Prada Agrees to 'Racial Equity Training' in Deal With NYC Commission on Human Rights

Prada has reached a "highly unusual" agreement with the New York City Commission on Human Rights spurred by recent company actions that were criticized by some as having racist intentions.

As detailed in a New York Timespiece by Vanessa Friedman this week, the past year has seen the commission both investigating and actively engaging in settlement talks with the brand. Those talks ultimately resulted in a deal that was signed into agreement on Tuesday, with brand officials still denying that any intentional discrimination had occurred. Still, they've agreed to "internal re-education" measures for the next two years.

For Prada, this all started after a December 2018 tweet from civil rights lawyer Chinyere Ezie highlighted the brand's Pradamalia figurines that many considered to be examples of blackface. Ezie filed a complaint with the commission the following month, with Prada announcing just one month later that that it was launching its own Diversity and Inclusion Advisory council.

The Timessaid it has viewed this new agreement with the NYC Commission on Human Rights and confirmed that it included stipulations for the brand to offer sensitivity training that's set to include "racial equity training" within 120 days of the signing. Furthermore, execs in Milan—including Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli—will participate in the training. Also within 120 days of the agreement’s signing, Prada is required to have appointed a diversity and inclusion officer who will be tasked with reviewing brand designs prior to them being publicly advertised or sold.

This week's report also mentions Dior and Gucci, with specific mention of the fact that the latter has already announced measures that are similar to the requirements set forth in the commission's agreement with Prada. Gucci, however, has neither confirmed nor denied its own negotiations with the commission.