“I’ve always been drawn to fashion because of the creative outlet it provided me. LSE doesn’t always inspire the most creativity so I’ve always taken advantage of every opportunity I’ve had to explore this through my experiences of working within the fashion industry.
As I interned with a major British fashion company this summer I realised more than ever the need for the project we’re currently doing. The reality of the fashion industry is that those who work within it are still those with the most privileged because fashion doesn’t pay. I was one of three people of colour working in the studio, and even then, I was able to recognise my privilege in being one of those three. No doubt, this is due to the fact that most fashion internships still go unpaid, making the industry inaccessible to those who cannot afford it. Throughout the documentary project for 199Z: Diversity Revisited I spoke with creatives who voiced their struggles with entering the industry due to the unequal opportunities, but I’d never been more aware of it than when I was surrounded by middle-class white people. It underlined the need to keep pushing for this conversation.
This isn’t to say that emerging talented creatives within the industry aren’t changing this. I’ve met potential leaders of the next generation for the fashion industry, who are striving to create more opportunities for minorities. They were willing to offer me opportunities after we met to discuss the lack of diversity within the industry. I’ve been invited to model for Muslim Sisterhood, attend events hosted by Adidas and assist as a production runner, and I had first-hand experience of the strength of the community being built amongst the new generation. I have hope that those coming into positions of power might be able to genuinely make fashion representative and inclusive.”
—Yasmin Moeladi
“Whenever I explain to people that I love fashion or that I am a creative I am immediately bombarded with confused faces. ‘Why do you go to LSE then?’ I think I’ve really perfected my answer: fashion is a form of expression much greater than how people can externally perceive it. Everything we do is linked to how we are feeling or what we are thinking and the way people chose to show this to the world is really all that differs. When I joined the fashion society committee, our plan was elevating the perception of the society so people could understand the depth of what our members were feeling.
We’re hoping to showcase what we as partakers in the industry are actually feeling and thinking. The culture from several minority groups is arguably the foundation for a lot of creativity in the industry, yet, there is no representation on the runways or higher-level business positions. The pay disparity for people of colour is compounded by a lack of representation in mainstream media. We are also promoting the diversity that drives forward thinking. That is, promoting sustainability and technological progress. We hope people will understand the stories of the designers we’ve meticulously chosen as it is one that deserves to be heard. We also hope that the show ignites the current discussion to a whole new level, resulting in affirmative action.”
—Zainab Sanusi
