or a French brand, that’s what made it. But I think steering towards a more cultured environment that’s so important, especially because these brands are not just in Paris, they’re not just in Milan, these are global networks that span across the whole world. Culture is very different, one of the brands I worked for, we did

some work with Asia and the culture of the staff in Asia was very different to the culture of the staff in Milan and the diversity was very different. It’s simple to say keep the background of that brand, where it came from and always remember the history, especially like when you’re onboarding talent or when you’re marketing a brand, but I think in terms of culture we need to start changing and we need to remember that just because it’s an Italian brand doesn’t mean it all needs to be all Italian. We could learn from Americans, or people in Asia etcetera where right now we’re still stuck. A lot of these brands are nearly 100 years old now and therefore we’ve done it like this for 100 years, it’s worked for 100 years, why are we going to change it? 11. Do you think traditionally Eurocentric luxury brands capitalise on diversity? PR and marketing are a tool that all of these houses have down to a T. You look at the biggest that some of the top houses in the world that have 40m+ followers on Instagram, these are huge giants in social media just as much as they’re giants in their own industry. There is potential of using D&I for a beneficial purpose, “look at us, look at what we’re doing”, where realistically this shouldn’t be a look at us and what we’re doing, it should just be “we do this”. That was a brand I worked for, they didn’t want any marketing around what we were doing because they didn’t want the press of “look at what we’re doing”, we’re just going to do it, and we’re going to make it a culture thing from inside to out, not looking “look at what we’re doing”, actually when you see them release that statement after Black Lives Matter, saying we’re going to do xyz. Realistically the haven’t done anything, all they’ve done is wrote a statement, but it’s good press, good PR, then they market on the back of it. There’s no benefit of having somebody in a role just because they’re diverse, they need to be qualified, I think that’s how they capitalise as well. They look at a quick fix; because they’re Asian, we’ll stick them in that role, that looks good, that’s public facing, that’s great. It’s the same in terms of like models, around disability you need to be careful not to showcase someone in a wrong way because of how they look and sell that. Whereas people who aren’t disabled can vocalise and give their expressions, when you’re talking about some people with conditions and putting them in a runway it’s like a show of them when really it shouldn’t be like that. I think every industry has capitalised on “we will do this because it looks good and because it will generate us an income”. 12. There has been a trend in luxury brands launching diversity and inclusion programmes and hiring D&I officers, after public accusations of cultural appropriation and racism in their products and marketing. What is your opinion on this? There are some situations that you need to be reactive to as a business, you need to look at what we are going do to make sure this never happens again and that’s after any business has an issue or an accident. You do look at your contingency plans, what you can put in place to ensure that there’s business continuity. These things should be put in place before this happens but because it is such a huge topic right now and there’s been issues with brands and therefore on the back, they said right we’ve got a Chief of Diversity and inclusion officer. Realistically that should be there already, or do you need that really? Are you just making up the role for the sake of making a role? Really, diversity & inclusion should be entwined into a company, and you don’t need one person at the top to tell you diversity and inclusion is when you’ve got thousands and thousands of staff around the world, who are diverse. There’ll be some in senior positions and for example, your Chief People Officer, why can’t they be your Chief People Officer, because surely, they should be overseeing diversity and inclusion within HR. Sometimes it’s just we’ll create this role because it looks like doing anything, realistically there’s a much more meaningful way than to pay someone a six-figure salary, put them in the public eye and say ‘look at us’. 13. Do you think there is a correlation between the lack of diversity in a brands workforce and the acts of cultural appropriation in their products/promotional imagery? There is the diversity within a brand to have stopped that, because the brands are so huge in terms of population of employees, they do have the D&I resource with their employees, they just don’t reach out to their employees. They’re still made of that white male, straight, Italian, Chief Exec decision and not opening those eyes of going ‘what do we already having in the organisation?’ If you’re going to launch a campaign to the Asian market, you should consult the Asian market to make sure it’s not an offensive campaign, like a brand did a couple of years ago that caused issues. But it’s not, it’s in Milan, we’ll do this, and then we’re going to react and have a Chief Asian officer just because we’re going to do something. 14. What do you think about luxury brands that have a non-diverse workforce, collaborating on collections/campaigns with celebrities or influential people of colour? I think most brands have diverse workforces, just not in senior positions. At low level, and mid-level management they’re diverse but not at that senior level. These brands are huge and although I am aware of some celebrities who have turned down brands I’ve worked for, most celebrities if you rocked up as Valentino and said we’ll style you for this event, we will give you a 30,000-pound Swarovski dress to wear at the red carpet, most are going to say yes, why wouldn’t they? They get this nice piece clothing, so that kind of goes onto the onerous of that celebrity. If in their view, the brand is discriminatory or is not D&I conscious then that would be their decision to collaborate. Potentially, if brands attempt to show diversity because we are styling people of colour, but I think it’s falls on the onerous of that individual and if they are prepared to do it, then it’s their decision. I have an experience of doing a piece of work and we need to have five Asian celebrities, five black celebrities and five white celebrities. Realistically, why? Life isn’t divided that simply, that rationale was to make us look diverse. “Look at how many people we’ve dressed over the course of xyz and let’s use that”. Arguably the brand definitely does target specific individuals or specific people who have done different things, but I think the issue there is that the celebrities saying yes, if the celebrities felt so strongly about not being used due to their background, then they wouldn’t agree to it. Appendix D Survey Questions 1. What is your occupation? 2. How old are you? 3. What is your gender? 4. What ethnicity do you define yourself as? 5. Do you feel that diversity has progressed in the luxury fashion industry? 6. Do you think this image represents cultural appropriation? 7. Do you think brands have a duty to credit their sources of inspiration? 8. Do you think there is a correlation between the lack of diversity in a brands workforce and the acts of cultural appropriation in their products/promotional imagery? 9. Do you think luxury brands employ with an element of tokenism? (The practice of making only a symbolic effort e.g. recruiting a small number of people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of sexual or racial equality within a workforce.) 10. Do you think having a more diverse and inclusive workforce can lead to more creative innovation in design? 11. Do you think being diverse adds to the profitability of a brand? 12. Are there any luxury brands, that you feel, are models of diversity and inclusion?

