Burberry has apologized after sending a brown hoodie with its drawstrings fashioned into a lynching rope-like noose down the London Fashion Week runway.
The Hill reports outcry over the piece first began on social media after runway model Liz Kennedy, who walked in the Burberry show, posted how upset the article made her on Instagram.
"Suicide is not fashion," Kennedy wrote. "It is not glamorous nor edgy … Riccardo Tisci and everyone at Burberry it is beyond me how you could let a look resembling a noose hanging from a neck out on the runway."
The model added the piece served as a painful reminder of both racial lynching and her family's struggles with suicide.
"I left my fitting extremely triggered after seeing this look. Feeling as though I was right back where I was when I was going through an experience with suicide in my family," Kennedy wrote. "Let’s not forget about the horrifying history of lynching either."
"How could anyone overlook this and think it would be okay to do this especially in a line dedicated to young girls and youth?" Kennedy asked.
The model also alleged a noose hung from the ceiling during her fitting and said the stylists who put it up "were laughing about it." She said her complaints led to "a brief conversation with someone, but all that it entailed was, 'It’s fashion. Nobody cares about what’s going on in your personal life so just keep it to yourself.'"
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Kennedy received many supportive messages in the comments section of her post; Twitter users vented on the platform:
Burberry just featured a hoodie with a noose around the neck for London Fashion Week. I’m exhausted pic.twitter.com/YauqyAvYhj
— ㅤㅤㅤsophia (@SophiaTassew) February 19, 2019
We have reached a kind of horror film level compulsion at this point — racists can’t control their racism in a climate of emboldened racism. It has become involuntary. Burberry apologizes for hoodie with noose around the neck – CNN https://t.co/p0N6rfILDg
— Rebecca Shuri She Ready Carroll (@rebel19) February 19, 2019
This shit is for attention.
There's no fathomable way that fashion pulls from art and culture, yet is completely oblivious to triggering symbols. When will this mess end?https://t.co/8ZLHx2e4vf
— Dani Kwateng-Clark (@danikwateng) February 19, 2019
Aye @Tip is we not wearing Burberry anymore either?? Lol pic.twitter.com/ETaCQOJpb3
— Vicentè (@BEATGOD_V) February 19, 2019
Burberry issued an apology after a model complained of being TRIGGERED by an "accessory" that just so happens to be a NOOSE during fashion week… What's going on with these expensive brands shoving racism down marginalized groups throats as if capitalist culture isn't enough. pic.twitter.com/WQcV9kph57
— Jonathan McDougle (@Jonathamcdougle) February 19, 2019
Can’t wear Burberry to the baby shower/gender reveal no mo. This will effect the baby daddy community immediately. We can’t have nothing.
— Karlous Miller (@KarlousM) February 19, 2019
After the show, Burberry CEO Marco Gobbetti released an official apology, according to HuffPost UK.
"We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by one of the products that featured in our A/W 2019 runway collection Tempest," the statement read. “Though the design was inspired by the marine theme that ran throughout the collection, it was insensitive and we made a mistake."
Gobbetti also promised to do better in the future.
“We will reflect on this, learn from it and put in place all necessary actions to ensure it does not happen again," Burberry's CEO said.
Tisci, Burberry's chief creative officer, also apologized using similar language.
“I am so deeply sorry for the distress that has been caused as a result of one of the pieces in my show on Sunday," Tisci said. "It was never my intention to upset anyone. It does not reflect my values nor Burberry’s and we have removed it from the collection. I will make sure that this does not happen again.”
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