Blackface is not a good look, and other important lessons that fashion brands have learned this month



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The delinquants? Luxury brands and large retailers.

Here are some products that created a negative reaction and put the marks on the defensive in February.

A model walks through the Burberry fashion show at London Fashion Week on February 17, 2019.
Burberry was the last to be flooded online after throwing a hoodie with no-slip cords on its show at London Fashion Week last Sunday.

It was offensive in more ways than one, critics claiming that he was insensitive to the issue of suicide and the history of racist lynchings. Liz Kennedy, one of the models of the show Burberry, also criticized the hoodie and detailed his thoughts on this in a message posted on Instagram.

"Suicide is not a fad," Kennedy wrote.

"There are hundreds of ways to tie a rope and they chose to tie it up like a noose, while ignoring the fact that it hung around the neck," Kennedy added. "An imposing brand like Burberry, which is generally considered a commercial and elegant company, should not have forgotten such a clear resemblance."

How Fashion Companies Can Avoid More Blackface Scandals

Kennedy said that she had asked to speak to someone about the hoodie, but that she had been instructed to write a letter instead. In another conversation about the garment, she said that she had been fired.

After the backlash, Burberry apologized and said that he had removed the item from his collection.

"We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by any of the products featured in our A / W 2019 fashion show collection," Burberry CEO Marco Gobbetti told CNN.

"Although the design was inspired by the marine theme of the collection, it was insensitive and we made a mistake," he added.

Palestinian keffiyeh trousers

Fashion blogger Bellqees Amer was shopping at a New York & Company store in New Jersey on Feb. 13 when she discovered pants in the novelty section. She immediately sent a picture to her sister.

"What does it look like to you?" Bitter asked.

The copy was undeniable, said Amer. The pants were part of the Eva Mendes collection and the pattern resembled the Palestinian keffiyeh, a black and white plaid scarf that now symbolizes Palestinian identity. Bitter and other Palestinians were shocked by the fact that design is marketed as a fashion trend in vogue, with no reference to its history or cultural significance.

Amer stated that she had called the New York & Company customer service and had filed a complaint on her website. She posted an article on pants in her Instagram account and encouraged her followers to submit their complaints as well. A few days later, Amer and her sister, Rawan Eewshah, received responses from New York & Company apologizing claiming the pants had been removed from the store shelves.

"Thank you for sharing your concerns.As with all our merchandise, our intention is never to offend, because we attach great importance to inclusivity and diversity. apologize for any offense that these pants could have caused and we removed all the stores, "read the answer from the company.

The pants appear to have been removed from the company's website.

CNN contacted the six New York & Company stores that offer specialty shops Eva Mendes and each store said it was not wearing pants that matched the description of the photo of Bitter. An employee at the Westfield Plaza Bonita, California, said the store was ordered to remove the trousers from the suit and to send him back to a district center a few days earlier without knowing the reason for the request. . .

CNN also contacted the public relations agency that works with New York & Company but, as of the date of this publication, it had not received a response.

Blackface shoes by Katy Perry

Then, the blackface shoes of Katy Perry.

The fashion line of the same name as the star of the pop star needed two pairs of shoes that, in the opinion of many people, evoked images of blackface.

The Ora Face Block Heel and Face Slip-On moccasins, which debuted in 2017 in partnership with Global Brands Group, both feature black patterns with prominent eyes, nose and large red lips.

That's why blackface is offensive

These styles were available on the Katy Perry Collections website, as well as by major retailers such as Dillard & # 39; s and Walmart. Shoes began to attract attention on social media while other controversies over blackface dominated the national discourse.

According to a joint statement by Perry and Global Brands Group, shoes have been "envisioned as a nod of modern art and surrealism".

"I was saddened to learn that it was compared to painful images reminiscent of Blackface's." Our intention was never to hurt, "the statement said.

After the backlash, Perry and Global Brands Group said the shoes had been removed from Katy Perry's collections.

The black Gucci sweater

The Gucci fashion house apologized after a controversial setback online.

Then there was this Gucci sweater.

The Italian luxury brand has been facing intense criticism this month after several social media users reported that a sweater available for sale on its website was eerily similar to blackface.
When the sweater's turtleneck sweater is placed on the lower half of the face, it reveals a cutout with oversized red lips around the mouth. The design resembled that of the Prada monkey figures, who had put hot water to the water in this Italian house in December.
Prada asks Ava DuVernay and Theaster Gates to lead diversity efforts after blacklash

The Gucci sweater was part of the fall / winter 2018 collection, but drew public attention during Black History Month.

To make matters worse, the discovery of the offending garment has also added to another major controversy. A few days ago, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam was found facing calls for resignation following a photo of the directory showing people in blackface and a Ku Klux Klan outfit.

While indignation continued to bubble, Gucci apologized and said that he was ending the sweater.

"Gucci apologizes deeply for the offense caused by the woolen hood sweater," said the brand in a statement posted on Twitter. "We believe that diversity is a fundamental value that must be fully defended, respected and at the forefront of all decisions we make."

Rob Picheta and Emanuella Grinberg of CNN contributed to this report.

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