Like many companies in fashion and other industries, the $50 billion yoga apparel brand created a new department in 2020 it said would help improve its diversity and inclusion and create a more equitable playing field for minorities. In interviews with BoF, 14 current and former Black employees said things have only worsened since then.

As high-end brands increasingly venture outside the tony streets of cities like Los Angeles and New York, their recruiting tactics, too, are taking a new direction.

From wage hikes to tuition assistance, fashion firms say they’re pulling out all the stops to revamp the store associate role — but their efforts aren’t taking hold.

Despite major hires like Chanel’s Virginie Viard and Louis Vuitton’s Pharrell Williams, gender parity and racial diversity in top creative roles remain urgent problems.

The Fearless Fund must pause its Strivers Grant Contest, which awards funds to Black women entrepreneurs, pending the outcome of a lawsuit from a conservative group alleging such grants are unconstitutional.

Some creatives say a tougher environment has spurred them to be more emboldened in their work — and to care less about waiting for fashion’s gatekeepers to open doors.

The value of a newly acquired brand can plummet if the people who made it a creative and commercial force rush for the exits as soon as the deal closes.

Consumers can find discounts from countless retailers year round. Getting sought-after labels to join the fray is just one way the merchandiser’s job has grown more complex.