The Illusion of Inclusion

Let’s have an honest conversation.

Fashion has never looked more diverse on the surface. Runways, ad campaigns, and glossy brand reports showcase a beautiful spectrum of faces, identities, and cultures. And yet — behind the curtain, not much has changed.

If you’ve worked in this industry long enough, you’ve seen it firsthand: People of color, women, LGBTQ+ professionals are welcomed in the door… but rarely handed the keys to real decision-making.

We love the optics of diversity. But we fear the reality of sharing power.

The Script We All Know Too Well

If you’re Black, Brown, queer, culturally diverse, or a woman in fashion, the story will sound painfully familiar:

You’re recruited to “bring fresh perspective.” You’re photographed for the DEI brochure. You’re praised for being part of the brand’s “progress.” But when it’s time to challenge strategy, disrupt old thinking, or ask hard questions? Suddenly, you’re told you’re “not ready.” Or that you should “tone it down.” Or worse, you’re left out of the room altogether.

I’ve heard these stories whispered between interviews, in late-night Slack messages, over coffee with candidates who were exhausted from hitting invisible ceilings. And the saddest part? It’s not unusual. It’s the norm.

Diversity on Paper. Sameness in Power.

Every brand today has a DEI statement on its website. Every major fashion house posts about representation, inclusivity, and progress. But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Inclusion has become an illusion.

The photo ops are real. The hashtags are real. But the power structures? They’re nearly unchanged. And that matters — because diversity at the bottom means nothing if it never reaches the top.

Fashion as an industry has always borrowed — some would say taken — from the creativity, labor, and cultures of women and people of color.

It’s women who have historically been the backbone of garment work, stitching in factories and ateliers across the world. It’s Black, Brown, and Indigenous cultures whose styles, artistry, and streetwear movements have been lifted, repackaged, and sold back at luxury price tags. It’s queer communities who have pioneered aesthetics, language, and trends long before they were ever deemed “mainstream.”

And yet — when you look at who holds the real power? Who sits in the boardrooms, runs the houses, approves the budgets, and leads the strategy? It’s still overwhelmingly white, male, and elite.

That’s the contradiction: The very people and cultures fashion borrows from are the least represented in its decision-making. Until that gap is closed — until those who shape the culture also shape the power — fashion will continue to profit from diversity without ever practicing inclusion.

McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace study found that women of color hold just 6% of C-suite roles in U.S. corporate America. And fashion is lagging even further behind.

So let’s stop pretending this is a “pipeline problem.” It’s not. It’s a power problem.

When Pressure Disappears, So Does Commitment

Here’s what makes this moment even more telling:

In today’s political climate, with the current administration dismantling federal DEI requirements, companies no longer feel the need to “play along.”

And what have we seen?

Many brands quietly walking back their promises. DEI teams being dissolved. Inclusive hiring goals conveniently forgotten. The spotlight has shifted, and so has the effort. And honestly, that reveals everything.

Because if your DEI “commitment” disappears when the external pressure does? It was never real. It was never about equity. It was only about optics. This moment is a test. It’s showing us which companies meant what they said — and which ones were just putting on a costume.

The Human Cost of Performative Inclusion

Let’s move away from the corporate spin for a second and talk about what this actually feels like on the ground.

• A brilliant Black merchandiser whose ideas were dismissed until they came out of someone else’s mouth.
• A Latina designer applauded in public, but excluded from the conversations that matter most.
• A queer marketing lead celebrated during Pride month, but quietly pushed aside when they pushed back on stereotypes.

These aren’t isolated stories. They’re a pattern.

And here’s what it costs: It burns out talent. It blocks innovation. It erodes trust from the very communities fashion claims to represent.

What Real Inclusion Actually Looks Like

Let’s cut through the noise. If you’re serious about inclusion, here’s what it takes:

1. Audit your leadership. Not your interns, not your influencers — your actual decision-makers. Who has budgets, power, and authority? And who doesn’t?

2. Promote difference, don’t just parade it. Diversity is meaningless if it comes with a muzzle. If people can’t speak up, disagree, or drive change without penalty, then they’re not included — they’re displayed.

3. Kill the culture of sameness. Stop hiding behind “culture fit.” That’s just code for “comfortable.” Innovation comes from difference, not duplication.

Because Fashion Can Do Better

Fashion is supposed to be about the future. About reflecting culture AND shaping it. About vision. About boldness.

So why are we so timid when it comes to sharing power?

Here’s the truth: real inclusion doesn’t weaken an industry. It strengthens it. It leads to sharper ideas, braver campaigns, stronger brands, and a workforce that actually feels seen and heard. But it starts at the top — and it requires courage.

And courage isn’t easy. Which is why some of my most exciting work as a coach is helping leaders and executives build more of it. I get to work with people who are ready to go beyond lip service, who want to lead differently, and who are willing to do the uncomfortable work of making equity a lived reality. Because DEI should never be a checkbox or a press release — it should be the way we show up, every single day, in how we lead, hire, promote, and create.

Because inclusion isn’t just about putting people in the room. It’s about letting them change the room. And right now, too many rooms still look, act, and think the same.

Your Move

So let’s turn this back to us — as leaders, managers, teammates, humans.

DEI doesn’t just live in HR departments or boardrooms. It lives in our everyday actions, at every level.

• Who are we mentoring?
• Who are we advocating for when promotions are on the table?
• Who do we invite into the conversations that matter?
• Do we speak up when someone is ignored, dismissed, or excluded?

It starts at the top, yes. But every single one of us has a role to play as well.

So I’ll leave you with this:

👉 What are you personally doing — today — to make fashion fairer, braver, and more inclusive?

👉 How are you leaning into equity when no one is watching?

Because fashion can do better. And it starts with us.

#BehindTheGlamour #FashionIndustry #LeadershipCrisis #DEI #InclusionNow #NoMoreIllusions #DoBetterFashion #RealInclusion