And the result establishes precedent. Especially because the agreements are not just about punishing past offenses but shaping what may happen in the future.

Sapna V. Raj, the deputy commissioner of the law enforcement bureau of the commission, who has been overseeing the negotiations with the fashion companies, acknowledged as much. “Since she took office, one of the things the commissioner has been focusing on is anti-black racism,” Ms. Raj said, referring to Carmelyn P. Malalis, the commissioner and chair of the commission, who was appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2014. Last year Ms. Malalis expanded the commission’s interpretation of the law to ban discrimination based on hair.

“She was very interested in the kind of justice we get, so it’s not just about money for the city but about changing the culture of a brand,” Ms. Raj said.

As the Manhattan district attorney’s office once investigated the banks, so the commission is looking at the brands. It has, effectively, become the policeman of the fashion world’s race problem. Should it be?

The Prada Deal

The Commission on Human Rights has the power to open investigations into the violation of the human rights laws. (Title 8 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York, one of the most expansive human rights laws in the country, includes more than 25 categories of unlawful discrimination.)

Its powers also include the ability to subpoena witnesses and bring cases to civil trial, though in all probes involving the fashion brands the companies cooperated so quickly that the investigation phase soon segued into negotiations about how to “ensure some cultural competency and understanding of history,” according to Ms. Raj.