Appendix E Survey Results Samples

Consent Form

Study Title: Are Luxury Brands ‘Diversity-Phishing’? The Authenticity of Inclusive Practices in Luxury Fashion

Researcher: Zakia Touray tourayzakia@yahoo.co.uk

Research Supervisor: Claire Ritchie claire.ritchie@bcu.ac.uk

Study Summary

You are being asked to take part in a research study conducted by Zakia Touray a student on the BA(Hons) Fashion Branding and Communication at Birmingham City University. The study is exploratory, investigating The Authenticity of Inclusive Practices in Luxury Fashion. The research aims to generate rich data and examine the authenticity of inclusive practices in luxury fashion as this has not been investigated before. Supervising this research is Claire Ritchie.

Please circle as necessary:

I have been informed of and understand the purpose of this study.

YES/NO

I have been informed of and understand the purpose of this study.

YES/NO

I have been informed that my name will be changed and so I will anonymous.

YES/NO

I have been informed that my name will be changed and so I will anonymous.

YES/NO

I have been given an opportunity to ask questions and these have been answered to my satisfaction.

YES/NO

I have been given an opportunity to ask questions and these have been answered to my satisfaction.

YES/NO

I understand I can withdraw at any time up until the point of final write-up without detriment.

YES/NO

I understand I can withdraw at any time up until the point of final write-up without detriment.

YES/NO

I understand that data will be stored securely on a password protected PC.

YES/NO

I understand that data will be stored securely on a password protected PC.

YES/NO

I understand that individualised analysis is not possible however I can contact the researcher YES/NO for group results. I understand that the results will be used as part of a dissertation submission I understand that data will be destroyed after 5years, deleted from computer hard drive and physical papers will be shredded. By signing this document, I agree to participate in the study as outlined to me.

Participant’s Signature and Date:

YES/NO YES/NO

Participant’s Signature and Date:

THUGHES 02/12/21 04/12/2021

Participant’s Name: Participant’s Name: BENJAMIN KYEI

Tom Martin Hughes

YES/NO YES/NO

Tutor’s signature/date:……… Claire Ritchie 5.12.21……………………………… Tutor’s signature/date:…………… Claire Ritchie 5.12.21…………………………

Tutor’s signature/date:…………… Claire Ritchie 5.12.21…………………………

ADM6005M Major Project: Student Tutorial Record Sheet* ADM6005M Major Project: Student Tutorial Record Sheet*

ADM6005M Major Project: Student Tutorial Record Sheet* *To be completed by the student to support each tutorial, signed by your dissertation tutor at the end of the project and submitted as part of your final dissertation work

Area of study/ provisional title of the work: Are Luxury Brands ‘Diversity-Phishing’? The Authenticity of Inclusive Practices in Luxury Fashion Student name: Zakia Touray

*To be completed by the student to support each tutorial, signed by your dissertation tutor at the end of the project and submitted as part of your final dissertation work

Area of study/ provisional title of the work: Are Luxury Brands ‘Diversity-Phishing’? The Authenticity of Inclusive Practices in Luxury Fashion Student name: Zakia Touray

Tutor: Claire Ritchie

Level: L6 Date of tutorial: 27 September 2021 To complete prior to the tutorial: What are the things that you want to discuss with your tutor in this tutorial? Student to expand this box and type in details I want to discuss the direction of my dissertation in terms of topics and areas of interest. th

To complete during/straight after the tutorial: What was the outcome of this discussion? Student to expand this box and type in details Helped to define the 3 different possible dissertation topics more To complete during/straight after the tutorial: What are you going to move forward and focus on as a result of this discussion? Student to expand this box and type in details I will continue with research into my topics of interest and begin to form my presentation on my chosen 3 topics

Tutor: Claire Ritchie

Level: L6 Date of tutorial: 20th October 2021 To complete prior to the tutorial: What are the things that you want to discuss with your tutor in this tutorial? Student to expand this box and type in details I want to try and define the chosen topic and narrow down on the focus of my dissertation To complete during/straight after the tutorial: What was the outcome of this discussion? Student to expand this box and type in details I received some direction with my topic and helped to form the title of my dissertation To complete during/straight after the tutorial: What are you going to move forward and focus on as a result of this discussion? Student to expand this box and type in details I will continue with my secondary research to find relevant articles, studies and statistics that would be useful evidence and arguments in my dissertation. I will look for a range resourceful books, online articles, and videos etc to gather a variety of reliable secondary research data.

