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,
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 Movement.
According to the New York Times, “On June 1, 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,
Although many companies 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. We were rooting for Diggs as seeing women like her at the top in the fashion world 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, which she declined to comment on, we’re still advocating for her and wish her the absolute best in her next endeavors.
