After four years of collaboration, Nikki Porcher, founder of Buy From a Black Woman, has officially severed ties with H&M, citing concerns over exploitation and lack of transparency in the partnership.
According to a press release, the nonprofit, established by Porcher in 2016, began its partnership with H&M in 2021 on International Women’s Day. Over the course of their collaboration, they facilitated more than 100 workshops and training sessions, provided 45 business grants, and awarded 20 relief fund stipends to Black women entrepreneurs.
Additionally, the initiative supported 30 Black women through accelerator programs and helped over 15 founders secure their Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification.
In 2023, Buy From a Black Woman and H&M introduced The Inspire Tour, which brought visibility to Black-women-owned businesses in cities like Philadelphia, Charlotte, Houston, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. The tour aimed to foster networking opportunities and encourage local community engagement.
Breakdown of the Partnership
While the collaboration was initially impactful, AdWeek reports that it came to an abrupt end on March 12, 2025. The shift reportedly occurred after the partnership was transferred from H&M’s sustainability team to its diversity and inclusion team, leading to a decline in communication with Porcher and her organization.
Porcher stated that she was excluded from critical discussions and was unaware of key decisions regarding the partnership. Matters worsened when H&M allegedly canceled an event scheduled for International Women’s Day on March 2 without informing her in advance.
“The final straw? They canceled our signature International Women’s Day event without telling me. Just dropped it in a team call like it didn’t matter,” Porcher revealed in a blog post. “When I raised concerns, I was told, ‘I would ask that you not assume bad intent given our history as a partner, especially during this moment.’ That’s exactly when I knew this was about bad intent.”
H&M responded to AdWeek, stating that Buy From a Black Woman was unresponsive to communication attempts, including “requests for an open dialogue to ensure we were supporting the organization in a way that continued to support their vision.” The retailer also denied that the canceled event constituted a contract breach or a required obligation of the partnership.
Legal Action and Financial Disputes
Following the dissolution of the partnership, Porcher pursued legal action, revealing that H&M owed Buy From a Black Woman $83,000. The payment was eventually made—one month past its due date.
Additionally, a termination agreement from H&M offered Porcher $100,000 to “quietly walk away” while allowing the company to continue using Buy From a Black Woman’s name and programs in its 2024 Inclusion and Diversity Report. Porcher rejected the offer.
“Corporations love to highlight Black Women when it benefits them. They build entire marketing campaigns based on our work, then quietly withdraw their resources while profiting from our visibility. That has to stop,” Porcher wrote in her blog.
She stated:
“Black women business owners deserve real investment. We are owed more than just empty words. We need lasting partnerships, real financial commitments, and actual accountability. When you support a Black Woman business owner, you’re not just supporting one Black Woman. You’re supporting a whole community. And this is me, standing up for mine.”
The fallout has sparked discussions on corporate accountability and the ethics of diversity-driven partnerships.
