What is going on with these brands? Just after Gucci and Moncler were blasted for racist designs that very blatantly showcased blackface, Burberry is also being accused of racism and insensitivity.
After featuring a hoodie with a noose around the neck during their autumn/winter 2019 fashion show on Sunday, Burberry CEO Marc Gobbetti is apologizing. “We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by one of the products that featured in our A/W 2019 runway collection Tempest,” Gobbetti said in the statement provided to CNN. “Though the design was inspired by the marine theme that ran throughout the collection, it was insensitive and we made a mistake.”
Liz Kennedy—a model who was a part of the show—came for Burberry hard over the weekend. “Suicide is not fashion. It is not glamorous nor edgy and since this show is dedicated to the youth expressing their voice, here I go. Riccardo Tisci and everyone at Burberry it is beyond me how you could let a look resembling a noose hanging from a neck out on the runway” she wrote, adding “How could anyone overlook this and think it would be okay to do this especially in a line dedicated to young girls and youth. The impressionable youth. Not to mention the rising suicide rates world wide. Let’s not forget about the horrifying history of lynching either. There are hundreds of ways to tie a rope and they chose to tie it like a noose completely ignoring the fact that it was hanging around a neck. A massive brand like Burberry who is typically considered commercial and classy should not have overlooked such an obvious resemblance.”
See her full message, along with a photo of the hoodie, below.
Photo: Getty