Closing the Equity Gap: The Case for Fashion Reparations

The American fashion industry is rooted in colonialism. Enslaved Africans harvested cotton and manufactured garments, stimulating the early economy. Today, colonialism in the fashion industry continues, widening racial inequality, and therefore must be addressed. Sustainable and Socially Responsible (SSR) fashion aims to promote the common good and decolonize the sector. Since 1898, there has been no discourse about reparations for the American cotton industry. This research is a call to action because reparations have yet to be paid to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) for slavery, the 200 hundred years of racial terror that followed emancipation. Moreover, their contributions to the broader fashion industry continue to be overlooked. This research proposes a two-pronged reparation framework for individuals and businesses to improve SSR fashion accessibility, correct past injustices, and reduce inequality, uplifting marginalized communities. This research aligns with the goals of the UN’s SDGs, providing a case for redressing historic and ongoing racial injustices while promoting sustainability and restructuring the fashion industry to be Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive (DEI). A social, environmental, business, and economic case for fashion-targeted reparations to close the equity gap emerges. This policy could help brands achieve “syncretic stewardship” in an age of inequality, thereby holistically decolonizing the fashion industry and increasing climate change mitigation efforts.