HBC apologizes after creating BIPOC advisory board with no Indigenous members

Hudson's Bay Co. has issued an apology after creating an advisory board to support BIPOC fashion designers that had no Indigenous members.

"The announcement of the board did not include Indigenous representation. This erasure should not have happened. We are taking action," the company wrote in an Instagram post on Friday.

HBC announced the members of the advisory board last week. The advisory board had been tasked to steer the selection process and offer mentorship for the recipient of the Fashion Fund, the Bay's grant program for BIPOC designers.

Each year, starting in May 2022, the Fashion Fund would award one BIPOC fashion designer with a $25,000 grant as well as a three-year mentorship program.

However, none of the six members of the advisory board were Indigenous, prompting criticism from some.