U.S. footwear brand Stuart Weitzman is sharing an update aimed at promoting gender equity.

The retail site is teaming up with an actress known for her advocacy work as a feminist and environmentalist.

A first-of-its-kind guide from Environmental nonprofit Conservation International is making its way through luxury circles. The climate justice leaders are out with a new resource for apparel brands looking to engage with Indigenous communities. Supported by French conglomerate Kering and U.S. charity Textile Exchange, the Indigenous Partnership Principles release includes 12 best practices that could spell success for an increasingly global industry.

With high-end shoppers increasingly expressing eco-conscious views, incentives continue to pile on for those in the sector to play ball. Global fashion advocacy organization Remake is out with its annual Fashion Accountability Report, which evaluates the corporate efforts of the world’s 52 largest apparel companies. A few luxury names made the list, with U.S. group Ralph Lauren landing in the top five overall; British label Burberry and Swiss conglomerate Kering also made the top ten.

The British Fashion Council (BFC) is making the business case for inclusion. The organization is out with the inaugural U.K. Fashion DEI Report, which states that only 9 percent of boards and executives in the British industry are held by people of color (POC) and 39 percent by women. Taking a deep look at the diversity landscape domestically and abroad, BFC worked with The Outsiders Perspective, a nonprofit incubation platform for POC, and The (Fashion) Minority Report, a career development resource for underrepresented talent.

France’s YSL Beauty is celebrating a natural space it has tended since 2014. Boosting its mission-driven status, the maison is taking viewers to the Ourika Community Gardens in Morocco via a new video on social media channels. A decade into service, these sustainable harvesting grounds support a local female cooperative and produce exclusive ingredients for YSL’s skincare and makeup, with fragrance to benefit in 2025.

International nonprofit Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) is out with new research. According to the fourth edition of the KnowTheChain Apparel & Footwear Benchmark, several brands are falling behind in the fight against forced labor, despite promoting sustainability and social justice progress. Scoring 19 out of 100 on average, supply chain transparency remains a rampant issue across the luxury fashion players studied.

The prestige industry seems to be upping efforts to include creatives from First Nations communities. As consumers increasingly show support for businesses that share their values, such as social justice and diversity, more and more luxury labels are partnering with Indigenous designers, such as U.S. fashion group Ralph Lauren, which picked Diné textile weaver Naiomi Glasses as the first collaborator for the new Artist in Residence program. Meanwhile, outdoor clothing company Canada Goose is continuing work with Inuk printmaker Saimaiyu Akesuk, hosting a celebratory event at Art Basel Miami and joining ranks with peers in its category that are likewise learning to authentically embrace Native American perspectives at a productional level.

Italian fashion house Miu Miu is expanding upon two decades of support for female figures in the world of cinema. The brand is tapping well-known leaders in the field to guide a standing short film series. Stewarding the evolution of existing programming, American filmmaker Ava DuVernay and actor and director Maggie Gyllenhaal designer join cofounding member Miuccia Prada and other notable names in establishing the "Miu Miu Women’s Tales Committee," working together to expand visibility, up engagement and reframe the 20-year-long program’s narrative.

The British Fashion Council (BFC) is taking a comprehensive look at the United Kingdom’s approach to inclusivity. The organization is working with The Outsiders Perspective, a nonprofit incubation platform for people of color, and The (Fashion) Minority Report, a career development resource for underrepresented talent, to investigate the state of style industry corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs within the country. Launching “The Fashion DEI Census,” BFC's latest release is both a survey and a call to action intended to audit the sector's standing, in the interest of eventual improvement.

Italian fashion house Gucci is expanding a standing partnership rooted in equity for all. The brand is setting its sights on elevated levels of inclusion, bringing live, human-to-human interpretation service Aira — the app offers assistance to blind and visually impaired individuals — to new retail locations across the United States and Canada. Alongside the update, Gucci is documenting the importance of making the in-store experience engaging to all types of consumers in light of Disability Pride Month.

