The British Fashion Council has launched a  partnership with 50:50 The Equality Project, an initiative created by the BBC for the media industry, as a voluntary monitoring system, with the target of creating content that fairly represents the audiences. Launching during London Fashion Week presented by Clearpay, the overall purpose of the project is to help benchmark not only individual teams, but the fashion industry as a whole, using data to positively impact representation.

Designer businesses taking part in LFW will be asked to participate by collecting diversity data from their teams represented at the event, ranging from design teams to hair and make-up, models, production, communications and more. The collected data will be used to benchmark and track progress in terms of reflecting the audiences, consumers and communities they serve and employ.

The BFC will also be collecting, benchmarking, and tracking its own progress. The designer businesses who have signed up to take part in the first round of the project are Anciela, Anna Mason, Carlota Barrera, Edward Crutchley, Eirinn Hayhow, Ester Kubisz, Helen Kirkum, Joao Maraschin, Jordan Luca, Kaushik Valendra, Labrum, Matty Bovan, OSMAN, palmer//harding, POA, Ray Chu, Richard Malone, Roksanda, Saul Nash and Tiger of Sweden, with more designers expected to join in the near future.

The findings of the project will begin to be published after 18 months from the start.