Everyone is always all ears when people use their mark in the world for the better, and after recent events we are glad Gucci is making an improvement to promote diversity and inclusion after one of fashion's most talked about shows of 2019 so far. The Italian fashion house announced a new global program and scholarship fund, called Gucci Changemakers. The program is being released after the backlash the luxury fashion brand received over a balaclava sweater resembling blackface. And it didn’t take long for everyone on social media to have their say in this controversy, calling Gucci a brand that is set to be cancelled. But with what they have in store, will they be able to climb their way back up the ladder and gain the public's trust?
The program includes three separate tiers: the Gucci Changemakers Fund, a scholarship program, and a company-wide volunteering initiative. The program is being set in place to advance racial diversity in both the company and the fashion industry as a whole.
The Gucci Changemakers Fund is a $5 million fund that will be used to build strong connections and opportunities within the African-American community, whilst bringing positive change and inspiring solutions for a better future. Students who get accepted into the program (applicants will be selected by the Changemakers Council) will be given a $20,000 grant to help fund their education over the course of four years. Sounds great doesn’t it?
"Black designers and fashion professionals will be given new opportunities through these new initiatives. It is imperative that we have opportunities to learn on a world-class level, and also have a seat at the table to say how we should be represented," he wrote in a note. "Through our work together, Gucci is in a position to steer the overall industry toward becoming a better, more inclusive one. This does not end with Gucci, it begins with Gucci."
Not only will this regain the trust of everyone's belief they let down, we have a feeling it will improve the world of diversity today.
Written by Jordan Ellen Wood | @jordy_ellen