D.E.I. in Decline: Black Fashion’s Fight Against Corporate Retreat

A New Era of Exclusion* 

In 2025, as President Donald Trump’s executive order dismantling federal D.E.I. (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) mandates takes effect, the ripple effects are seismic. For Black fashion designers and businesses—many of whom relied on corporate partnerships forged during the racial reckoning of the 2020s—the landscape has turned hostile. Retail titans like Walmart, Target, and Amazon, once vocal allies, now quietly comply with the administration’s crackdown, abandoning pledges that once promised equity. The question is no longer about progress, but survival: How does Black creativity endure when institutions choose complicity over conscience? 

From Pledges to Silence: The Corporate Reversal 

In 2020, these corporations made headlines for defying Trump’s initial anti-D.E.I. directives. Amazon’s “Black Business Accelerator” funneled millions to entrepreneurs. Target’s “Forward Founders” program spotlighted Black designers like Telfar and Studio 189. Walmart vowed to “embed equity” into its DNA. But in 2025, their tone has shifted. Press releases tout “unity” over “division,” and diversity programs are rebranded as “merit-based initiatives.” Internal memos leak, revealing slashed budgets for BIPOC partnerships. 

“It’s a betrayal,” says CEO Nia Batts of Detroit-based beauty brand Viola. “They used our stories for PR, then dropped us when the politics changed.” Data from the Black in Fashion Council shows a 62% decline in corporate contracts for Black-owned brands since 2023. 

The Cost of Compliance 

For designers, the fallout is visceral. LaQuan Smith, who scaled his brand via Amazon’s accelerator, now faces canceled orders. “They said my ‘aesthetic no longer aligns with their vision,’” he reveals. Smaller labels, like knitwear innovator Akémi, grapple with vanished wholesale opportunities. “Retailers used to compete to signal their ‘wokeness,’” says Akémi founder Jamila Franklin. “Now they’re erasing us to avoid controversy.” 

The human toll is stark. The Fashion Minority Report estimates over 200 Black-owned businesses have shuttered since 2024, casualties of evaporated funding and algorithmic bias—Amazon’s search rankings now favor legacy brands over independent creators. 

Reclaiming Power: The Underground Renaissance 

Yet Black fashion refuses to fold. “Compliance is their choice. Resistance is ours,” declares designer Aurora James, whose 15 Percent Pledge now pivots to bypass retailers entirely. Her new platform, Third Space, connects Black designers directly with consumers, while apps like Blk Mkt and CurlTap create decentralized marketplaces. 

Social media has become a lifeline. TikTok’s #DesignBlackOut movement—a boycott of compliant corporations—has redirected $28 million to Black-owned brands in six months. Designers like Anifa Mvuemba of Hanifa leverage 3D virtual shows to cultivate global audiences, untethered from traditional retail gatekeepers. “They think shutting doors will silence us,” Mvuemba says. “But we’re building our own damn houses.” 

Luxury’s Quiet Rebellion 

Even within establishment circles, dissent simmers. While public companies toe the line, private luxury conglomerates exploit loopholes. LVMH quietly funds scholarships for Black design students through offshore nonprofits. Black celebrities—Rihanna’s Fenty, Beyoncé’s Ivy Park—leverage their influence to spotlight emerging talent. “This isn’t charity. It’s strategy,” says Harlem’s Fashion Row CEO Brandice Daniel. “Our culture drives trends. They need us, even if they won’t admit it.” 

The Road Ahead: Fashion as Protest 

The collapse of institutional D.E.I. has exposed a hard truth: Equity was never theirs to grant. Black designers are rewriting the narrative, merging artistry with activism. Custom sneaker brand BRDG embroiders “Still Here” on tongues of every shoe. Designer Telfar Clemens launches “Security Program,” using profits to bail out Black activists. 

“Fashion is political, whether they like it or not,” says historian Dr. Jonathan Square. “When systems exclude, we innovate. Always have.” 

Beyond the Checkbox 

The 2025 executive order hasn’t killed Black fashion—it’s ignited a fiercer flame. As corporations retreat, creativity rallies. Consumers wield power: #BuyBlack spending hit $1.8 trillion in 2024, proving autonomy is possible. 

In the words of the late André Leon Talley: “Elegance is refusal.” Today, Black designers refuse to vanish. They craft not just clothes, but legacies. And history remembers who held the needle. 

 Modish Muse Magazine, February 2025. All rights reserved.