UK fashion industry lags in DEI targets: Report

24 Jan '24

1 min read

Pic: Adobe Stock

Insights

Only 17 per cent of UK fashion firms have set DEI targets, versus 56 per cent for sustainability.
People of colour hold 9 per cent of executive roles, 11 per cent in power roles, and women hold 39 per cent and 24 per cent respectively.
About 86 per cent of white men view the industry as diverse, compared to 46 per cent of women of colour.

Only 17 per cent of UK fashion companies have set quantitative diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) targets, a stark contrast to the 56 per cent who have set sustainability goals, according to the UK Fashion DEI Report, which is a collaboration between the British Fashion Council, The Outsiders Perspective, the Fashion Minority Report, and McKinsey & Company.

Further insights from the report show that people of colour hold only 9 per cent of executive and board roles in the UK fashion industry, with women occupying 39 per cent of these positions.

When examining 'power roles' such as CEO, CFO, chair, and creative director, the representation drops to 11 per cent for people of colour and 24 per cent for women. The report also uncovers a perception gap, with 86 per cent of white men in the industry believing it to be diverse, compared to only 46 per cent of women of colour sharing this view.

Additionally, it is noted that in the top quartile of diverse businesses globally, 35 per cent of executive teams and boards comprise people of colour, and 50 per cent are women, indicating a significant disparity in diversity within the UK fashion industry.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)

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