H&M and Buy From A Black Woman (BFABW) have parted ways. The nonprofit and the retailer ended their contract over H&M’s plans to scale back their joint events.
The partnership, which started four years ago to amplify Buy From A Black Women’s mission of supporting Black woman-owned businesses, led to activations, a grant program, and a business accelerator to highlight entrepreneurs and their products.
Since its establishment in 2016, BFABW has served as
an educational nonprofit to help Black women entrepreneurs succeed in their industry. It also offers an online directory for patrons to support these minority-owned brands.However, amid the shift from DEI initiatives, BFABW’s founder, Nikki Porcher, saw H&M distancing itself from the organization’s programming. Porcher revealed in an interview with Women’s Wear Daily that H&M’s new plans for a key event led to the partnership’s abrupt end. The contract officially ended March 12.
“In addition to an investment of nearly $1 million dollars to support the organization, we were also able to produce and host dozens of events that highlighted and created meaningful impact for Black women-owned businesses throughout the country,” shared H&M in a statement on the terminated contract.
“While it was not H&M’s decision to end the partnership, we wish Buy From A Black Woman the very best in their future endeavors as they embark in a new direction. H&M’s commitment to partnerships and programs highlighting inclusion and diversity remains unchanged, and we look forward to developing these in exciting new directions.”
Porcher explained during a February group call H&M said it would not sponsor its flagship event on International Women’s Day. Instead, H&M stated that an accompanying event, spotlighting denim at a Black women’s coffee shop, would take place in lieu of the signature activation.
However, Porcher detailed that the International Women’s Day event was specifically in her contract. Its removal prompted more questions from the nonprofit founder. She emphasized that their partnership was even more crucial given the current anti-DEI push. Despite this, H&M asserted that the shift was due to current fashion trends at their stores.
Porcher felt “disrespected” with the discussion, leading her to seek legal counsel. The two parties decided they could not move forward with the partnership, terminating the deal. Porcher still awaits an $83,000 check from the Swedish retailer for a holiday market the BFABW conducted last year.
BFABW plans to lean into more advocacy work, especially with the five-year anniversary of the start of the Black Lives Matter protests happening this summer.
While Porcher remains disappointed by how the contract fizzled out, she wants to educate Black women entrepreneurs about these concerns and how to navigate them.
“There will be a lot more Black-owned business owners who will have this [type of thing] happen to them, but maybe not on such a grand scale. I want them to know that they are not by themselves. Entrepreneurship, especially as a Black woman, is such a lonely road,” Porcher said.
H&M released another statement after Porcher shared her experience, denying it required the change of plans and that if offered a “fair payment” during the contract negotiations.
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