At Lulus we are aware of and profoundly saddened by the many grievous injustices and difficult realities that Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized people have faced. As a brand that cares for our customers, we believe we have the collective power to create a community where everyone belongs and is represented with dignity. 

In June 2020, we shared our renewed commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), along with an action plan for improvement and accountability. We knew then that this work would need to be much more than symbolic gestures or performative social media posts, and that the work was just beginning.

This journey has brought us to form a partnership with Decolonize Design, a global consultancy that works with organizations and communities to foster true Belonging, Dignity, and Justice as an alternative to traditional DEI approaches. . Employing their Belonging, Dignity, and Justice framework, we are doing the work to center traditionally marginalized people and ensure our workplace and our community is a just and equitable space that fosters true belonging so all can participate and prosper.

After a transformational collective learning experience, we have re-evaluated our internal practices, procedures, and policies, and we are adding to our product offering and brand representation and adjusting how we communicate our values as a company.

What we promised: Diverse Brand Representation

What we have changed so far: We recognize the power of visibility and representation. As a result we’ve taken inventory of our website, ads, emails, and social media,and we have increased representation of models and influencers from Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other racially marginalized/minoritized groups. Out of our total number of paid influencers booked since June 2020, 70% represent Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized communities, including mid-plus size, differently-abled, and trans and gender fluid persons. Since June 2020, more than 50% of the models we feature on our website represent Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized communities, and we will continue to diversify our brand representation to more accurately and equitably reflect our customer base.

What we promised: Partnership with BIPOC-owned Businesses

What we have changed so far: Beyond representation, we want to partner with Black and Indigenous companies and creators because we know together we are able to create products and experiences that speak authentically to all customers at Lulus. That is why we have increased the diversity of perspective of our content creators. These content creators have been important and powerful contributors to our products and experiences, and make up 50% of our total 2020 content roster, and 78% of the new content contributors we’ve partnered with since June 2020. We will continue to identify creators, influencers, vendors, brands, and partners to partner with in 2021 and beyond.  

What we promised: Employee Diversity and Representation

What we have changed so far: In partnership with Decolonize Design, we’ve engaged in experiential learning sessions that explore and address anti-Blackness, dehumanization and other forms of marginalization, completed an organizational assessment to understand areas of improvement and achievement, and we created space and resourced leaders in our organization to champion this work internally in our operations and external in the products and experiences we offer. Knowing that change must come from within, we are listening more carefully to our employees, offering continuous learning opportunities, obtaining expert guidance, and enabling the formation of affinity groups in order to create a workplace where we can all belong and thrive. 

What we promised: Amplification and Support of Charitable Organizations

How we’ve delivered so far: As an immediate response to the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota, we donated $100,000 to the Minnesota Freedom Fund. We have committed to donating $500,000 in the coming years to organizations that support women’s empowerment, with a focus on women of color. We recognize charitable contributions are just one step in supporting Black organizations and amplifying their voice and vision. We are identifying partners not only for financial contribution, but also for opportunities within Lulus, for mentorship, training, and internship programs. 

We are also amplifying the voices of change makers who have traditionally been marginalized or excluded from the mainstream on our blog, where we regularly feature individuals and organizations working toward equity and racial justice. Some of those include period equity activist ChelseaVonChaz, and the founders of CARE, who are working to bring inclusion and equity to the animal welfare field. We also feature a monthly piece by The Kinswomen, podcasters and anti-racism consultants who work to bridge the gaps between white people and people of color from a place of love and compassion.

We value you and your feedback. If you have ideas or suggestions for us, please reach out to us at feedback@lulus.com. As always, we are listening.