Gucci: Unexpected Turnout

Last year, Gucci appeared with multiple initiatives to put into action with the idea of showing the world how they are changing what they do every day. By the hand of Marco Bizarri and the creative director Alessandro Michele, the Italian brand started a journey where diversity, equality, and inclusion are the most important values. 

First of all, they focused on diversity “achieve gender parity at all levels within the company by 2025”, by protecting the rights of the LGBT community; eliminating workplace discrimination, creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

On the other hand, the company launched a 12-month program for underrepresented groups of talents from diverse backgrounds. As well the brand offered the Gucci Changemakers Scholarship Fund available to college students of different disciplines who want to work in fashion. Showing how diversity and progressive values are central to the brand.

A year ago the luxury brand had to apologize for its black wool balaclava jumper, a turtleneck, extra high collar with a cut-out highlight with red lips around the mouth. The piece was removed from the store, due to many people described it as offensive.

“We consider diversity to be a fundamental value to be fully upheld, respected, and at the forefront of every decision we make. We are fully committed to increasing diversity throughout our organization and turning this incident into a powerful learning moment for the Gucci team and beyond”, said the brand in its official statement.

Today that turtleneck could represent the voice of millions, the equality, the inclusion, maybe what the brand desired to expose at the beginning. We are here for all, we speak the same language does not matter the color, age, sex. The neck can cover us for the pandemic, the lips let us speak as one.

(Perhaps you can say the turtleneck is a haunting reality that brands like Gucci should be culturally sensitive and that's why it’s important  to create clothing that represents the voice of millions etc 

We are George Floyd, we are one, we can’t handle violence anymore. Stop racism, start equality, inclusion. This pandemic is a worldwide situation and we were put under lockdown. Racism as well had affected millions worldwide but during centuries, so it is time to start thinking it as a worldwide matter and all get together as one voice.

By: Laura Camargo

@Lauracamargop