We are proud to announce that Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger have joined PVH Corp. in signing The Valuable 500 Pledge.
PVH joined The Valuable 500 community in January, reaffirming the company’s long-standing commitment to inclusion and diversity. CEO and Chairman of PVH Corp., Manny Chirico, stated in support of the pledge, “We look forward to continuing our efforts in championing disability inclusion in the communities where we work and live.”
Now, Cheryl Abel-Hodges, CEO of Calvin Klein, Inc., and Martijn Hagman, CEO, Tommy Hilfiger Global & PVH Europe, have signed on, committing to ignite a historic global movement for a new age of business inclusion. “Calvin Klein is proud to be a part of The Valuable 500, alongside our parent company, PVH Corp. While we are deeply committed to being an inclusive organization that values every individual, the unfortunate reality is that disability inclusion is too often overlooked in the fashion industry. This pledge signifies our commitment to consider differently-abled people in our recruiting, marketing and product development efforts. We believe that collaboration is critical, and that together, this group has the opportunity to create significant and meaningful impact,” said Cheryl Abel-Hodges, CEO, Calvin Klein, Inc.
“More than ever, we are standing behind our commitment to be a brand and business that ‘Wastes Nothing and Welcomes All.’ Joining The Valuable 500 alongside our parent company, PVH Corp. strengthens our commitment to attracting diverse talent, creating an inclusive workplace, and developing innovative products to serve diverse consumers. Launching the Tommy Adaptive range was one of the many steps we have taken to champion disability inclusion, and we are proud to come together with other companies and leaders who share the determination to continue driving their industries forward,” said Martijn Hagman, CEO, Tommy Hilfiger Global & PVH Europe.
The Valuable 500 is a global movement of more than 300 companies and leaders committed to putting disability inclusion on their business leadership agendas. With over 1.3 billion people across the world living with some form of disability, The Valuable 500 calls on companies to make a firm and tangible commitment to eradicating disability exclusion in business and to unlock the business, social and economic value of people living with disabilities across the world.
As part of The Valuable 500 commitment, PVH has participated in the Disability:IN Disability Equality Index to get benchmark data that will influence our Board of Directors’ agenda. This will allow us to take a closer look at our human resources policies and ways of working to create a more inclusive environment for all our associates. This Sunday, July 26, we are also reaffirming our commitment to diversity and inclusion in commemoration of National Disability Independence Day. This year celebrates the 30th anniversary of the signing of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), a landmark piece of legislation designed to increase the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of community life, including employment, in the United States.
The ADA broke down barriers for millions of American workers, gaining them access to places and public services, such as training programs that were not possible before. The U.S. Department of Labor launched a year-long celebration of the ADA for the anniversary, centering around the theme “Increasing Access and Opportunity,” which will be a key component of National Disability Employment Awareness Month coming up in October.
PVH, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger are committed to driving systemic change within our company and the fashion industry, and addressing the global disability inequality crisis around the world. Learn more about The Valuable 500 and our commitment to driving industry change here.