Race Equality

Race Equality starts in education and so I am thrilled to be a Council member of FACE - Fashion Academics Creating Equality. FACE was created in the summer of 2020 by co-founders Andrew Ibi, Sharon Lloyd and Pascal Matthias with the mission of addressing anti-black progression of both staff and students in education together with dismantling the white-centred curriculum.

FACE speaks up and down the country. Below is our panel at Northern Fashion Week in Manchester.

In a very short space of time we have created...

The FACE Excellence Prize in association with GFF

Collaborative display: PLATFORM with Christopher Kane to showcase of Black and Brown student work on the Christopher Kane instagram site to 600,000 followers

Arguing student evaluation, when race is ignored. See feature here.

Relationships with CHEAD, British Fashion Council, British Beauty Council

The Associates Group headed by myself and Falmouth Course Leader John Boddy with the FACE Summit scheduled for 2022 and hosted by CSM.

The See My FACE Report published by CHEAD The council for Higher Education Art and Design Read more here

“The goal of FACE is to embed culture and diverse perspectives into the curriculum. FACE demands acknowledgement of the contribution of Black culture and creativity, to history, society and of course to fashion.”

FACE encourages each academic to engage with the four pillars of pedagogical process: Recruitment, Progression, Curriculum, Culture. To do this we must disrupt the current paradigm using our Position, Power, Privilege and of course our Purpose. Whilst my own journey into race equality started many years ago and continues to this day, my learning has been greatly accelerated through the opportunity to meet regularly with FACE members and hear their experiences.

“Recruitment of Black staff is directly linked to the recruitment of Black students.
A diverse teaching staff benefits ALL students.”

One of the biggest barriers to race equality is white denial of a racist system and white defending of fragile egos. If we cannot address our own complicity in maintaining these systems, we will not dismantle racism. Finding the right content by using my journey as an example to others has helped me begin the conversation. With my knowledge expanded, I'm better able to challenge lethargic leaders. My lectures have often centred around selfhood, and diverse perspectives but they now provoke anti-racist debate from the start.

We've created a handy script for white academics, challenging white denial here

Race Equality

“The goal of FACE is to embed culture and diverse perspectives into the curriculum. FACE demands acknowledgement of the contribution of Black culture and creativity, to history, society and of course to fashion.”

“Recruitment of Black staff is directly linked to the recruitment of Black students. A diverse teaching staff benefits ALL students.”

“Recruitment of Black staff is directly linked to the recruitment of Black students.
A diverse teaching staff benefits ALL students.”