Samantha Lyster
Fashion and politics have always gone hand-in-hand, and that has been made evident looking back at fashion’s history. Fashion is a form of art, but there have been times when self expression borders on racism.
This was on display earlier this month when Italian fashion house Gucci received a ton of backlash when its released its black balaclava sweater that many say resembles blackface. Gucci’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, recently broke his silence over the sweater, saying that racism was never his intention. The black sweater includes a pull-up neck featuring a cutout surrounded by big cartoon like lips. Michele said that he takes full responsibility for the sweater, which was recently pulled from every magazine and website. The sweater was ridiculed over social media as insensitive and racist, and rappers like 50 Cent and Director Spike Lee called for a boycott of the brand. Gucci has also made a public apology, saying that it was committed to diversity and considered it a “fundamental value to be fully upheld, respected and at the forefront of every decision we make.” Other fashion brands have also made similar mishaps.
In December, Prada faced backlash after selling accessories that featured a character with brown skin and exaggerated red lips, after clients complained that it resembled blackface. Prada recently apologized and announced they would no longer be selling accessories that featured a character with brown skin and exaggerated red lips.
Even singer Katy Perry’s fashion line was forced to pull two types of shoes after some people said they resembled blackface. The Ora Face Block Heel and Rue Face Slip-On Loafers were released last summer in multiple different colors, including white, with exaggerated eyes, noses, and red lips. In a statement released by the singer and company, they said the shoes were supposed to envision art. Perry was upset when she learned people were comparing her shoes to blackface. These shoes were immediately removed from the company’s website.
Moncler has also joined an embarrassing list of companies that produced merchandise that many thought was racist. The brand recently launched a new collaboration with Friends With You, which featured jackets and bags resembling blackface figures. So far, the Italian brands seem to seriously have issues with racial sterotyping in their designs. Moncler, Prada and Gucci are all Italian fashion houses. Oh, and who could forget this other Italian fashion house snafu. Dolce & Gabbana recently offended Asians with this ad campaign that it later apologized for but also denigrated Asians at the same time.
The cartoonish figure on the merchandise is called “Malfi”, in a time where racial tensions are high, seemed neglectful to produce merchandise with images closely related to Blackface. Since the racist remarks, Moncler has decided to pulled the “Malfi” jacket and shirt from its website and has released an apology.
In one of the most egregious fashion ad campaigns, in January of 2018, H&M released an ad featuring a black child modeling a green hoodie that read, “coolest monkey in the jungle.” Social media viewers started to boycott the retail store while others blasted marketing directors for approving the image despite the history of using “monkey” as a racial slur against black people. H&M issued an apology and removed the ad from its website. This is something brands need to be more conscious of as they try to incorporate more diverse models in their marketing campaigns. H&M looked really tone deaf and racist with this one.
We tend to toss around the word “fashion statement” like it’s part of our vocabulary, but how much of a statement can fashion actually make? Such efforts almost always seem to touch on a political or social issue, which never ends well. So, what is the alternative for all this?
The risk of giving offense, and of motivations being misconstrued, is very high. Franca Sozzani, the editor of Italian Vogue, published an all-black-model issue photoshoot in 2008, published an oil-strewn beach right after the BP explosion in 2010, and another dealing with domestic violence in 2014. Sozzani stated that fashion wasn’t about the clothes, that it’s all about life. She explained that fashion has the ability, and the responsibility, to use its role to highlight issues and force the public to strike a conversation. The point of fashion is to reflect the world around us, and the world we live in is not perfect and filled with beauty and ugliness and disharmony.
Read More of Our Fashion Coverage:
Safari Fashion: How To Look Chic on Safari
Sneakers Are Fashion’s Biggest Trend
Pussybow Tops Are Fall’s Biggest Trend
Kim Kardashian’s Biking Shorts Might Be The Summer’s Weirdest Trend