From Gucci to Prada, Fashion Fails Evoke Racist Imagery

As the world become more connected, brands must drive innovation to stand out. But what also comes with a more global world is being culturally aware and competent.

·      Recently, Italian fashion designer Gucci, released black wool sweater with an oversized collar that pulls over the chin and nose. It includes a slit where the mouth is, ringed with what look like giant red lips – resemblance to blackface. African-American celebrities like Spike Lee and the general public have begun boycotting the brand and Dapper Dan has spoken out on social media, forcing the company to apologize publicly late Wednesday.

·      The sneaker brand, Adidas received an overwhelming amount of backlash for its Black History Month shoe titled "Celebrating Black Culture".

·      Prada also withdrew a monkey bag charm that recalled blackface in December, saying it "abhors racist imagery."

·      And Dolce & Gabbana cancelled its Shanghai runway show after their racist video ad depicted an unsophisticated Chinese woman trying to eat pizza margherita, a cannoli and spaghetti pomodoro using chopsticks. The ads were viewed as racist, sexist, ignorant, and stereotypical. On top of this incident, there was a screen shot of an Instagram conversation in which Gabbana apparently called China a “country of [poop emojis]”. Top Asian celebrities backed out of campaigns, and Chinese websites dropped their line — a warning sign from a region responsible for 30 percent of all global luxury sales.

Dolce & Gabbana video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=594Q9CJQbD4

According to Larry Chiagouris, a marketing professor at Pace University, “While the fashion world has been at the forefront of addressing sexual norms — Gucci has been redefining genderless dress codes under Alessandro Michele — it has lagged behind other industries in taking on social issues such as racial tolerance, climate change or women's empowerment.”

Cultural ignorance can no longer be used as an excuse. Scandals like these should be a lesson for not just for the brands involved, but also for the industry overall to do better. In the future, will brands be able strike a balance between driving innovation without being racially insensitive?

The NYT article can be found here: https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/02/07/world/europe/ap-eu-italy-gucci-blackface.html

- Sheryl Chen