the purveyor of a healthy fashion retail culture
Colour Of Retail
will be a leader in the realization of a stable domestic retail industry, with the prioritization of space for fashion retail professionals of Colour to matriculate and thrive.
We Are The Colour Of Retail
Traditional strategy firms engage retail and fashion clients by deploying consultants who provide insights primarily informed by their personal experiences as consumers, and by limited data or textbook learning. This is our differentiator. Colour of Retail Strategy House delivers retail-informed strategy, panoramic ground intelligence, and synthesized management insights gleaned from the expertise and fashion retail tenure of our COR team. We know the industry from the inside out. Of equal value, COR insights amplify the voices and experiences of a colourful workforce through its portfolio of retail leaders and its founder, all persons of Colour. We advise and orchestrate your next steps in product development, brand strategy, go-to-market strategy, vendor relations, selling ceremony, customer experience, change management, culture editing, and leadership advisement. Our founder thoughtfully curated our service offerings by shaping them around the unique circumstances of the retail industry, drawing from her extensive time within it. Under her leadership, Colour of Retail taps into and develops insights sharpened by fellow retail experts, trend-stabilizing retail customers, and customer-facing professionals.
With more than 24 years of transformative experience in the industry, Founder and Principal Consultant L. Jackson opened Colour of Retail Strategy House as a recognized figure raised in retail and enriched by her fashion and beauty tenure. Her career advanced through pivotal roles, including Visual Merchandiser, Multi-state Personal Stylist, Brand Ambassador, and Mid-Atlantic US Account Manager for iconic Italian luxury products. Her trajectory culminated in an executive leadership role with a globally recognized luxury retailer, underscoring a career marked by vision and excellence.
Academically, L. Jackson holds an Interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership and Fashion, which complements her significant practical experience and earlier pro bono work in fashion retail consulting. Her influence extends into public service, notably as a five-year Commissioner in Washington, DC, including two terms as Chairman of the Mayor’s Commission on Fashion Arts and Events. Here, she strategized and led initiatives such as co-founding the Retail Development and Innovation Committee and the Sustainability and Ethics Committee, co-authoring the Coursework Guide in partnership with members of the Office of the Student Advocate and select commissioners, and serving DC’s small retail businesses as a Contributor to the Mayors’ ReOpen DC Recommendations strategy during May 2020 amid the pandemic.
As the Founder and Principal Consultant of Colour of Retail in Washington, DC, L. Jackson leverages her expertise to guide businesses through the implementation of their brand-specific strategy, from discovery to accomplishment. Her business acumen, strategic insight, and dedication to excellence make her a leading figure in the fashion and retail sector.
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A Note From The Founder
I could pay the entirety of the 4 year education for a Fashion university student if I collected a dollar for every time a woman of Colour said some semblance of,
“I absolutely loved working in fashion retail! Unfortunately, I had to leave it behind- for my career prospects. To find a place where more than one Black person can lead at a time.” “To find a place where I can truly show up fully and lead authentically.” “To regain my confidence in my work after battling misconceptions and groupthink.” “To be a contributor at an organization that lives its own mission statement.” To join a company not under the delusion that I should feel lucky to be there.”
It’s a fact that I both relate to and empathize with my fashion retail peers who have expressed these sentiments. So, how many generations of retail professionals will relate in this way before we take the reins of affecting lasting change in what is inarguably one of the most powerful and profitable industries globally?
The fashion retail industry has delivered on-trend change, engaging profit boosting elements of diversity to satisfy the conscience of the new consumer (post the 2020 cultural awakening), while pushing to deliver positive benchmark financials to c-suite leadership and stakeholders. Acknowledging this, we can also embrace that the core human capital values established by Human Resources, DEI departments, and equal opportunity activities have been diluted by our relentless pursuit of sustainable profit in an increasingly competitive environment as well as the politicization of workforce development.
In other words, fashion retail initiatives purposed for preserving space for innovation through Belonging are vulnerable to shifting organizational priorities, discounting the power of a robust retail forum in the process. Let’s change this.
