The luxury industry is notoriously exclusive—not just in the price of its products but for creative talent who want to work in the business. A new program from Gucci aims to open doors for young creatives from underrepresented backgrounds in Europe. 

Gucci has launched Changemakers, its social impact initiative established in North America in 2019, in London. Developed with Amsterdam-based agency Soursop, the multiyear program will see the luxury brand partner with London College of Fashion and University of the Arts London to offer multidisciplinary scholarships to students who face financial barriers to higher education.  

The scholarships will cover tuition fees as well as maintenance support over a three-year course. The program also includes mentoring, training and workshops led by artist Ronan McKenzie.

Changemakers London will culminate at the end of the year with an exhibition of creative work by the program’s participants. 

Vanessa Kingori, chief business officer at Condé Nast Britain and Vogue European business advisor, also signed on as a supporter and helped select the scholarship recipients. 

Gucci plans to continue the program over multiple years and launch it in other European cities. Participants could also later access roles within Gucci. 

Creating a talent pipeline

Gucci’s program comes amid calls for increasing diversity and inclusion in the creative industries. 

In the U.K., there are also growing concerns about the long-term impact on the creative sector as public funding for arts education has declined. In 2021, the government cut funding to arts and design higher education courses by 50%. 

“It’s never been tougher to go into the arts, which have never been more underfunded—and it’s never been harder to get a job after you finish a degree,” said Soursop co-founder Ravi Amaratunga Hitchcock. “Changing the [creative] industry has to start a lot earlier in the education system.” 

For creative talent who want to work in fashion or luxury, the Changemakers program is “creating a pipeline to Gucci,” Hitchcock pointed out. 

“Fashion—and any creative business—will ultimately gain business success with more diversity,” he added. 

In North America, Gucci’s Changemakers initiative has already supported more than 50 nonprofits with grants and over 70 students with scholarships.