RUNWAY RACISM: Celebrities slam Burberry after noose hoodie debuts at London Fashion Week

Feb 20, 2019

It’s been a bad week for Burberry, the latest brand to make a racist fashion blunder when they paraded a model down the walkway during London Fashion Week with a hoodie on with a noose.

—Burberry debuts noose on brown hoodie during London Fashion Week Show—

The offensive noose necktie sent the internet into a frenzy, including several celebrities that slammed the brand for its tone-deaf fashion statement during its runway show, The Daily Mail reports.

“Ok, did you a**holes get together and ask, “How can we make this THE worst Black History Month ever? I mean let’s really f**k it up,” comedian Wanda Sykes tweeted along with an article of Burberry apologizing for the insensitive look.

Ok, did you assholes get together and ask, “How can we make this THE worst Black History Month ever? I mean let’s really fuck it up.” https://t.co/fk3G864fR8

— Wanda Sykes (@iamwandasykes) February 19, 2019

“Hey, fashion people. I’m just an unstylish comedian who doesn’t know anything, but maybe lay off the black face and nooses for a while?” tweeted comedian Whitney Cummings. “This is starting to feel like some weird bet about who can go out of business the fastest.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton also called out the brand for its bias and lack of sensitivity.

“This @Burberry noose hoodie was sent down the runway recently during the Burberry show during 2019 London Fashion week. It was put out but they have now apologized and withdrawn it. However, it shows the insensitivity & bias in the fashion world,” he wrote.

He added: “All of these major designers (@Burberry @gucci @prada @moncler) are being exposed. Who are they hiring in their companies that this doesn’t offend decision makers?!”

All of these major designers (@Burberry @gucci @prada @moncler) are being exposed. Who are they hiring in their companies that this doesn’t offend decision makers?! https://t.co/pO8CbOIaGX

— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) February 19, 2019

On Sunday, the racist rope was included in Burberry’s Autumn/Winter collection, named “Tempest.” The noose has now been removed from the retailer’s collection after outraged ensued online. The company has since apologized saying:

“We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by one of the products that featured in our A/W 2019 runway collection,” Marco Gobbetti, Burberry chief executive officer, said in a statement provided to CNN.

This follows a very disrespectful showing during Black History Month after Gucci was thrashed earlier for advertising an $890 blackface sweater.

Martin Luther King Jr’s daughter Bernice King pointed out how the noose being played up as fashion, downplays the its terrifying history.

“How many people saw this before it made it to the runway?” she asked. “The larger question: How can people guard their hearts and minds from normalizing and trivializing symbols and images that historically represent racism, bigotry and oppression?”