Zero Fucks Are Given When It Comes To Black Patronage & Brand Loyalty
Fashion is the basics of art, a beauty that stems from creativity itself. The modern world, as we know, it is fashion-crazy, and the clothing industry has one of the largest markets in the world of business. Nevertheless, there is a big problem facing the clothing industry—entrenched RACISM, and it keeps rearing its ugly head over and over again!
From previous and most recent happenings, many clothing companies have shown that they cannot sell their products without insulting the racial integrity of black people. The fashion world has stepped deep into the morass of cultural appropriation (aka culture vulturing) along with its close relative, racism, in most recent years. Considering that the clothing industry is already suffering from a lack of diversity, it is not much of a surprise that racism is still very much an issue in 2019. But, what is really surprising and equally provoking is that companies seemed to not have learned anything from their inherent racist mistakes (or should we say a deliberate act of racism?) in the past and from their compatriots.
From appropriating the traditional clothing of native people for an entire collection to putting white models cornrows on a black/African-themed runway show, it’s like you cannot go a few months without hearing or coming across one misstep or deliberate attack against the blackness of black people by one or more fashion companies. Schools like Memorial High School in Houston, Texas have white kids mocking black culture with “Thug Day.” While this is offensive, we need to remember that America is full of racist people and those same people will teach their kids how to be just as racist as they are. So, a high school that has a “Thug Day” where white kids can put their culture vulture on full display should be expected. We are only just a few months into the year, and already some clothing companies and famous personalities in the fashion industry have made use of racist imagery in many different ways, ranging from individual designs to home decor and window display choices. Don’t believe it?
Here Are 8 Clothing Companies that Showed Their Racist Colors
GUCCI — In the early period of February, Gucci, the Italian fashion giant came out with a balaclava-style sweater that evoked blackface and went viral across the Internet. Immediately, Gucci issued a swift apology and withdrew the shirt. But, if you think Gucci was sorry for that racist show via the apology they gave, think again. They had repeatedly done it before and then gave an apology, and nothing has changed.
ADIDAS — Not to be undone by its competitor, Adidas went and introduced their line of racist insult by creating an almost entirely new set of white shoes in a line of sneakers and clothing that was inspired by the Harlem Renaissance movement designed to show solidarity with Black History Month. The designs received widespread criticism on Twitter prompting Adidas to tender an apology and promise to pull the racist shoes from stores.
Well, if you think other prominent companies would learn from the racism of Gucci and Adidas, you are in for a disappointing ride.
PRADA, following on the heels of its compatriots in crime displayed an expensive figurine in its SoHo boutique in New York that evoked a Gollywog, a painful reminder of the 19th-century Blackface character that has red lips and big round eyes. The figurine also reflects on “Little Black Sambo,” a character from a children’s book of the same racist era. After complaints and bitter responses to the racist figurine, Prada Group apologized and removed the display from the stands, pledging to donate proceeds from the figurine sales to a New York-based organization committed to fighting for racial justice.
MOSCHINO, a famous Italian boutique based in West Hollywood, was taken to court by a former employee for racially profiling and discriminating against black customers. According to the employee, Moschino asked its store supervisors to label black clientele by using the code word “Serena” and ordered that whenever black people visit, they should be followed, watched and closely monitored if they weren’t putting on diamonds or any renowned brand clothing.
It is not surprising to see major clothing companies like these demonstrating their racial wickedness through their products. If average everyday people are racist, should we be shocked when we hear about businesses exhibiting racism? Some of these same people run these businesses. At this point, it should be no surprise that their vile and vitriolic outlook on black people will spill over into their business practices, and that is precisely what we see now. It has happened before and it’s simply replaying itself over and over again, and the list goes on.
During a popular All Star Show in 2015, Beyonce’ was spotted wearing a $320 SCOOTER LaForge trench coat that has a photo depiction of a clownish figure with wide red lips and big eyes that starkly evokes blackface. Sambo much?
Singer, KATY PERRY was also forced to pull products out of circulation after her clothing line introduced two styles of footwear that evoke blackface with their glassy red lips, gold triangle nose, and gorgeous blue eyes.
Then came BURBERRY, another fashion company that did the unthinkable during its Sunday’s 2019 runway collection show at London Fashion Week. The company featured a hoodie with a noose around the head. How on Earth, a clothing company can think suicide is fashionable is honestly something that is worthy of scratching your head in serious confusion. Of course, Burberry tendered the usual insincere apology for the disgraceful act. But the damage has been done, and the fashion racial madness continues unabated.
Back in January 2018, H&M featured a black child modeling a newly designed green hooded sweatshirt with the inscription “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle” boldly written on its front side. Of course, for that shirt to even pass through marketing executives where it got its approval to become a featured ad on the company’s website, shows that the people that make decisions at the top level at these companies are not only closet racists but simply don’t care about black purchasing power and brand loyalty. No culturally concerned business owner or management would sensibly allow such a racially insensitive ad to find its way into the open, unless if it doesn’t give a damn about the spending power of the unfortunate target.
