Blackface Backlash

Luxury fashion brand Gucci has withdrawn a woollen jumper from sale after the item was criticized for "resembling blackface".

The black "balaclava jumper" covered the lower half of the face and featured a red cut-out around the mouth. 

The item quickly prompted a backlash on social media by users who alleged the design was offensive. 

In a statement, Gucci apologized for any offence caused and said it would be removed from sale. 

The brand said it would turn the incident "into a powerful learning moment for the Gucci team" and was committed to increasing diversity. 

That is the common refrain for brands which have become entrapped by their own self-inflicted foolishness. 

Blackface has a history of perpetuating offensive and racist stereotypes of African Americans dating back more than 200 years in the United States. On social media, many had criticized the design for invoking such stereotypes. 

Gucci's troubles mark the latest in a string of missteps by luxury fashion brands. 

Last month, Prada withdrew items over concerns it had depicted blackface imagery. 

The label pulled products from a line of goods called Pradamalia which appeared to resemble black monkeys with large red lips. 

In 2016, Dolce & Gabbana caused controversy when they called an item of footwear in their spring/summer collection a "slave sandal".

Accusations of racism via Twitter were lobbed at Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana – that the duo were glorifying slavery.

When I consider the above, it makes me wonder that just maybe, there are brands that are intentionally using race to capture people's attention. 

Paul MacKenzie-Cummins, managing director of Clearly PR Marketing and Communications has this to say: "It's an ultra-competitive market and the retail space has never been as competitive as what it is now. They need to do something to get their voices seen and heard".

Whether this is true or not, the fact of the matter is that we should be sensitive to things regarded as demeaning and dehumanizing to others.