Gucci pulls 'blackface' sweater from stores
Gucci has apologised for a wool sweater that resembled a "blackface" and said the item had been pulled from its online and physical stores, the latest case of an Italian fashion house saying sorry for cultural or racial insensitivity.
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 covers the nose and includes a red cut-out for the mouth.
The knit has been pulled from sale both online and in stores after the online backlash Gucci
It was ridiculed on social media as insensitive and racist, at a time when the US is grappling with cases of old photos of politicians with their faces blackened.
In December, 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 apologised after complaints that an advertising campaign featuring a Chinese model trying to eat pizza, spaghetti and a cannoli with chopsticks was culturally insensitive.
