Model Says She Was Pressured To Wear Racist Accessories
You would think that by now, the fashion industry would know better than to incorporate racist imagery in its designs and accessories. In recent years, we’ve seen Dolce & Gabbana’s racially insensitive ad campaign in China; Prada’s monkey keychains; and Gucci’s “blackface” sweater. In each instance, the backlash had serious public relation and financial consequences for the brands: D&G had to shut down its China show, while the latter two brands pulled the offending products and apologized. In the cases of Prada and Gucci, the legal consequences are still ongoing. And yet, another fashion week has passed and with it another scandal, this time at a fashion school. Last week, the Fashion Institute of Technology, a New York state university, held a runway show that showcased the designs of recent graduates from its MFA program. It included a collection by Junkai Huang, a student from China, which sought to highlight the “ugly features of the body,” the New York Post reports. Huang requested that models wear gigantic prosthetic lips, ears, and bushy eyebrows as accessories. Read more at The Cut.
How disgusting in a world filled with insecurity and racism a man has decided to share his perceived view of what is “ugly”. He should apologise not only the institute he is linked to that allowed him to plan this in advance. People are going to great lengths to change how they look if it is not seen to fit with what the fashion world thinks. They should be more accountable for who and what they promote. Haven’t we be saying this for years with the waif look! Well done to the model who stood against this poor choice. Perhaps he should take note of the #bekind movement and work on his own insecurities that make him so judgemental in the first place.