Nordstrom Inks 10-Year Partnership With Aurora James' 15 Percent Pledge
The retailer becomes one of the initiative’s largest signatories.
Nordstrom has signed onto a 10-year partnership with the 15 Percent Pledge, an initiative launched by designer Aurora James that urges retailers to stock more Black-owned brands. As part of the agreement, Nordstrom committed to increasing its spending on Black-owned businesses by tenfold.
“Nordstrom will grow purchases from brands owned or founded by Black individuals by 10 times by the end of 2030,” said Pete Nordstrom, the retailer’s chief brand officer and president. “Long-term societal change cannot happen overnight. We are excited to partner with the Pledge on this commitment to economic equity and sustainable growth as we work to increase the number of Black-owned and founded companies we partner with throughout our business.”
Nordstrom joins a substantial roster of Pledge signatories including Sephora, Kith and Vogue. James, the founder and creative director of Brooklyn-based footwear and accessories brand Brother Vellies, formed the non-profit last summer, shortly after the murder of George Floyd.
“Ideally, the Pledge…becomes so successful that it ages itself out of relevance and we get to a point where people [think], ‘Wait, that used to be a thing?’” James told Business of Fashion. “We’ve had to kind of realize that every single company is guilty, but ultimately it’s the system that we have all created together that is to blame,” she said.
Head to Aurora James’s official Instagram to learn more about Nordstrom’s partnership with the 15 Percent Pledge.
