Dubbed “The Outsiders Perspective,” the programme seeks to address the underrepresentation of minorities in the fashion industry.

Created by former Roksanda chief executive and BFC executive board member Jamie Gill, the initiative will provide mentoring opportunities to people of colour seeking to break into the fashion industry in various fields, such as sales, merchandising, operations, marketing and legal.

The programme has three financial backers in total, including Zalando, Burberry and Deloitte, with additional promotional and resourcing support from Karla Otto, the Mayor of London’s office and British Fashion Council.

Participants will also benefit from networking sessions with industry leaders from ethnic minority backgrounds, including “chief marketing officers and merchandising experts from leading British fashion brands,” who will also run structured workshops to introduce candidates to the industry’s key business functions, Gill told BoF.

“Beyond being important for representation, The Outsiders Perspective will address a genuine business need in fashion,” said Gill. “So many companies tell me they want to hire diverse talent, they just don’t know how to go about it yet.”

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on 1 September 2022. A previous version of this article misstated that The Outsiders Perspective’s financial backers included Karla Otto, Mayor of London and BFC. The programme’s financial backers are Zalando, Burberry and Deloitte.

Learn more:

Rethinking Luxury’s Relationship With Black Consumers

Black Americans have long been avid buyers of high-end goods. Now their expectations are shifting, with important implications for brands.