Loyalty is Dead - And We All Know It

Part 5 of my "Behind the Glamour" Series - Confessions of a Fashion Headhunter

“They let me go in a 10-minute Zoom after 12 years.”

I wish that quote was rare. It’s not. It’s one of many I’ve heard lately — and it says everything about where the fashion industry is right now.

Behind the runway shows, glossy campaigns, and DE&I panels, there’s a workforce that’s disillusioned, burnt out, and quietly watching loyalty disappear. 

One restructure at a time. One 10-minute Zoom at a time.

I know because I saw it firsthand — as a headhunter. And it's one of the reasons I left.

The Human Cost of a “Business Decision”

Over the years, I helped brands find their next great leader. On paper, it looked exciting — career-defining roles, influential titles, creative freedom. But in practice? It started to feel like I was plugging people into a machine that didn’t care if it chewed them up six months later.

I watched clients fire teams over email. I watched maternity returners be restructured out quietly. I watched loyal, talented people be replaced by someone “shinier” with 10k more followers — often for less pay.

And the worst part? The people doing the firing weren’t heartless. They were just tired. Disconnected. Scared of being next. That’s what happens when an entire industry starts acting like people are disposable.

We’ve normalized it. We call it “just business.” But it’s not. It’s a culture problem. A leadership problem. And it’s bleeding the industry dry of its best talent.

Loyalty Isn’t Dead. It’s Just Not Modeled by Leadership.

Let’s be honest: loyalty in fashion used to mean something. People would give a decade or more to a brand because they believed in the mission, the craft, the community. Now? It’s rare.

Why would someone stay loyal when they’ve seen colleagues walked out with zero warning? When teams are restructured with no transparency? When leadership promises “people first” but cuts staff while sponsoring another VIP influencer event?

Instead, we see:

• Mass layoffs after record profits (Sometimes the people who made those profits are the first to go.)

• C-suite reshuffles every 18 months (New execs, new vision, new org chart. Stability? Not in fashion.)

• Burnout culture disguised as “grit” ("It’s just how the industry is" is not a strategy. It’s an excuse.)

• Empty talk about culture while gutting teams (Culture is how people are treated when no one’s watching — not what’s printed on the walls or said on stage.)

The message is clear: you’re only as good as your last quarter. So why are we surprised when employees stop going the extra mile?

What’s Really Being Lost

When brands treat people as transactions, here’s what they actually lose:

• Institutional knowledge

• Trust and loyalty

• Creativity rooted in connection

• Authentic leadership that builds strong, resilient teams

You can’t build a strong culture if people are walking on eggshells. You can’t build a visionary brand if the people doing the work are in survival mode. You can’t claim to be a values-driven company when those values vanish the second a spreadsheet says so.

We talk about innovation and inclusivity, but too often ignore humanity. And the talent sees it. They feel it. And increasingly, they’re walking away.

Fashion Can Do Better

This isn’t a doom post. This is a call-out — and a call in. Fashion doesn’t have to run on fear. Or ego. Or cold-blooded restructures. We can do better. We must.

Here’s where it starts:

• Treat exits with dignity. 10-minute Zooms are cowardly. Communicate with honesty and care — even when it’s hard. Offer people real support, like outsourcing coaching to help them transition with clarity and confidence. It’s not just the right thing to do — it builds brand reputation and earns long-term respect. (Talk to me if you’re curious about what that could look like.)

• Rebuild loyalty from the top. Leaders set the tone — and right now, the tone is “everyone’s replaceable.” Loyalty isn’t about staying forever. It’s about mutual respect, transparency, and standing by your people when it counts. Want long-term commitment from your teams? Start by showing it yourself — in action, not words.

• Put people before optics. It’s tempting to chase the loudest voice, the prettiest deck, or the most “on-trend” hire. But real, sustainable success is built by people who feel seen, valued, and safe to do their best work — not just the ones who look good on LinkedIn. People over PR, always. That’s how you build real brand love — from the inside out.

• Bring humanity back into HR. HR shouldn’t be a shield for legal risk — it should be a bridge to care, development, and connection. If your people only hear from HR when something’s wrong, you’re doing it wrong. Create safe, human spaces for feedback and support. Invest in people leaders, not just policy enforcers.

I left headhunting because I could no longer stomach selling people into systems that didn’t respect them.

But I haven’t left fashion. Because I believe in the people — and I believe change can happen, one leader at a time. That’s why I coach the ones who are ready to bring the change.

Fashion is full of brilliance, beauty, and bold ideas. Now it’s time for the leadership to rise to that level too.

Let’s stop pretending it’s “just business.” It’s personal. And people feel it.

This article was originally published on LinkedIn.