Fashion groups fund Social Justice Centre

09/12/2021
The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) of the State University of New York (SUNY) has launched of the Social Justice Centre (SJC), a higher education initiative established to increase opportunity and accelerate social equity within the creative industries for the Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) community. 

Founding partners PVH Corp, Capri and Tapestry have each committed $1 million each to help launch the centre. G-III Apparel Group, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Saks and Target have also supported the launch.

The SJC at FIT will be supported by four pillars: 1) collaboration among leading corporate and non-profit CEOs who are committed to promoting the talent potential of aspiring BIPOC youth and advancing the careers of BIPOC professionals; 2) access to the talent, creativity and expertise of FIT faculty and students as resources; 3) a sustained commitment to funding support for scholarships and programmes; and 4) ongoing accountability that will identify and measure the advancement of BIPOC professionals. 

FIT president Joyce Brown said: "A powerful and much overdue dialogue was sparked last year around diversity and inclusion, which led to a sobering realisation that there was much work to do within the creative industries and at FIT as well. 

“I am grateful for the early support from PVH, Capri Holdings, Tapestry, G-III Apparel Group, and FIT's other charter partners. They have demonstrated a formidable commitment to these efforts, and I am confident that the centre is poised to effect meaningful change.” 

Stefan Larsson, CEO of PVH Corp, said: "This is an incredibly important initiative towards making a real and lasting positive change in the fashion industry, and we are honoured to support its launch as a founding partner.”