“I call this one look Last N****s in Paris. Why? Because it’s the sweet spot when the hood—the ‘hood—meets Bertolucci’s movie Last Tango in Paris. So that’s ‘N****s in Paris’ and Last N****s in Paris.
Contacted by e-mail afterward, Touitou clarified his position, that sign, and that speech by saying: “One hip-hop song is called ‘N***** in Paris.’ One movie is called ‘Last Tango in Paris.’ I am friends with Kanye [West, who recorded “Ni**as in Paris” with Jay Z], and he and I presented a joint collection at the same place, one year ago, and that this thing is only a homage to our friendship. As a matter of fact, when I came up with this idea, I wrote to him, with the picture of the look and the name I was giving to it, and he wrote back immediately saying something like, ‘I love this vibe.'”
Full Story: Style
A.P.C. has worked with Kanye West in the past and is working with Timberland so I guess they feel they get a pass for such a bold move. This is very inappropriate, A.P.C. is a French brand and if you go to their website you won’t even see a black person on the front page. Throwing Kanye’s name in his excuse does not make any difference.
Update:
Yesterday we became aware of the offensive remarks made by Jean Touitou during his A.P.C. Fall Menswear show in Paris. We have chosen to immediately terminate our involvement with the A.P.C. brand, including the footwear collaboration we had planned for this fall.
Simply stated, this kind of language and approach is in complete contrast with our values. Timberland seeks to collaborate with designers and brands who are at the forefront of lifestyle trends; equally important, they must also share our values. We will not tolerate offensive language or racial slurs of any kind being associated with the Timberland brand.
– Timberland’s President Stewart Whitney
