Business

Diversity schemes: Benefcial or not?

Image: Bentley University

As global movements against racial, gender and sexual discrimination took of, employers started introducing a variety of inclusive projects. Georgina Peacock explores the debate surrounding diversity schemes.

Georgina Peacock

A study by Debut Careers in 2019 showed that Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) students submitted 45% more applications before securing a job postgraduation than their white peers. This could be as a result of perceived ethnicity barriers or simply being unsuccessful. Moreover, a review by the Equality and Human Rights Commission discovered that Black graduates earn on average 23.1% less than white graduates.

In acknowledging these diferences within the past few years, companies have started to ofer schemes exclusive to BAME students, as well as addressing other gaps with regards to diversity. In acknowledging these diferences within the past few years, companies have started to ofer schemes exclusive to BAME students, as well as addressing other gaps with regards to diversity.

The purpose of a diversity scheme is to bring equity through training and development opportunities and to give individuals experience which they may be lacking in comparison to their peers. Some internships even allow a student to be fast tracked to the fnal stage of a graduate-programme application.

BAME workers are signifcantly underrepresented in, for example, the construction industry and employers aren’t going to great lengths to change that. If diversity needs to be improved, shouldn’t these schemes be implemented across sectors which have a prevalent diversity gap? Additionally, these schemes may increase diversity at graduate level, but this doesn’t necessarily transfer to senior management positions, suggesting more needs to be done in recruitment and development itself.

From a company perspective, having a diverse workforce brings commercial benefts. Studies consistently show that a diverse workforce performs better. With a diverse number of groups being represented, additional ideas can be shared and challenged.

Ethically, many companies also acknowledge that investing in a diverse workforcwe is simply the right thing to do. However, it can be argued that these schemes are just for show, especially given recent events with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement where there has been frustration surrounding large companies using the movement as a marketing ploy.

Another perspective comes from students themselves. Firstly, BAME students expressing frustration at the idea of being singled out, considering these schemes as ‘positive discrimination’.

The assumption that individuals are not skilled enough to be ofered a role through the ‘mainstream’ process also exists. If companies treated employees equally by eliminating bias, perhaps there would be no need for diversity schemes.

Secondly, students who don’t sit in this category feel hindered by not having access to these opportunities. “I can’t get a job because I’m white” is a statement that we hear more often now amongst students / graduates. These feelings come as diversity and inclusion becomes more of a focus for companies and perhaps the true meaning is gradually lost.

Despite frustrations, diversity schemes show companies acknowledging and holding themselves accountable to diversity and inclusion, which can be seen as a positive step forward. The question, however, still remains: do these schemes make a real diference with promoting diversity?

Some schemes exclusively for students who meet BAME criteria amongst others:

Civil Service Summer Diversity Internship

Tesco’s Business Diversity Internship

Sky Diversity Programmes

Inclusive Graduates, who partner with businesses to run insight days

Virgil Abloh’s Of-White: A high fashion success story

Image: Hypebeast

From Rihanna and Justin Bieber to Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner, Abloh’s creations are seen on many Hollwood A-listers. Caoimhe O’Donohue looks into the business model that catapulted Of-White to fame.

Caoimhe O’Donohue

In September of this year, Milan-based luxury fashion label Of-White opened its frst fagship store in London. Founded in 2012 by American designer Virgil Abloh, Of-White has grown to become one of the leading fashion brands in the luxury industry, blending high fashion with streetwear and creating a cult brand geared towards young people and powered by social media platforms such as Instagram.

Abloh, born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, to Ghanaian parents, made history in 2018 when he was named artistic director of menswear at French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton, making him the frst African American to hold this position.

Amidst an industry often clouded by secrecy, Abloh has proved to be a source of access to those previously shut out, sharing his experiences from behind the scenes via social media and providing invaluable insights. He recently created The Post-Modern Scholarship Fund to support Black students entering the fashion industry, raising $1 million. In July, he auctioned a signed pair of Of-White x Nike sneakers in support of Black Lives Matter, raising $187,000.

Of-White is known for its clear and recognisable branding, high profle collaborations and streetwearinfused high fashion pieces. The label’s designs, which often feature the logo of black and white diagonal stripes, achieve familiarity rather than distinctiveness. The same patterns can be found in streets and urban areas across the globe, creating a powerful force of association for the label.

Of-White’s collaborations with major fashion brands including Nike, Levi’s and Moncler have ensured the brand remains at the forefront of the streetwear industry, whilst collections with lifestyle brands such as Ikea and Evian have helped push the label into new markets. The highly popular Of-White x Nike “The Ten” collection, frst released in 2017, saw Abloh rework ten signature Nike sneaker designs. It immediately sold out, with resale prices fetching almost ten times the original prices.

Of-White has experienced signifcant success since its creation 8 years ago, most notably in 2019 when UK-based retail platform Farfetch acquired the brand’s parent, New Guards Group, for $675 million. It has been a difcult year for the fashion industry amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, with Bloomberg Businessweek predicting a decline in the luxury goods sector by as much as 45%. LVMH, parent company of Louis Vuitton, experienced a 38% drop in revenue last quarter.

What the pandemic hasn’t done, though, is stop the expansion of Of-White. Of-White face masks,

released as part of the Spring-Summer ’20 collection in March, quickly sold out. New fagship stores in Miami and London were opened this summer. A new trainer collaboration with Nike is also due to be released in October.

The Lyst Index, which ranks fashion brands based on online and in-store sales, google search data and social media engagement, ranked Of-White as second amongst all fashion brands during quarter two of 2020. The label previously held the top position during the frst quarter of the year.

Streetwear has steadily become a growing part of the luxury fashion industry, helping it to grow an estimated 5% in 2017 according to Business of Fashion, and Of-White has been a leader during this period of growth. Abloh is positioning Of-White alongside well-established names in the high-end fashion industry and the brand is likely to continue expanding in the future.