Bullying is a subject that has affected every generation attending school. Ask anyone, I am confident they can share a bullying story they personally experienced regarding body confidence or racial discrimination. To add insult to injury online bullying has escalated over the last ten years.
Everyone no matter what race, experiences injustice.
You know when you are truly alive when the lions are out.
This image above is me in rural Australia with my pet cow Jenny. Animals are great therapy to fight against bullying within any industry.
Bullying is all about imbalanced power.
Bullying Facts
If you want to get the latest facts on bullying within schools and also the legal definition of how to identify a bully. Sotpbullying.gov gives detailed insight regarding this.
Bullying At Elementary School
I have been a victim of bullying from a very young age at elementary school. I grew up in rural Australia where I was a minority figure and a victim of race hate. My Italian ethnicity was why I was always up against white anglo Saxon idiots. I got picked on in the classroom and mainly in the playground. I got called many names due to the colour of my skin. Italians were always up against racial hate in the 1970s.
The lesson that bullying at elementary school has taught me.
¨Fear is what paralysed us; it’s the root issue of why children and people bully you¨
Classroom Humiliation
In the classroom, my Italian friends were always separated, especially when it came to our academic achievements. Teachers called us at that time ´special needs´.We were the children labelled as non-speaking English outcasts. I assure you I could speak, read and understand every word of English. To add more intensity to my bullying, I had to wear glasses and ´four eyes´ was my nick-name. I found learning more and more difficult because I was always in fear thanks to being picked on.
I turned my eyewear into a positive marketing tool when I was older. My oversized eyewear is why I started my blog in 2011.
This is me and David Gandy at a fashion event in 2015.
British Fashion Council Bullied Me
I have been fighting against employees and organisations my entire life when it comes to my ethnicity. I never imagined at 40 years old I would be a victim of bullying at London Fashion Collection Men. I was bullied for many years by the British Fashion Council in the UK. A not-for-profit organisation that harnesses the collective power of the industry to enable sustainable growth and strengthen British fashion in the global fashion economy.
Why would an organisation like the BFC, personally bully me?
New Level of Intensity
Since 2012, my brand MenStyleFashion was invited by designers to attend many fashion events. My name was on the official guest list due to my social weapon called, MenStyleFashion.com. Click on the link to see how much free content and press, I gave the British Fashion Council and their fashion guest twelve pages at London Fashion Week. of excellent media exposure.
Why would the BFC bully a digital male magazine who is there to help fashion brands?
David Gandy Interviews
I pioneered impulsive interviews at the fashion shows over the years. To get digital awareness for the male models and also for me.
David Gandy out of mutual respect always promoted my interviews on his social media. He was an ambassador for the British Fashion Council. So would the BFC, get nasty towards me?
What Motivated Brands To Host Anti Bullying Fashion Shows?
Over the years the latest trends at fashion shows aimed to send a message to end bullying within schools for kids. Designers launch collections with retailers and clothing companies to create a documentary on bullying. To produce a clothing line that benefits the documentary’s charity. This provides schools and groups with curricula and multimedia instruction to help them with anti-bullying efforts.
An increasing number of school messages is to target high-school teens to understand why bullying needs to be addressed.
Depression
During the years of bullying, nobody knew I was suffering from depression. After what happened to me at school. It deeply affected my academic performance. So when I experienced bullying thanks to the British fashion Council, that horrible anxiety, fear and depression set in.
The final straw was when the BFC sent me an email, falsely accused of me jumping on a catwalk at a fashion show. I had to dig in my heels and fight back.
Michelle Obama, approach to bullying,
¨When we explain that someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. No, our motto is when they go low, we go high.¨
Due to the history of bullying, there was no way that I was going to allow any organisation to get away with this. I highly recommend getting a lawyer to send a letter. Which I did.
Bullying In The Work Environment
At every fashion show, there is a PR representing the fashion brand who has sent you an invite. Alongside security to make sure there is safety within the workplace. I always had my proof of invite. I was about to discover the British Fashion Council off the record with their coworker were participants like adolescent girls making sure that I would not be allowed into any catwalk.
I have interviewed Dylan Jones over the years, one of the organisers from GQ magazine in the UK. On this occasion, I asked him if I could interview him on behalf of MenStyleFashion.com
Empowering staff to bully me.
The above image is from MenStyleFashion photographer of Dylan Jones on the right. A few minutes later after approaching Mr Jones. Now, this could be a mere coincidence? A PR in charge of the fashion show guest list who allowed me in. Asked me to leave immediately without any explanation? When I addressed this to the PR a few days later. I was sent an email explaining that any British Fashion Council member has the authority to ask anyone to leave without an explanation. I hold evidence to this day that my name was on the PR list thanks to the designer who had invited me. This happened in 2015, I have never ever been invited back by this PR agency or designer again.
Currently, organisations like BFC, can’t be held accountable by bullying antics. It seems they can do whatever they like.
British Fashion Council Bullying Tactics
After the incident above, I suffered from depression. I cried for months and was left both confused and shocked at the same time. My fashion invitations plummeted. I was blacklisted and found out by an email by a British Fashion Council staff member. I was illegally banned for life. So what do you do when you’re up against Goliath? Clearly being bullied by a fashion organisation.
Why Highlight Fashion Bullying?
Recently, I was reminded that I have been here before as a child and I had to use this experience to be smart and expose them for who they are. Not in a spiteful way, but in a way in which this organisation needs to understand that bullying in fashion can no longer be hidden under the catwalk; or that scaring people out of the industry will no longer be tolerated.
Bullying at this level by British Fashion Council can lead to people wanting to committ suicide.
Over the next few months, I sent many e-mails to the British Fashion Council to clear my name in the Fashion Industry. They never responded. I did eventually receive an email from them. Not giving any reason, the BFC explained I was banned for life. This resulted in me no longer able to access big brands attending any catwalks at any London Fashion Weeks, since 2015. They had this written on their database, I was not to be allowed to any London Fashion Week event. Why would the BFC do this? Considering my interview with rap ambassador for British Fashion Council Tinie Tempah was a huge hit for both me and him.
In 2014, Black life matters did not exist at the time. But I knew that with Tinie we had to address the racial discrimination amongst black models within the fashion industry was a massive issue. I asked the question because I noticed. Not many blacks were recruited for runway shows.
David Versus Goliath
I got a lawyer in and the British Council did respond after a few months. A brief email from CEO Carolyn Rush was received. I was allowed back if I behaved? Not sure what that means. To this day I am baffled left without any explanation by this woman.
Why did they bully me and my brands?
#gracielifematters
Sadly I have never attended a fashion show at London Fashion Week since 2016. A huge loss to the fashion brands who miss out on digital marketing. In this pandemic, the fashion industry is at a revolutionary standstill. In 2021 MenStyleFashion and my personal blog as an online fashion magazine are stronger than ever.
In my working life, I want to inspire you. To go where you are welcomed and appreciated.
