Fashion labels Gucci, Moncler, and Prada, and even pop star Katy Perry, have yanked styles from sale in response to accusations that they somehow resembled blackface. Two of the reversals happened this month, proving the point that America is not celebrating Black History Month very well. The shoes, shirts, and keychains were said to imitate stereotypical representations of black people. But they also committed another crime. They were ugly.
The fashion industry needs to start considering the racial implications of imagery before it’s promoted, but there’s another way to keep flubs like these from hitting the shelves. Stop making ugly clothes. If more designers knew what people actually wanted to wear, they’d stop using racist imagery and, yeah, they’d stop shelling out overpriced trash like these fashion failures.
[Also read: Cardi B: Jussie Smollett ‘f–ked Up’ Black History Month]
Prada monkey
Why are people putting kitschy trinkets on their purses? A haute couture keychain is an attempt to say, “I have Prada sophistication,” without a Prada budget. Except it’s not sophisticated, and it’s not on budget either: The keychains cost over $500.
Prada’s “Pradamalia” collection featured some animal-themed imagery that looked suspiciously like blackface: https://t.co/4CD2pmHJrO pic.twitter.com/RrBXR1e80D
— The Root (@TheRoot) December 14, 2018
Katy Perry shoes
You know what fashion needs more of? Faces. Like, what if we had faces on our feet? This is how I imagine the weed-fueled brainstorming session going before a team of designers slapped the Katy Perry label on a pair of shoes. It’s worse that the eyes and nose and lips ended up on black loafers, but it’s bad enough that they appeared on footwear at all.
Katy Perry’s shoes pulled after ‘blackface’ backlash https://t.co/iWEOQOf3PF pic.twitter.com/o0oKFZCdSo
— New York Post (@nypost) February 11, 2019
Gucci knit top
Have you ever wanted to wear a turtleneck and half a ski mask at the same time? Me neither. But Gucci thought differently, apparently, and also guessed we’d be willing to pay a cool $890 for it. Yep, that’s right, folks: For just shy of one grand, you can keep your neck and half your face warm while also tremendously overemphasizing your lips and, well, perpetuating offensive stereotypes.
Apologizing for #blackface isn’t just for Virginia pols. Prada, Moncler & now Gucci have had to pull racist designs — because there aren’t enough minorities working in fashion to be like ????? https://t.co/nNcuby3pc0
— Tracy Jan (@TracyJan) February 7, 2019
Moncler logo
The Gucci, Prada, and Katy Perry fiascoes all happened within the last few months, but Moncler was dominating fashion obliviousness back in 2016. The logo for a Moncler collection, found on everything from puffer jackets to sneakers, looks exactly like some 20th-century caricatures of black people. And, not to belabor the price point, it’s not exactly cheap either. To buy a pair of sneakers that resembles the non-slip shoes your boss makes you wear at a sandwich shop, you need only shell out $1,000. If someone along the production line had considered how creepy it is to have a face on the heel of a shoe — even when you turn your back on someone, you’re staring at them — maybe they wouldn’t have made this mistake in the first place.
Another day, another heavy sigh. @Moncler is Selling a Jacket With Blackface on it or Nah? https://t.co/w0M6yBuFXm pic.twitter.com/qjvCUwrdtc
— ESSENCE (@Essence) July 14, 2016
