Gucci Takes Initiative to Promote Cultural Diversity

As a response to the recent “black balaclava knit sweater” scandal, Gucci‘s chief executive officer Marco Bizzarri is teaming up with Dapper Dan and community leaders in Harlem to promote cultural diversity and raise awareness of related issues within the organization, as reported by WWD.

The Italian fashion house strives to eliminate the glass ceiling for cultural minorities and promises to hire global as well as regional directors for diversity and inclusion. Aiding the company to attain a welcoming atmosphere, the directors will be responsible for monitoring recruitment processes, developing the Gucci education programs and working hand in hand with Gucci Changemakers to back local communities.

With the objective to eradicate unconscious cultural bias in the workplace, 18,000 employees across the globe will participate in a diversity and inclusivity awareness program. Gucci will also encourage internal mobility, granting employees the chance to work in the Italian headquarters.

Partnering with fashion schools around the world, the group establishes a multicultural design scholarship program “aiming to amplify opportunities for underrepresented groups of talents leading to full-time employment to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace on an ongoing basis.” Schools will be set up in New York, Nairobi, New Delhi, Beijing, Hangzhou, Seoul, Tokyo, Beirut, London and Dubai.

Lastly, five newly-appointed designers of various cultural backgrounds will be working at Gucci’s Rome design office. They will be paired with a mentor to help them integrate into the department.

In other fashion-related news, Maison Margiela and SHOWstudio recently debuted their ‘Reality Inverse’ short film.