https://www.instagram.com/liz.kennedy_/?utm_source=ig_embed
And the tone-deaf award for Black History month goes to high fashion brands, who seem to hope against hope that in the age of hyper-aware social media someone isn’t going to call them out on their mess ups. Burberry is the latest fashion brand to have to recall an item and apologize — after they showcased a hoodie featuring a noose at their show during London Fashion Week. Racial implications aside, they also missed the fact that a noose really has no place in a fashion line aimed at young girls, for whom the suicide rate has doubled over the past decade.
Criticism for the noose-hoodie began when one of Burberry’s own models, Liz Kennedy, called the brand out on a post to her Instagram writing:
“Suicide is not fashion… 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 look so ignorantly put together and a situation so poorly handled. I am ashamed to have been a part of the show”
The model did make her feelings known at the show, but her concerns were brushed aside by a higher up who said, “It’s fashion. Nobody cares about what’s going on in your personal life so just keep it to yourself.”
That person probably doesn’t have a job anymore because now Burberry is out doing damage control. Marco Gobbetti, Burberry’s chief executive officer in a statement to CNN explained “We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by one of the products that featured in our A/W 2019 collection…Though the design was inspired by the marine theme that ran throughout the collection, it was insensitive and we made a mistake.”
Which is essentially the fashion-world version of “thoughts and prayers” at this point. Note to brands, we are all paying attention so stop for a second and think.