By Jan Carlo Anolin
Italian luxury brand Gucci has apologized to the public after releasing a sweater that netizens complained as a blackface resemblance.
Gucci posted on Twitter Wednesday its apology “for the offense caused by the wool balaclava jumper.”
The particular design drew flak and caused social media outrage. Gucci has discontinued selling the product and removed it from its online and physical stores.
A screenshot taken on Thursday Feb.7, 2019 from an online fashion outlet showing a Gucci turtleneck black wool balaclava sweater for sale, that they recently pulled from its online and physical stores. Gucci has apologized for the wool sweater that resembled a "blackface" and said the item had been removed from its online and physical stores, the latest case of an Italian fashion house having to apologize for cultural or racial insensitivity. (AP Photo / MANILA BULLETIN)
The sweater is a black turtleneck that can be suited up over the bottom half of the face with a red-lined cut out intended for the mouth to fit.
“We consider diversity to be a fundamental value to be fully upheld, respected, and at the forefront of every decision we make,” the statement read.
Gucci said it is fully committed to increasing diversity throughout its organization and wanted to turn the incident as a “learning moment.”
https://twitter.com/gucci/status/1093345744080306176
This was the latest case of an Italian fashion house having to apologize for cultural or racial insensitivity.
Last December, Prada said it was no longer selling a line of accessories that featured a character with brown skin and exaggerated red lips after receiving the same complaints.
Dolce & Gabbana cancelled a Shanghai runway show last November and apologized after complaints that an advertising campaign featuring a Chinese model trying to eat pizza, spaghetti and a cannoli with chopsticks was culturally insensitive. (with reports from the Associated Press)