According to a Nielson report, black people purchasing power stands at $1.3 trillion, and it’s projected to grow to $1.5 trillion in 2021. A vast bulk of that goes into buying fashion items. The spending power of black people in America is one of the major factors that keep clothing companies like Gucci, Adidas, Prada, and H&M in business. Take Gucci for example; it was the number one choice for people in the hip hop industry—an industry overwhelmingly dominated by black people. But, the only way these companies choose to compensate black people for their brand loyalty is to racially insult them and discredit their patronage in repeated patterns that show they simply don’t care about black people but the money they bring to their businesses. It is time for black creatives and black entrepreneurs to rise against this type of blatant fuckery and counter racist companies with product that is just flat out better.
There Isn’t More Racism; There Is Just More Internet
What the fashion industry is experiencing today is not an issue of increased racism. Instead, it is a problem of having unfettered access to the Internet—thanks to affordable and innovative technologies of the modern era. While racism has always been a problem, it isn’t that it is getting worse but getting more attention (getting recorded) on social media and other Internet-based channels. The Internet in addition to the era of Donald Trump being President of the United States of America has emboldened racists. The urge to record their escapades is so easy to act upon as such that each year we are treated to a constant festival of weaponized idiocy and sheer ignorance and deliberate provocations caused by the Internet-infamous racists given silly names. If this is happening with your average everyday person, then what we see from these racist operated companies and their line of products is really just “business as usual.”
Do These Companies Care How Racist They Come Across? Most Likely Not
If you think that because these companies often issue apologies whenever they racially insult the integrity of black people mean they honestly wish no harm, then you need to think again. The fact that these incidents keep repeating themselves, especially among top brands, shows that there is a racially motivated systematic marketing strategy at play. These brands are using these “mistake racist products” to increase awareness (appear loyal and showing a sense of understanding and solidarity with their racist traditional customer base who are in the majority) and sell more of their products. Otherwise, there is no way these companies can be this clueless—repeating the same racist “mistakes” over and over again. Apologies are no longer making any sense and from the repeated patterns of these racist attacks, it’s clear none of these luxury brands really cares about black people.
Not only do these businesses not care about their black consumers, but they don’t give a damn about the people in 3rd world countries that they outsource and subcontract to. We know how the fashion industry has contributed to climate change and how they continue imposing the cycle of poverty in third world countries through the sale of “fast fashion” (clothes that are made with cheap materials and meant to be sold cheap).
Racism is overwhelmingly entrenched in the fashion industry. Black employees feel it. Black entrepreneurs and black business owners who have been trying to get their business off the ground feel it even as they continue to be marginalized. Racist imagery and racism in the fashion industry have been around for a long time. “The fashion industry has a mightily huge problem with racism. It goes back to the foundation of these brands,” says, Tansy Hoskins, author of “Stitched Up,” while speaking to The Post. “For example, in the 1940s, Chanel and Dior famously cooperated with the Nazi and Vichy governments, respectively,” concluded, Tansy.
Tansy Hoskins went on to say;
“I think very often the customer base for companies like Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana doesn’t care. The shoppers are not known for progressive politics. People can kick up as much of a fuss as they want, but it drives more publicity for the brand.”
Yes, they simply do not care, and that is why you hardly see a melanated face across most of the white-washed runways in today’s fashion parades.
Black Dollars Are More Valued Than Black People
Racism has been repackaged as a societal stigma, so being overtly racist isn’t socially acceptable, and these businesses know it. Instead, businesses have opted to enact their racist views through their products. Sure, said businesses could suffer from some backlash from outraged consumers and onlookers, but the individuals who work for these companies don’t have to show their face. They can hide and just give an insincere apology to smooth things over and get their sales up (after all, there are millions of their likes out there in the consumer sector that loves these racist products—it takes two to tango). It’s no secret that black people throughout history have been seen as less than human. There is a long history of black people being compared to monkeys.
With that being said, it is no surprise that clothing companies who employ racist people would continuously put out products that evoke racism. We also live in a capitalistic society that values only one color: GREEN. Black people as a group can brag about a trillion dollar spending “power” all they want, but we need to remember we’re in a country that is based on haves and have-nots. Unfortunately, many black people occupy the have-not’s space, so black people are not valued. We live in an unapologetically capitalistic society that couldn’t care less about people unless the head honchos running a big business get richer while the poor get poorer.
Black Creativity Call-To-Action
While there have been calls for clothing companies to employ more black people into their ranks as a way of addressing the problem of disparity and ensure diversity in decision making (which is not a bad solution either), the best solution however is to invest in black creativity. Yes, investing in black creatives and black business is the best revenge.
Afrikans are some of the most creative people on the planet, and with huge purchasing power, we can promote and make other black-owned businesses successful and productive. In a 2008 study, findings reveal that black people spend 28% more on luxury items (cars, jewelry and clothing) far more than their white counterparts. Why should we continue giving money to companies like Gucci, Adidas, Prada, H&M and all of the others who mock black people? Why not channel such spending into buying the same goods from black businesses that have similar and even better quality? Yes, we can do it and here are 22 clothing companies that black people can buy from instead of Gucci, Prada and all of the other companies employing racist tactics.
Of course, the rampant racism in the fashion industry may never stop, but the flow of black dollars to these companies can stop. A lot of these brands wouldn’t have the popularity they have if black people didn’t patronize them. There are many black creative geniuses out there that have the power to create products that can easily counter overrated “luxury” brands. And it’s all about investing in black creatives and black businesses as the best form of revenge against those bloodthirsty “luxury” brands who only care about green and not black.
