Diversity & Inclusivity

D I V E R S I T Y + I N C L U S I V I T Y

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

SIR. acknowledges and pays respect to the traditional custodians of this nation past, present and future. We respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land where we come together each day, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation in Sydney, New South Wales.

OUR COMMITMENT

The Black Lives Matter movement was a wakeup call and realisation that our social responsibility commitment hasn’t accurately reflected the values we stand for at SIR. and our responsibilities as a brand and individuals.

Over the past three months, we have made changes to our social responsibility commitment, dedicating ourselves to further educate our team, to make changes that have a positive impact at SIR.

Our commitment is ever evolving as we continue to educate ourselves and seek opportunities where we can use our platform for positive change.
SIR. has made the following commitments which will be continually updated as more progress is made.

TIMELINE FOR CHANGE

2018 


February 2018: SIR. Directors Nikki Campbell and Sophie Coote initiated a partnership with Batchelor Institute for Indigenous Tertiary Education after a trip to The Northern Territory.

The Batchelor Institute is a not-for-profit organisation that ‘brings together Indigenous Australian traditions of knowledge and Western academic disciplinary positions and cultural contexts, and embraces values of respect, tolerance and diversity.'

“As an Australian business that built our success in the fashion industry through technology, this partnership is very synergistic. The projects that the institute runs focus on the progression of fashion with technology, so, naturally, we’re thrilled to be working together.” - Nikki Campbell


The donations from SIR. enabled the institute to digitally print student artworks onto fabrics, which were made into garments and showcased at the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair’s runway for the first time. The donations will be further utilised in future projects as a part of the ongoing partnership between the institute and SIR.

https://www.batchelor.edu.au/portfolio/sir-the-label-gives-back-for-autumn-winter-18-campaign/2020


2020


June 2020: SIR. and The Batchelor Institute continue their partnership with the development of an ongoing tiered mentorship program with Institute students, comprising of lectures with the SIR. team to help students understand the various aspects of a fashion house, from design to day-to-day business operations.

The SIR. team participated in a guided walk, led by Eve E White, an Indigenous cultural educator, to learn about the traditional land where the brand was born.


October 2020: We commenced plans for our virtual lecture to educate students at The Batchelor Institute about the elements and principles of design and how they are applied in real time to a fashion business.

LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE



  • SIR. is committed to learning and change, simultaneously; we pledge to do more to realize equality and justice for Black and Indigenous people, at home in Australia and beyond.

  •  SIR. is committed to building an active diversity and inclusion plan to achieving the commitments outlined in our social responsibility statement.

  • SIR. is committed to ongoing education and seeking opportunities where we can to utilise our platform for positive change.

  • SIR. is committed to expanding our existing relationship with the Batchelor Institute for Indigenous Tertiary Education to include ongoing support with a multi-tiered immersive mentorship program. The design team plans to visit the campus and engage in a series of cultural workshops with the lecturers and students who will educate the SIR. team on their indigenous culture, student curriculum and natural dyeing techniques using natural vegetation and sediments found on their native land.