Prada in Milan (photo: Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The company has committed to hire individuals affected by trisomy 21 (Down's Syndrome) in its shops in Italy

Rising consciousness around issues of inclusivity in the fashion industry has made a world of difference in diversity across the board—touching every aspect of the industry from scholarships to start-up funding, casting and customer interactions. Today, the Prada Group announced it is the first fashion luxury brand to officially join The Valuable 500, a global B2B initiative dedicated to "putting disability on the business leadership agenda." 

"The Valuable 500 community, which embraces a wide range of industries worldwide, is becoming stronger every day," said Prada Group Head of CSR Lorenzo Bertelli in a statement. "I actively support the decision to join the coalition as I believe strongly in the value of diversity.

"The different backgrounds of the companies adhering to the alliance is a crucial starting point to build a comprehensive global action plan, which will enrich all of us," Bertelli said.

The Valuable 500 aims to onboard 500 private sector corporations to commit to bring disability to their boards and making a firm commitment to action. According to the Prada Group's announcement, it is exploring a wide range of opportunities and programming in the long run, and in the meantime will begin by committing to hire individuals affected by trisomy 21 (Down's Syndrome) in its shops in Italy.

"Prada’s commitment to The Valuable 500 as the first luxury fashion group is historic," said Founder of The Valuable 500 Caroline Casey. "Leaders such as Prada have the power to elevate and reframe the way that society thinks about disability. We cannot underestimate what a watershed moment this is."

Other corporations that have committed to The Valuable 500 endeavour include Accenture, Airbnb, American Express, Bloomberg, Buzzfeed, Citi, HSBC, L'Oreal, Mastercard, Sony, and Standard Chartered.