Topicals, a widely popular, Black-owned skincare brand, says that folks who went on a recent brand trip in France faced racism and Islamophobia at a French spa. According to Topicals, 20 Black and brown creators from England and the U.S. were allegedly discriminated against at QC Terme Spa. The trip comes just as Topicals is launching in the UK via Sephora.
Topicals expressed its concerns on X (formerly known as Twitter) saying the group “experienced discrimination, harassment, and were threatened to have law enforcement called on.”
“This past weekend, we hosted our third brand trip in Megève, France with a group of Black and Brown creators from the UK and US,” the company wrote. “At one of the establishments on our itinerary, we experienced discrimination, harassment, and were threatened to have law enforcement called on us.”
Many notable creators and influencers were on the trip, including Nella Rose, Victor Kunda, Kanaan Pitan, Aiyana Lewis, Jéssica Pimentel and more.
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Topicals also made it clear that its moving forward with confidence despite the troubling incident.
“Experiencing racism and Islamophobia in this magnitude as a group of Black and Brown creators was horrific to say the least,” Topicals stated. “Nonetheless, our guests and team are good. And in true Topicals fashion, we took our business elsewhere — quick, fast, and in a hurry.”
Experiencing racism and Islamophobia in this magnitude as a group of Black and Brown creators was horrific to say the least.
Nonetheless, our guests and team are good. And in true Topicals fashion, we took our business elsewhere —
quick, fast, and in a hurry.— TOPICALS (@topicals) April 1, 2024
Rose told her account of the situation on Instagram, Eurweb reported. Rose said employees at QC Terme Spa prohibited them from the pool area because two of the group’s members, who are Muslim women, were wearing modest swimsuits. According to Rose, the spa center staff told them to get bikinis from a gift shop. Rose also said a lifeguard told them that they were making other guests uncomfortable.
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“That Islamophobic s**t, that racist s**t — we weren’t going to stand for it,” Rose added in a now-deleted video, per The Cut.
@nellarose We had a timeeeee at the french Alps baby ✨ @TOPICALS ♬ original sound – Nella Rose
Another one of the influencers named Sab, also posted a video on social media and revealed threatening comments from one of the employees.
“You’re going to spend a good time at the police station,” the employee said in the video, The Cut reported.
According to Eurweb, Topicals has vowed to donate “$10,000 USD to French Muslim and Black organizations to help build local power and joy within marginalized communities.”
