Inclusivity news and archive

From sensory stress to satisfaction: A guide to making retail more neuro-inclusive

How often does a retailer view their own store through the lens of a neurodivergent person? An entrepreneur does not need to be told that a pleasant and welcoming environment is good for sales. However, what constitutes a pleasant environment for neurodivergent individuals can differ significantly from the retail concepts currently found on the...

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Fashion |Interview

Lucie Greene on SS27: “The mid-to-high segment is the sweet spot right now” as luxury recalibrates

Luxury in transition, and the mid-high segment ‘a sweet spot’ At the top end of the market, Lucie Greene sees early signs of a revival of the powerhouse luxury brand, albeit in a very different form from recent years. “Luxury has been in a bit of a maelstrom,” the British trend analyst and founder of Light Years says, describing a period defined...

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Retail

Primark launches mannequin to represent wheelchair users

Fashion retailer Primark has unveiled its first-ever seated mannequin, designed to represent wheelchair users, as part of its ongoing commitment to inclusion and better representation on the high street. The mannequin was inspired by and co-created with British TV presenter, author, disability advocate, and wheelchair user Sophie Morgan. It will...

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Fashion

When clothes cause harm, innovation in adaptive fashion is the future of design

As admiration for British Vogue’s powerful May 2023 cover featuring prominent figures from the disability community continues to reverberate widely, we are reminded of the importance of visibility and representation. Vogue’s creative director Edward Enninful lives with a disability himself. People within our industry have a habit of dismissing...

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Fashion

Plus size, large sizes or size inclusive? This is what's going on in the plus-size fashion market

In recent years, the #bodypositivity movement has only grown stronger and calls for inclusivity have become louder. Among other things, the movement ensured that, mainly women, with larger sizes are slowly but surely becoming more prominent in the fashion industry. But a magazine cover featuring someone who is not size zero does not mean that...

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Business|Beauty

Beauty platform Thirteen Lune raises 8 million US dollars

Thirteen Lune, the inclusive beauty e-commerce platform founded by Nyakio Grieco and Patrick Herning, has raised 8 million US dollars in a seed plus investment round, with new participation from the BrainTrust Fund. The latest round of investment will be used to drive Thirteen Lune’s omnichannel expansion in 2023, support brick-and-mortar and...

Fashion |In Pictures

Walmart launches inclusive sleepwear and intimates brand

Walmart has unveiled a new inclusive and elevated sleepwear and intimates brand Joyspun, as it looks to continue to evolve and grow its fashion category. Joyspun will replace Secret Treasures, Walmart’s previous billion-dollar private intimates and sleepwear line, which according to the retailer captured the “largest customer base across the...

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Retail

What an AI-based study reveals about the Retail Worker Exodus

A study shared this month by the MIT Sloan Management Review (MIT SMR), a research magazine for business leaders published at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, reveals that the leading cause of American employees quitting their jobs voluntarily—from April to September of 2021—was a toxic corporate culture. Of the thirty-eight industries...

Ugg partners with The Valuable 500 movement for disability inclusion

Southern California-based global lifestyle brand Ugg has joined The Valuable 500, a global movement putting disability at the forefront of the leadership agenda. Ugg is aiming to support and amplify the voices of people with disabilities in everything it does from its process to products. Andrea O’Donnell, president of Ugg, said in a release: “...

Fashion

Nobody’s Child extends size range with Simply Be

Responsible womenswear brand Nobody’s Child is extending its size range in an exclusive collaboration with online retailer, Simply Be. For spring/summer 2021, Nobody’s Child will expand its womenswear dress range to include UK sizes 18 to 24 as part of its ongoing focus around inclusivity in response to consumer demand for a wider offering. The...

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Culture

When fashion's most beloved brands face hate over LGBTQ+ inclusivity

A personal responsibility to weave LGBTQ+ representation into the work they do is something that passionately unites the panel of experts gathered at the Fashion School of Kent State University’s LGBTQ+ Inclusivity evening hosted by the school’s NYC Studio. Participants are Christina Zervanos, Director of PR at the Phluid Project; Kyle Andew,...