Balancing the Paradox of Inclusivity and Exclusivity: How Luxury Fashion Brands Use Communications to Address Diversity and Inclusion

In the last decade, luxury fashion brands have been critiqued for design and marketing blunders involving racist imagery and cultural appropriation. These incidents were amplified during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, when luxury fashion brands that purportedly stood in solidarity with the movement were called out for past mistakes by a consumer base that is increasingly concerned with Corporate Social Responsibility and being “woke.” In moments of cultural and racial reckoning, luxury fashion brands are faced with a paradox: communicating values of inclusion while maintaining their exclusiveness. Using a case study approach focusing on Gucci, Prada and Burberry, this research analyzes the wording and structure behind communications of luxury fashion brands, particularly in regards to diversity and inclusion. Findings conclude that brands must follow a specific apology or acknowledgment structure when speaking about a crisis, but also reflect those communications internally to be deemed authentic by consumers.