Gucci has removed a controversial sweater from its website and apologized after some people said the sweater resembled blackface. The black turtleneck covers the face and has mouth opening with red lips surrounding it. It originally cost $890, according to screenshots from the Gucci website, taken before the product was removed. Many Twitter users who saw the sweater before it was removed were outraged that Gucci would release such an insensitive garment and tweeted to the company, demanding a change. Several people pointed out that not only did the sweater resemble the racist act of blackface, but it was released during Black History Month. A screenshot taken before the sweater was removed made its rounds on social media, with many people writing to Gucci in outrage over the racist sweater. Gucci Gucci removed the product and released a statement via Twitter on Wednesday. "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," the company wrote, sharing an image of a longer statement. 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 Gucci said the company is fully committed to increasing diversity throughout the organization. Several people pointed out that if more people of color worked at the fashion house, this insensitive garment may have been flagged as inappropriate and racist before being sold. Lawmakers in the state of Virginia are also embroiled in a blackface controversy, with two top officials admitting to wearing blackface in the past. Several Twitter users pointed out that Gucci appeared to disregard this current scandal and seemed out of touch. 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 Prada and Gucci finally pulled their $550.00 keychain and $890 sweater after protesters called out racist imagery and deemed them unacceptable. Why didn't the brands see this? https://t.co/vnJJWv61Mp — Nancy Etcoff (@NancyEtcoff) February 7, 2019 Another major fashion brand was recently called out for using racist blackface images. In December, Prada came under fire for using blackface-style imagery in at least one of its New York City storefronts and online. The luxury brand was featuring a black caricature with exaggerated big red lips. Photos of the display brought fierce backlash on social media and prompted the company to get rid of the items.<doc-sep>Gucci is apologizing for a sweater with an attached face mask that blatantly recalls blackface. It’s yet another misstep by a fashion brand that echoes racist tropes. The sweater was part of the label’s fall collection, which riffed on the ways people construct their identities, and used an operating theater as the set of its runway show. Along with face coverings such as patterned balaclavas, it included a couple of knitted black masks with mouth holes framed by red lips. On the runway they didn’t cause a stir, but Gucci also sold a version attached to a black turtleneck sweater, creating a look that resembled the racist Sambo figure, which has long served as a tool to dehumanize black people. As more people noticed and outrage spread, Gucci issued an apology, and pulled the sweater from its stores and website. Adidas had to issue its own apology during Black History Month for a sneaker in its collection that was “celebrating black culture”: an all-white “uncaged” version of its popular Ultraboost model. Adidas has put out numerous “uncaged” sneakers before; the name refers to the shoe’s design omitting a plastic overlay. But that choice, along with the color, for a collection “celebrating black culture,” provoked a good deal of criticism on social media. Adidas pulled the sneaker and put out a statement: Toward the latter stages of the design process, we added a running shoe to the collection that we later felt did not reflect the spirit or philosophy of how Adidas believes we should recognize and honor Black History Month. After careful consideration, we have decided to withdraw the product from the collection. These sorts of blunders are becoming a regular occurrence. In December, Prada apologized and withdrew one of its expensive “Pradamalia” charms from sale over criticism that it resembled the Sambo figure. The month before, Dolce & Gabbana got into trouble over a tone-deaf ad that played on stereotypes about Chinese people. Earlier in 2018, H&M encountered a major backlash over a child’s hoodie that echoed a racist trope leveled against black people. In a somewhat different case, Nike is currently under pressure to recall a popular sneaker with text on the sole that people have complained looks like the Arabic for “Allah.” Critics have pointed to a lack of diversity and inclusivity in decision-making positions within companies as part of the reason these gaffes keep occurring. Brands are often rooted in one particular country and culture, which may be reflected in their hiring, but they’re also asking a global, diverse audience to buy their products. Those consumers are more empowered than ever, and brands are learning fast that they need to keep all of them in mind—from the way they design products right through the way they market them. If they don’t, the mistakes can be costly.<doc-sep>
Barely a month after Italian luxury fashion house Prada was accused of racism, Gucci has found itself in hot water. It’s “Balaclava knit top black,” that costs almost $900, sparked social media outrage, with several users suggesting it resembles blackface. The turtleneck top, which was part of the Gucci’s Fall/Winter 2018 balaclava collection, was no longer available on the brand’s website. The knit sweater has an attached balaclava that covers the lower half of the face. It also features a cut-out at the mouth that looks like oversized red lips. A Twitter user called Rashida was the first one to point it out and shared a screenshot of the product with the caption, “Balaclava knit top by Gucci. Happy Black History Month y’all.” Several people took to Twitter to lash out at the brand. “They could have literally chosen any other color scheme, but they went with this. It's intentional,” one user wrote. “Brands do this all the time. The racism causes outrage, but it’s subtle enough for them to make excuses and use the attention to boost sales. I feel like there are plenty of people who will buy from these brands BECAUSE of their racism,” wrote another user. Some also defended the brand and felt it didn’t really refer to black people. Post the outrage, Gucci issued an apology and confirmed the top had been removed from its website as well as physical stores. “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,” the brand said in a statement issued Wednesday. “We are fully committed to increasing diversity throughout our organization and turning this incident into a powerful learning moment for the Gucci team and beyond,” the statement said. Photo: MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images In December, Prada was forced to pull monkey-like keychains with exaggerated red lips from the market after accusations they represented examples of the racist blackface tradition. Post the outrage, the fashion label issued a statement saying, “The resemblance of the products to blackface was by no means intentional, but we recognize that this does not excuse the damage they have caused.” "We would like to convey our deep regret and sincere apologies for the Pradamalia products that were offensive. They have been removed from the market and will not be sold. Going forward, we pledge to improve our diversity training and will immediately form an advisory council to guide our efforts on diversity, inclusion and culture. We will learn from this and do better,” the statement said.