Back in June, I wrote an exhaustive post on the online clothing retailer Revolve’s diversity problem. In a nutshell: for years, they’ve dodged criticism of their mostly (straight-sized, cis-het) white influencer partners, on which the brand relied heavily for promotion and social media coverage. When pressed, brand representatives would wax-poetic on brand image and target audience in a stunningly tone-deaf parallel to comments made by a (now former) Victoria’s Secret executive.
Take action: send a letter to ceo@revolve.com with this template!
Revolve’s Diversity Problem Cruise Captains: The Mikes
Then June of 2020 happened and the country grappled with the life-limiting and life-ending truths of structural racism. Instagram was plastered with black squares and legions of brand representatives and CEOs took to social media and declared that they’d “do better.” Many laid out specific, achievable plans to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce; many simply apologized and moved on.
Now we come to what truly BOGGLES MY MIND. The CEOs of Revolve, Michael Karanikolas and Michael Mente (I call them “the Mikes”), issued what felt like a raw, responsive, and sensitive apology on Instagram. They gave out an email address where one could theoretically contact them directly with thoughts and concerns. They swore to “do better” and asked us to judge them not as they say, but as they do.
Revolve’s Diversity Problem: Damage Control
The Revolve Instagram feed quickly filled with images of influencers of color from all around the world. It seemed like a “loading dose” for a self-administered anti-racism treatment. What killed me was that those women deserved to be on the Revolve feed – which not incidentally has over 4 million followers – long before June 2020. They deserved to be there not as an act of repentance but in recognition of careers hard-won.
But I digress.
They announced a capsule collection with LaQuan Smith, a high-end Black designer, shortly after – although to be clear, this was likely in the works before the waves of Black Lives Matter protests in June.
In July, Revolve announced a digital event with fashion line Song of Style and Los Angeles florist Offerings, Co. The two small businesses are run by Aimee Song and Schentell Nunn, respectively, and they came together for an 8-minute IGTV tutorial on floral arrangements. Bustle wrote extensively on how this event marked the first time the brand had created an event around two WOC-owned business (Song is Korean-American and Nunn is Black). It was beautifully done and indeed a step in the right direction.
Dare we hope that the Mikes are taking Revolve’s diversity problem to task?
The Silent Treatment
Back on the farm, I’m sending letters to the Mikes. I’m sending Revolve DMs. I’m commenting on their posts – many of which now feature women of color – asking them to lay out exactly what they plan to do to reform their business from the inside. Are they changing who and how they hire? Have they committed to initiatives like Pull Up for Change and The Fifteen Percent Pledge?
Crickets.
They respond zero times. No heart emojis (wouldn’t that be something?). No “I hear you”s. Not even with a PR-generated, copy/paste job. You’d think they’d have one locked and loaded by now – but apparently they don’t think they need it.
And in the meantime: Bustle writes that article about how Revolve is stepping forward in its redemptive arc by putting on an event (ONE!); their website continues to have zero reference to Black Lives Matter or any Black-owned brands they carry – you know, ostensibly to help their customers #buyBlack and actually make a difference; and they have published no statement outlining structural changes and internal commitments to lasting change.
The Ghosts of Boyfriends Past
Suddenly, I smell Old Spice body spray from 2006. It’s heady. “Promiscuous” by Nelly Furtado and Timbaland is stuck in my head. I have the vague, anxious feeling that I’m late for curfew.
Yes, folks – it’s my first boyfriend and he’s back to remind me that a pretty face, washboard abs, and saying all the right things do not mean that he isn’t shady AF when I’m not there. He says he’s a Changed Man. I hear the words, they sound nice enough, but my heart knows that “man” is a generous word for a six-foot-four, emotionally-stunted 22 year-old (a man-child!) who’s running around behind my back. He is Exhibit A for actions speaking louder than words.
I said it.
Revolve is like a cheating boyfriend.
Smooth Talkers
I love Revolve, and I’ve missed shopping their since my self-imposed boycott. That I love them is a major reason why I’m so upset about how they’re handling the situation. I love their selection, their site is easy to navigate, and their customer service is impeccable. Given their size, they have real potential to set the bar for inclusivity and diversity in the industry – but they’re being lazy. In this case, laziness has real, tangible effects on the lives of many, many people.
They’ve said all the right things. They’ve polished their image by featuring influencers of color in their social media. What is crucial, however, is that they don’t use the outward appearance of change as a shield to hide the preservation of their existing corporate structure. That isn’t empowerment, that’s manipulation.
For all we know, they’ve committed internally to real, lasting change by implementing more diverse hires, seeking a healthy percentage of Black-owned brands for their roster, and implementing a culture of inclusivity.
Revolve’s Diversity Problem: What We Don’t Know
The problem? We have no clue what they’re doing internally. They haven’t participated in Pull Up for Change, which would require them to publish their diversity data at all levels of the organization so we’d know what they’re working with. Nor have they committed to the Fifteen Percent Pledge, in which they’d allocate 15% of their inventory to Black-owned brands. Let’s be clear: there is no shortage of Black talent, not for administrative and leadership posistions and not in the design world.
There is just no excuse for Revolve’s lack of transparency.
What they’ve done is simply a marketing switch-up to create a pretty shell for them to hide in. We see in their social media – only after Blackout Tuesday, to be crystal-clear – scores of accomplished, deserving, and talented influencers of color. Yes! Keep doing that! They deserve to be there!
My gut is telling me that Revolve is hoping that we stop there.
That we’ll be satisfied with seeing different faces without understanding if structural change is taking place within the organization.
That’d make things easier for them, right? They smooth-talk us; they say humble and beautiful statements of regret and intent and we want to believe them; they post more WOC on their Instagram.
And we’re supposed to say, “job well done, here’s my money.”
They’ve Backed Us into a Corner
So now we’re in a pickle: How do we support the influencers of color on the Revolve feed AND demand that Revolve make internal changes? The better those posts do, the better for the influencer’s career. Well-performing posts prove to the higher-ups that their demographic is responding to a more diverse feed, and that’s what we want!
But what about Black designers? Are they still getting snubbed from the Revolve shopping platform? What about Black talent in tech, in leadership, in marketing – are they getting a fair shake inside the organization?
THIS is what boggles my mind: We don’t know, because they won’t tell us.
That speaks volumes.
love,
Stig
Take action: send a letter to ceo@revolve.com with this template!
