Our thinking

Inclusion is in Vogue

19 May, 2023

Fashion is all about trends, but sometimes those trends become the norm. The fashion industry has the power to make things desirable not just in its own world, but also in society more broadly. This month, British Vogue is taking it one step further by making inclusivity a fashionable must-have. 

The iconic fashion magazine has recently revealed five portraits featuring disabled activists, models and creatives for a series of May 2023 covers. Edward Enninful, editor-in-chief of British Vogue, explained this decision as an “overdue education for all”. The question of inclusion is on the agenda in many parts of the media, but fashion can often still seem highly standardised. “We all engage with fashion, but does fashion engage with all of us?”, says Enninful. 

This really resonates with us. Progress is in the hands of people who are proactively seeking impact. Inclusivity is not just about trying to be welcoming and appealing to everyone but must include participating actively in the move to get closer to them. For example, it is less impactful to simply state on your job descriptions that you’re assessing candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age or sexual orientation, than to run outreach efforts and use platforms and technology which can make recruitment less biased. 

“Nothing is more fashionable than inclusivity”, Sinéad Burke said, starring on the first cover of the series. Let’s hope this trend becomes the norm. 

By Flora Gicquel