Seán McGirr became creative director of Alexander McQueen, replacing former director Sarah Burton, but his appointment sparked a discussion around diversity in the fashion industry.

Many have pointed out that all six of a collage of all the creative directors under the fashion conglomerate Kering are white men. Kering has had a diversity problem for years, with only one creative director out of the last 29 being a person of color.

However, this problem is not unique to the company. Fashion employees have been calling out the problem for years.

Photo of Seán McGirr. (Contributed/theimpression.com)

In 2018, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Glamour and McKinsey & Company conducted study called “The Glass Runway.” The study concluded that HR managers prioritize male candidates over female candidates and unmarried, older women over married or younger women. One-hundred percent of women interviewed claimed there was a gender-inequality or gender gap issue within the industry.

According to Diane Von Furstenberg, CFDA chairman during the report’s publication, the goal of “The Glass Runway” was “to raise awareness and put HR departments on notice.”

In 2021, the CFDA State of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion report found that 37% of Black fashion industry employees had to supplement their income compared to only 23% of their White counterparts. Also in 2021, a New York Times investigation discovered that the majority of the 64 largest women’s wear brands in the world would not disclose any information regarding the diversity of their employees.

In 2022, a study in the Nature Journal found that women and marginalized racial and ethnic groups were underrepresented at the most influential levels of high fashion and other art forms.

Addressing the problem starts with weeding out the sources of inequality through increased sponsorship and mentorship programs, creating better work-life balance and promoting awareness of the issue. McKinsey & Company statistics show that gender diverse companies financially outperform their less diverse counterparts.

If morals will not motivate companies to change, then let’s hope money will.

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