Italy’s Prada Group is exploring the good that fashion can do. Working with UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, the conglomerate is backing gender equality efforts in the African countries of Kenya and Ghana. “Fashion Expressions: The Stories She Wears,” a jointly-developed 12-month project, recently concluded, benefitting the 43 women who completed the professional training course. “This innovative partnership uses fashion as a vehicle to promote women's economic inclusion by giving the participants valuable experience in different sectors within the industry,” said Tara Jayaram, media consultant at UNFPA, New York. “It also simultaneously aims to educate young women about their sexual and reproductive health through educational sessions about issues ranging from menstrual health management to the prevention of teenage pregnancies.”

LVMH-owned Champagne maker Veuve Clicquot is out with the third iteration of an annual report. Bold Barometers 2023 illustrates that while the dawn of the COVID-19 crisis saw a surge in female business ownership, which carried through 2021, that momentum is wavering around the world, and in some countries, declining altogether. The international study continues Veuve Clicquot’s historic practice of supporting women’s rights and pushing for their success, the brand itself being founded by a madame entrepreneur.

Canadian department store chain Holt Renfrew is celebrating diversity, fashion and community in a new campaign. Tapping Raffaela Weyman — the singer-songwriter known as “Ralph” hails from Toronto — and Canadian Egyptian model Mina Gerges to share their experiences as members of the LGBTQIA+ community and create luxury looks from Holt Renfrew's selection, the retailer is taking a stand during this year's Pride proceedings. Further, Holt Renfrew has announced a collaboration with Covenant House Toronto (CHT), the largest agency in Canada serving those aged 16 to 24 who are homeless, trafficked or at risk. “At a recent job fair that CHT organized for youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness, an overwhelming amount of the youth were interested in working in film,” said Michael Seater, director at CHT, in a statement. “As I had just started prep as director of the Holt Renfrew Pride 2023 Campaign, I saw a great opportunity for two queer youth to attend and observe all creative meetings, location scouts and, of course, the shoot days, while being paid a fair wage,” Mr. Seater said. “The participants were able to get a taste of what a professional film set was like and the different departments and positions they might explore, along with developing universal skills that can be used in any field and are foundational on the road to financial independence. “I’m grateful for Holt Renfrew's enthusiasm for this mentee program and look forward to partnering together again in the future.”

Luxury names across apparel, beauty and more are platforming a monthlong, inclusivity-focused observance. High-end brands hailing from a number of countries are stepping up to acknowledge Pride Month with a range of activations. As brands round out the rainbow-themed drops of yesteryear with mindful donations and LGBTQIA+ partnerships, June's 30-day celebration continues to spark conversation on themes of intersectionality and queer liberation, in a notable progression from previous rounds. “To support the queer community, luxury brands can practice values that respect the human dignity of all people,” said Marcie Bianco, LGBTQ+ journalist and author of Breaking Free: The Lie of Equality and the Feminist Fight for Freedom, San Francisco. “Such business practices would redress the effects of historical systemic discrimination directed at LGBTQ+ people and include: a livable wage, health-care coverage that encompasses gender-affirming and reproductive care, employee benefits devised outside of a heteronormative paradigm of who is regarded as 'family' and covered in said benefits, and labor regulations that respect the health and dignity of the worker and the planet,” she said. “These practices would have a far greater impact on the lives of people within my community, who are being increasingly attacked by state governments across the nation, than vapid rainbow products.”

U.S. jeweler David Yurman is kicking off Pride Month with the extension of a now annual partnership. Teaming up with The Trevor Project, a mental health charity for members of the LGBTQIA2+ community, the brand is supporting free crisis intervention. For this year’s collaborative efforts, David Yurman is out with two new designs, donating 20 percent of their sales to the organization through the rest of the year.

Luxury groups and automakers alike are platforming a sense of Pride. French luxury conglomerates Kering and LVMH, and British automaker Bentley, are among those celebrating “IDAHOT” or International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. In a show of inclusion, each company participating donated to the LGBTQIA2+ community, took to social media and expanded current diversity initiatives – LVMH specifically chose to focus on strengthening its commitments through a standing partnership.

In a win for accessibility, British Vogue’s latest issue is available in braille. The publication’s May 2023 issue spotlights 19 talented people with disabilities, covering their work and fashion’s strides toward inclusion under the direction of editor in chief, Edward Enninful. Following its April 25, 2023 publication, it was announced that for the first time, British Vogue would also be released in braille, continuing the diversity push.