Bridging Gaps In The Fashion World

Being a part of the fashion industry means you are a part of specific art. This form of art is a medium of expression about one’s culture, ethnicity, and identity. But sadly no industry is free of discrimination. The charm of the fashion industry has kept people on the blindfold. It is quite evident that the fashion industry has always set the trends about clothes, skin color, and body size.

People blindly run behind the trends without knowing what goes behind the stage. They follow what they see on the stage, runways, and in fashion magazines. But the fashion industry is also not different in terms of inequity.  

Gaps in Fashion Industry

No doubt women have taken over the majority of the world of Fashion. From being models, stylists, designers, and make-up artists, they are in every field in the fashion industry. But do they get equal representation as given to men? The answer is “NO.” 

Women do not get equal opportunities as men. Neither they get proper mentorship and guidance in the workplace. More than 50 percent of women are part of this inequality in the fashion industry.  

Apart from this, the industry has also not seen much inclusion of queer, trans, and non-binary people. People from this community always find it hard to represent their identity in the fashion industry. They are also deprived of equal opportunities, unlike others. They are considered as “others” and opportunities are taken away from their hand.  

According to one of the reports by Stonewall around 31 percent of non-binary people and 18 percent of trans people find it difficult to express their gender identity. They are unable to find any way to represent themselves and their talent in the field of fashion.  

Moreover, the fashion industry has set the particular image of those who can be a part of the universe of fashion. According to this, the models who walk on runways should be skinny, fair, and tall. This constrained many people who are not tall, fair, and skinny to not even think about appearing on stage. Especially the people of the Black community and plus-size women find it hard to establish their identity.  

This bridge of discrimination is not new to the industry it existed for ages. This is quite visible from the statement made by American designer Tommy Hilfiger in 1996 when he appeared in the talk show of Oprah Winfrey that “he does not want that his clothes are worn by minor communities.” The designers and fashion artists themselves do not want different people to wear their creations and this is a shame in itself for the fashion industry. 

Industry’s take on it

Few steps are taken by the industry to include many people from different sections of society. Discrimination between male and female workers is one of the common things that are visible in every field. Due to a lack of proper mentorship and guidance, many women quit their jobs in between. And many women find themselves stuck in household chores. To tackle these main concerns, creating awareness among women about their jobs in the fashion industry is a must. 

Moreover, Global Fashion Agenda has taken the step and raised their voices against all forms of discrimination, racism, and social injustices that were taking place in the industry. And demanded that there should be the inclusion of people from different ethnic identities, races, and religions. Any kind of issue cannot be erased in one night.

And one has to understand the real problems before finding their solutions. The fashion industry is trying to bridge those gaps by making them aware of the ongoing differences in the industry. They are making ways for every section of society to come and showcase their talent.