Milan Fashion Week hears calls for designer diversity, but has it done enough?

Haitian-Italian designer Stella Jean accepts applause at the end of her womens Spring/Summer 2019 fashion collection, presented at Milan Fashion Week. Photo: AP

The Milan Fashion Week that opens Wednesday (Sept 21) is showcasing collections by perhaps its most ethnically diverse lineup of designers, including the debuts of the new creative directors of Salvatore Ferragamo and Bally and the return of Haitian-Italian designer Stella Jean after a two-year hiatus.

But Jean and other industry insiders behind a campaign to open the Italian fashion world to talent from minority backgrounds say true inclusivity remains elusive.