In August 2020, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced CaSandra Diggs as the President of their Organization, and after 3 years of being at the helm, Diggs has chosen to resign from her executive role.
The news comes at interesting time with black history month and fashion week in progress, and has certainly caused speculation about what transpired, or influenced Diggs decision.
With over two decades of serving as the CFDA Chief Administrative and Financial Officer, and then being promoted to President by the excellence she embodied, her future with the CFDA looked promising.
In a statement released yesterday evening, the CFDA told WWD,
“The CFDA and CaSandra Diggs have parted ways. We appreciate her service and wish her the best in future pursuits. The organization’s continued focus is on our mission to support and strengthen American fashion by amplifying creative excellence, business longevity, and positive impact. We have no additional comment at this time.”
It’s important to note that when Diggs initially accepted her role, we we’re in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter Movement.
According to the New York Times, “On June 1 2020, Tom Ford, the chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America wanted the board to address the Black Lives Matter protests against racial injustice, and systemic racism in the fashion industry. ” A statement from the CFDA was released 2 days later that stated,
“Having a clear voice and speaking out against racial injustice, bigotry and hatred is the first step, but this is not enough,” it read, listing four initiatives to follow. Those included an employment program charged with placing black talent in all sectors of the fashion business to help achieve a racially balanced industry.“
Although many organizations like the CFDA made a pledge to promote more diversity in the fashion industry, after the BLM movement died down, so did their pursuit to be more inclusive. It’s almost like it was a trend to amplify black voices of marginalized groups until it wasn’t. Fast forward to today, and there’s still a lack of black representation in the fashion industry.
Our Fashion Bomb daily readers chimed in on instagram regarding the news. @Tndivaesq wrote, “Baby, the post-pandemic racial reckoning is ending with warp speed.” While @fancyfrancois expressed, “It’s feeling like they stressed me out, so I have to do what’s best for my mental health
.”
We were certainly rooting for Diggs as seeing women of color like her at the top is often scarce and limited. However, who’s to say what trials and tribulations she endured due to simply being a minority.
Despite Diggs resignation, we’re still advocating for her and wish her the absolute best in her next endeavors.
Source: fashionbombdaily.com
