Fighting for LGBTQIA+ representation in fashion: Jamie Gill and the Outsiders Perspective

The Outsiders Perspective

Despite its reputation for creativity and progressive cultural influence, the fashion industry has long struggled with diversity in positions of power. Leadership roles within major luxury fashion houses continue to be disproportionately occupied by white, heterosexual men, while LGBTQIA+ individuals are frequently relegated to highly visible but often tokenistic creative positions, including design, visual merchandising, public relations and communications. This imbalance is particularly striking given that women represent over 80% of fashion professionals and students and almost one-quarter of the industry identifies as LGBTQIA+.

Whilst some progress has been made in improving visible representation on the runway, with the proportion of people of colour in catwalk shows increasing from roughly 23% in 2017 to 50% in 2022 (UK Fashion DEI Report), these advances have not been equally reflected behind the scenes. Founder and activist Jamie Gill argues that meaningful change must extend beyond public-facing representation, stating: “The external transformation came first; the internal one is now underway, and the same focus that transformed the catwalk will transform the workforce.”

After joining the Board of the British Fashion Council in September 2020, Gill noticed that the topic of diversity was rife. “There was a genuine willingness across the industry to change,” he told Imagine. “What was missing was the practical route to act on it.”

Gill felt that the luxury, beauty, and fashion sectors remained highly insular in their hiring practices, often prioritising industry experience above all else. “Brands were missing exceptional talent sitting in finance, law and technology,” he says. Having followed a non-linear career path himself, Gill founded The Outsiders Perspective, an organisation dedicated to helping brands adopt more inclusive hiring practices and connect with talent from underrepresented communities. Established in 2022, the organisation, he explained, “Was built to give brands that bridge; a practical, immediate way to access talent they couldn’t previously see.” 

An Intersectional Approach

The Outsiders Perspective first originated out of a desire to increase racial representation within workplaces, “Because in 2020 that was the most urgent conversation” Gill says. “But the mechanism we built, skills-first hiring, was always bigger than one community. Once you open the industry to talent based on ability rather than the profile that’s always been, you widen access and then visibility for all: people of colour, women, LGBTQIA+ professionals, career changers.” 

As Gill uncovered the scale of underrepresentation across the industry – with less than 6% of brand headquarters employees being people of colour and fewer than 1% of executive roles held by openly LGBTQIA+ leaders – it became clear that meaningful change required a broader, more intersectional approach. Expanding The Outsiders Perspective beyond its original focus was a natural progression, ensuring that barriers to entry and advancement could be challenged wherever they existed.

“It’s also personal. I grew up gay and British-Indian in the Midlands; I’ve never separated one part of my identity from another, and nor do the people we place.” he says, with brands quickly embracing the evolution.

As an openly gay man operating within the fashion industry, the issue is deeply personal for Gill. “I wanted to create the room I’d have loved earlier in my career,” he says. Making it clear to the next generation that “There isn’t a glass ceiling, if you’re queer working in fashion you can make it to the boardroom.”

The Pride in Fashion Leadership Dinner

June marks Pride month, an annual celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community. This year, Gill will host the annual Pride in Fashion Leadership dinner alongside Simon Blake, CEO of Stonewall, the UK human rights charity that campaigns for equality for LGBTQIA+ people in the UK and beyond. Founded in 1989, 20 years after the Stonewall riots, the organisation has played a pivotal role in driving transformative social and legislative change for the community.

Given the shared values of the two organisations, it comes as no surprise that the they will announce a new alliance at the dinner. With notable LGBTQIA+ editors, brand owners and leaders present, the partnership aims to drive meaningful change by engaging directly with professionals across the fashion sector.

Gill has a clear vision for the changes he hopes to see over the next five years. “First, the number: openly LGBTQIA+ leadership representation well above today’s baseline, tracked and published the way we now track gender and ethnicity.” He adds, “The event becoming a celebration rather than a necessity, when an evening of out leaders in fashion is simply an evening of leaders in fashion.” Concluding on a hopeful note, Gill says, “The catwalk taught us how fast this industry moves once it decides to focus, and on this front, it’s deciding. I’d back fashion to get there faster than anyone expects.”