Dapper Dan & Gucci Announce A $5M Scholarship For Minorities

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Dapper Dan & Gucci Announce A New Scholarship Initiative

Gucci is trying to get back in our good graces, and luckily for them, they’ve got some help from the one-and-only Dapper Dan.

Immediately following the whole Gucci blackface sweater incident, frequent collaborator Dapper Dan called out Gucci’s CEO Marco Bizzari, demanding a meeting with other notable black industry influencers. Both Dan and the people at the brand ended up keeping their promise and promptly announced Gucci’s Changemakers initiative.

The Gucci Changemakers fund is global program that will support diversity and inclusion amongst people in black communities and the fashion industry. The brand released a statement saying: “The Gucci Changemakers fund will support social change by investing in community-based programs in cities across North America. This $5 million fund focuses on building strong connections and opportunities within the African-American community and communities of color at-large, while bringing positive change and inspiring solutions for a better future.”

In addition to the Changemakers program, Gucci has also started an additional $1.5 million-dollar scholarship fund for students studying in various realms of the fashion industry. They’ve said that scholarships will be given to diverse talent from throughout North America.

Dapper Dan shared the news along with his excitement for the initiative on his Instagram page. The designer wrote, “As a partner, I am proud to work with Gucci and other community leaders to help guide programs that will create meaningful impact for the Black community and fashion as a whole. It is imperative that we have a seat at the table to say how we should be represented and reimagined. Through our work together, Gucci is in a position to lead the overall industry toward becoming a better more inclusive one.”

It looks like the fashion brand is making some moves in the right direction, enlisting industry insiders and activists for their panel of Changemakers council members; Bethann Hardison, Michaela Angela Davis, Will.i.am, and Dapper Dan are just a few of those involved.

Are you here for Gucci trying to diversity themselves, or is it simply too late?!