Gucci apologized for selling a "blackface sweater," and how does this keep happening?
Gucci is currently facing (deserved) backlash over a sweater in its winter collection that many claim features racist imagery. The sweater in question is the Balaclava knit top that was being sold for a whopping $890. The sweater features an elongated black turtleneck meant to cover the lower half of the face and includes an opening for the mouth. The opening is highlighted by what look like large red lips—a defining trait of stereotypical Jim Crow-era blackface.
Balaclava knit top by Gucci. Happy Black History Month y’all. pic.twitter.com/HA7sz7xtOQ
— Rashida (@fuckrashida) February 6, 2019
The luxury Italian fashion label released an apology yesterday, February 6th, and has removed the sweater from their stores and website. They claim they are now “committed to increasing diversity throughout [their] organization.”
Gucci deeply apologizes for the offense caused by the wool balaclava jumper.
We consider diversity to be a fundamental value to be fully upheld, respected, and at the forefront of every decision we make.
Full statement below. pic.twitter.com/P2iXL9uOhs— gucci (@gucci) February 7, 2019
The fashion label called the incident a “learning moment.” However, not everyone feels like the apology is enough, or even gets to the heart of the issue.
So @gucci puts out a sweater that looks like blackface......
On Black History Month....
And then issues an apology because they didn't know that blackface images are racist.
??????????? pic.twitter.com/G3HjPTIuuQ— Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) February 7, 2019
If you hire more Black people and cultivate an environment where people on all levels of the company feel comfortable to speak up incidents like this will be avoided.
— The GLOWBOSS (@VanessaVeasley) February 7, 2019
I feel like #gucci and all these companies know what there doing. They use “outrage” as publicity/marketing for more people to put eyes on their company. It seems like many companies such as h&m use this tactic for more publicity negative or not. pic.twitter.com/aIepsjCoVS
— Big Head Sam (@BIGHEADSAM) February 7, 2019
Gucci isn’t the only luxury fashion company to “mistakenly” bring blackface back into the mainstream. Prada released problematic keychains and window displays in December 2018 that depicted dark monkey figurines with large red lips.
How does this keep happening with supposedly 'luxury' brands? No-one at Gucci clocked the similarity between the racist imagery of their $890 blackface jumper and Prada's keychain - the latter of which was pulled from stores less than two months ago? Or do they just not care? pic.twitter.com/pNxTbuJeXV
— Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff (@CharlieBCuff) February 7, 2019
And Dolce & Gabbana came under fire in November 2018 for releasing an insensitive and offensive ad in China. Dior and Jennifer Lawrence were also accused of culturally appropriating escaramuza charra culture and clothing in their fall-winter 2018 fashion collection.
All of these issues would likely be avoided by fashion houses doing one simple, necessary thing: increasing diversity among their staff.
If you hire more Black people and cultivate an environment where people on all levels of the company feel comfortable to speak up incidents like this will be avoided.
— The GLOWBOSS (@VanessaVeasley) February 7, 2019
It’s 2019, and we are so done with this.