Gucci sorry for ‘blackface’ sweater
ROME — Gucci has apologized after complaints that a wool sweater with an oversized collar designed to cover the face resembled blackface makeup, and said the item had been pulled from its online and physical stores.
It was the latest case of a fashion house having to apologize for cultural or racial insensitivity — and further evidence that Italy in particular has a wretched record with racial insensitivity staining everything from fashion to soccer to politics.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Gucci said 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.”
The turtleneck black wool balaclava sweater, which sells for $890 on one site, covers the nose and includes a red cut-out for the mouth. It was ridiculed on social media as insensitive and racist, at a time when the U.S. is grappling with cases of old photos of politicians with their faces blackened.
“Gucci deeply apologizes for the offence caused by the wool balaclava jumper,” Gucci said, adding that it intended to turn the incident “into a powerful learning moment for the Gucci team and beyond.”
Gucci, owned by French conglomerate Kering with an Italian design team, isn’t alone.
In December, Italian designer Prada said it was no longer selling a line of accessories that featured a character with brown skin and exaggerated red lips after complaints they resembled blackface.
And last year, Dolce & Gabbana cancelled a Shanghai runway show and apologized after promotional videos seen as racist and subsequent insulting Instagram messages stoked a furor in one of the world’s largest markets for luxury goods.
The ad campaign featured a Chinese model trying to eat pizza, spaghetti and a cannoli with chopsticks.