Writer Charlotte Manning breaks down the most influential changes that have happened regarding diversity in the fashion industry since #BlackoutTuesday
*Disclaimer: Though this article discusses some positive initiatives, I do not believe that companies should ever expect a pat on the back for doing the bare minimum.
As I'm writing this, it's been 580 days since #BlackoutTuesday, the day when the "Black Square" surfaced Instagram news feeds across timezones. This plain black square's visibility was unavoidable in the digital universe. It was symbolism for something far more urgent than an influencer's photo dump or a brand's new product launch. The Black community was in mourning after the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of structural, white supremacist policing, and the "fluff" of any other Instagram content felt out of place.
Posting the black square and pausing any social engagement for the day was a social media act of solidarity in Black allyship and with the Black Lives Matter movement. The world was angry, and the right words were hard to find… so the hashtag #BlackoutTuesday became the universal way of saying, "We see you."
As all public displays of solidarity go, it's also important to be critical. The plain square was certainly not real activism, but it started a much larger conversation on visibility and responsibility. It gave insight into who was paying attention to this movement within online communities and who was only trying to save themselves from cancellation for performative activism - a blurred line to begin with.
In some ways, the black square enabled us to hold white influencers, brands, and companies accountable in more tangible ways. And as a fashion-inspired person, my natural behaviour was to monitor how businesses, leaders, and big names in fashion would continue to do the work.
So, you posted a black square… now what? Was it an act of “woke washing," or was it a commitment to transforming the narrative through ongoing self-critique and long-term systemic uprooting? And when it would come to dismantling what we know and taking baby steps for the sake of the future of fashion, would you be a trend follower? And would be a leader?
Many brands lost followers and support for their painfully obvious performative activism, and for a good reason - but some have continued to do the work and take necessary steps towards a more inclusive Scandinavian fashion industry. Here's a scope of some positive industry initiatives, big and small, that were undoubtedly an actionable result of #BlackoutTuesday.
Danish brand Ganni teamed up with Aaliyah Dominguez, the founder of Black Britain Matters, to design a capsule t-shirt collection for fundraising, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to the Black Curriculum. Ganni has stayed active in the conversation and this collaboration brought both visibility and funding to a Black-owned social enterprise in the UK that is “committed to the teaching and support of Black history all year round” and “improves social cohesion between young people.”
The Nordic Fashion Directory in all it’s brilliance and necessity came to fruition. Their website reads: "BIPOC Nordic fashion professionals must become more visible and recognised in the Nordic fashion industry. Not being able to find talent should never again be the excuse for lacking diversity in any element of the Nordic fashion industry."
Co-founded by Amelia Hoy, Robin Douglas Westling, Nicole Kavander, Rebecca Thandi Norman and Ervin Latimer, the Nordic Fashion Directory was created to be a free database for Scandinavian fashion brands to integrate as a recruitment tool when seeking creatives. It was designed to prove the point that hiring BIPOC creative professionals is not difficult and if your brand still chooses to lack in diversity, you are doing the bare minimum work while enabling exclusion in the fashion community.
Copenhagen Fashion Week made space for "small talks - big conversations," many of which were hosted by Danish actress Amelia Hoy, about re-planting anti-racist practices in the fashion industry. Existing in the same schedule as runway shows, sustainability panels, and interviews with the designers of now, this was a significant change to the CPHFW scheduling. Previous interviewees have included Finnish American designer Ervin Latimer, Somali-Norwegian model and activist Ceval Omar, and creative director of the Swedish Fashion Council, Robin Douglas Westling. Conversations such as these must continue to be integrated into these highly engaged happenings such as CPHFW.
Watch Small talks - big conversations here.
There were high expectations for how fashion leaders would respond to the demand for money reallocation, representation of Black designers and support of Black businesses, in the long-term. Founder of Brother Vellies, Aurora James, launched the 15 Percent Pledge which gave corporate leaders a platform to give back to Black-owned businesses by redirecting (at least) 15 per cent of their monthly budget to Black-owned businesses. American Vogue signed the pledge in August 2020, which raised the bar of expectation for other regional magazines under the same roof.
Additionally, global brand H&M donated half a million dollars to the NAACP Legal Defence Fund, Colour of Change, and the ACLU and mobilised their efforts to increase voter registration in America. These efforts highlighted the power in systemic involvement versus surface level. Money being given where money is overdue.
Charlotte Manning walking the Soulland runway at CPHFW SS22.
As a Black model and creative, I have also witnessed some of these changes in fashion-filled rooms. I am seeing more influencers that look like me represented and properly paid for their partnerships, I’m seeing more BIPOC creatives behind the camera, and I’ve paid attention to how brands are shifting their tones of voice to match the future of Scandinavian fashion we are all fighting for: one that is inclusive, not just in race or ethnicity, but in gender, identity, sexuality, body type and age. I can’t speak for the experiences of others, but I do believe change is happening and will continue to take new forms, whether or not everyone is on board.
Here's to continuing to follow the evolution of the Scandinavian fashion industry, hiring more BIPOC creatives, seeing diverse faces in magazines and runaways, leading teams, and supporting Black-owned businesses at every intersection of supply-chain and creativity. #BlackoutTuesday certainly brought about some moving and shaking.
As leaders, whoever you are — holding each other accountable in making different choices for an inclusive fashion heighten industry expectation and normalise anti-racist behaviours and decision-making in all corners of our fashion community. It’s a small everyday commitment for a big and beautiful ‘everybody’ future.