UK fashion is becoming more diverse but still lots of work to do

A new report is shining a light on diversity (or the lack of it) in the UK fashion sector, reaching the conclusion that the industry’s workers and leaders aren’t yet diverse enough.

The report is part of a joint initiative by the British Fashion Council, The Outsiders Perspective and the (Fashion) Minority Report, with the support of McKinsey & Company as knowledge partner.

“Our catwalks are diverse, our campaigns are diverse, our consumers are diverse, but our workforce and our decision-makers are not,” said Jamie Gill, Founder, The Outsiders Perspective, and BFC Non-Executive Director. “There is a solid business case for a diverse team, which is arguably most relevant for fashion. We, as an industry, should be leading the charge — because we have the most to gain”.

Study after study shows that consumers are increasingly ‘judging’ companies on a number of levels including sustainability and diversity, and many say they’ll shun companies that don’t meet their standards. So there are clear commercial reasons for being both eco-focused and inclusive/diverse.

The authors of this inaugural UK Fashion DEI Report 2024 have drawn from “a wealth of industry expertise” to create it and said it’s “a comprehensive review” of the state of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Britain based upon the findings from The UK Fashion DEI Census and other new data sets. 

It said there’s been “a demonstrable positive shift in fashion’s public-facing persona, [but] the sector can accomplish much more by diversifying its corporate representation, including executive positions. There is an intrinsic link between leadership diversity and company performance – and the report sets out a business case with measurable levers to accelerate diversity, talent recruitment and retention”. 

So what are the main findings? For a start, only 9% of executives and board members in the UK fashion industry are people of colour, and only 39% women.

Some 11% of executive team and board ‘Power Roles’ (which include CEO, CFO, Creative Director) are held by people of colour, and 24% by women.

And it’s interesting that 86% of white men in the industry believe the industry is diverse but only 46% of women of colour believe the same. If nothing else, those two figures should serve as a pointer to the issues out there — many of those in powerful positions simply don’t see the problem.

Only 17% of companies have published quantitative DEI targets, compared to 56% that have published sustainability targets.

Also worth noting is that of the top quartile of diverse businesses globally, 35% of their executive teams and board are people of colour, 50% are women.

Caroline Rush, Chief Executive of the BFC, said: “We must recognise that there is a key business opportunity in dismantling barriers, fostering inclusivity and ensuring we are truly listening to and amplifying underrepresented voices. 

“Our report makes it clear that there are undeniable benefits of having a diverse workforce. This is a wake-up call for all of us — we as an industry need to embrace DEI as a lever for advantage. It is critical for brands and organisations to align their external messaging and internal practices to authentically and tangibly contribute to DEI goals.”