*To be completed by the student to support each tutorial, signed by your dissertation tutor at the end of the project and submitted as part of your final dissertation work

Area of study/ provisional title of the work: Are Luxury Brands ‘Diversity-Phishing’? The Authenticity of Inclusive Practices in Luxury Fashion Student name: Zakia Touray

Tutor: Claire Ritchie

Level: L6 Date of tutorial: 1st November 2021 To complete prior to the tutorial: What are the things that you want to discuss with your tutor in this tutorial? Student to expand this box and type in details I want to try and define the chosen topic and narrow down on the focus of my dissertation. Go through my aim, objectives and survey questions To complete during/straight after the tutorial: What was the outcome of this discussion? Student to expand this box and type in details I received some more direction with my topic and helped to form the title of my dissertation, I received feedback on my survey questions To complete during/straight after the tutorial: What are you going to move forward and focus on as a result of this discussion? Student to expand this box and type in details I will continue with my secondary research to find relevant articles, studies and statistics that would be useful evidence and arguments in my dissertation. I will look for a range resourceful books, online articles, and videos etc to gather a variety of reliable secondary research data. I will carry out my primary research survey

Tutor’s signature/date:………… Claire Ritchie 5.12.21…………………………………

Tutor’s signature/date:………… Claire Ritchie 5.12.21………………………………

ADM6005M Major Project: Student Tutorial Record Sheet*

*To be completed by the student to support each tutorial, signed by your dissertation tutor at the end of the project and submitted as part of your final dissertation work

Area of study/ provisional title of the work: Are Luxury Brands ‘Diversity-Phishing’? The Authenticity of Inclusive Practices in Luxury Fashion Student name: Zakia Touray

Tutor: Claire Ritchie

Area of study/ provisional title of the work: Are Luxury Brands ‘Diversity-Phishing’? The Authenticity of Inclusive Practices in Luxury Fashion Student name: Zakia Touray

Tutor: Claire Ritchie

Level: L6 Date of tutorial: 8th November 2021 To complete prior to the tutorial: What are the things that you want to discuss with your tutor in this tutorial? Student to expand this box and type in details i want to go over my survey questions, aim and objectives as I am not sure they are focused enough

Level: L6 Date of tutorial: 15th November 2021 To complete prior to the tutorial: What are the things that you want to discuss with your tutor in this tutorial? Student to expand this box and type in details I want to go over my survey questions, aim and objectives as I have rewritten them to be more focused and reflective of what I want to discuss in my dissertation

To complete during/straight after the tutorial: What was the outcome of this discussion? Student to expand this box and type in details I need to be more focused on one specific area e.g. workforce or customers.

To complete during/straight after the tutorial: What was the outcome of this discussion? Student to expand this box and type in details My new questions, aim and objectives are more focused and clearer to understand the dissertation topic at hand.

To complete during/straight after the tutorial: What are you going to move forward and focus on as a result of this discussion? Student to expand this box and type in details I will reword my title to reflect the area I want to discuss in my dissertation. I will also try to narrow down my objectives and structure them so that they are focused and straightforward, I will also rewrite my aim.

Tutor’s signature/date:………… Claire Ritchie 5.12.21……………………………

To complete during/straight after the tutorial: What are you going to move forward and focus on as a result of this discussion? Student to expand this box and type in details I will carry out my survey on Google Forms for my primary research and continue with secondary research. I will also begin to form my interview questions

Area of study/ provisional title of the work: Are Luxury Brands ‘Diversity-Phishing’? The Authenticity of Inclusive Practices in Luxury Fashion Student name: Zakia Touray

Tutor: Claire Ritchie

Level: L6 Date of tutorial: 22nd November 2021 To complete prior to the tutorial: What are the things that you want to discuss with your tutor in this tutorial? Student to expand this box and type in details I want to go over my interview questions and get some feedback before my interview with an industry professional To complete during/straight after the tutorial: What was the outcome of this discussion? Student to expand this box and type in details My interview questions needed some alterations in wording and flow. Claire helped me to think about areas to include in the questions to get useful answers and information to include in my dissertation. Start writing up chapters and draft up main body of writing To complete during/straight after the tutorial: What are you going to move forward and focus on as a result of this discussion? Student to expand this box and type in details I will continue to search for and get in contact with a range of different industry professionals to conduct interviews to help form my primary research. I will also begin to write my methodology and form my chapters to begin writing.