Chanel appoints its first head of Head of Diversity and Inclusion
Chanel has its first head of Diversity and Inclusion in an effort to grow diversity and inclusivity efforts.
The French fashion house has appointed Fiona Pargeter to lead the company’s plans in that direction. Pargeter was previously Head of Diversity & Inclusion for Swiss Bank UBS in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Her task will be to create a more diverse and inclusive working environment and image for the fashion house. The appointment of Pargeter is “a sign of our commitment and importance to the house,” Chanel said.
The move by Chanel comes on the heels of major labels such as Gucci, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana who all have invested in diversity initiatives following racism allegations an criticism for “cultural appropriation” in recent years. In March that Gucci announced that it would implement a diversity initiative, initiated by designer Dapper Dan. Meanwhile, Gucci and Burberry are recruiting for roles similar to Chanel’s new position.
Although there is still work to be done, more and more changes are taking place within the fashion world. The shows of last spring/summer 2019 collections in New York, London, Milan, and Paris proved to be the most diverse ever. According to the IFDAQ the percent of women of color that were cast increased to almost 20 percent compared to four years earlier. Despite the fact that the sales numbers in Asia are increasing the numbers of Asian models has not increased as much as the number of Black models did.
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