Tag Archives: Voice

This is the kind of easily preventable dumb stuff that should never have gotten as far as it did. Burberry is publicly apologizing after one of its recent pieces of clothing caused a stir — and outrage — over the weekend. At London Fashion Week, they strutted a model out onto the runway with a noose dangling from their neck. Oh no . Content warning : this post continues numerous noose images for reference. Burberry was first called out by one of their own models, Liz Kennedy, who wrote on Instagram: “Suicide is not fashion,” Liz writes. “It is not glamorous nor edgy and since this show is dedicated to the youth expressing their voice, here I go.” “Riccardo Tisci and everyone at Burberry,” she says. “it is beyond me how you could let a look resembling a noose hanging from a neck out on the runway.” “How could anyone overlook this and think it would be okay to do this?” she asks. Liz adds: “Especially in a line dedicated to young girls and youth.” “The impressionable youth,” Liz emphasizes. “Not to mention the rising suicide rates world wide.” “Let’s not forget about the horrifying history of lynching either,” she adds. “There are hundreds of ways to tie a rope,” she notes. “And they chose to tie it like a noose completely ignoring the fact that it was hanging around a neck.” “A massive brand like Burberry who is typically considered commercial and classy should not have overlooked such an obvious resemblance,” she writes. Liz notes that she herself struggled with suicidal ideation as a teen. This was personal for her as it is for so many others. Marco Gobbetti issued a public apology. “We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by one of the products that featured in our [Autumn/Winter] 2019 runway collection Tempest,” Gobbetti writes. Notably, all images of that particular garment have been purged from the website. Tisci wrote: “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.” “While the design was inspired by a nautical theme, I realize that it was insensitive,” Tisci acknowledges. “It was never my intention to upset anyone,” Tisci concludes. “I will make sure that this does not happen again.” Those experiencing suicidal depression could be hit with overpowering suicidal urges from exposure to certain images. One can think of these triggers like allergies . Harmless to most of us, but deadly to some. But, as Liz acknowledges, the noose is perhaps first and foremost evocative of lynching. Thousands of black Americans died by lynching in the United States. As you can see from the couple of sample headlines we have icnluded, the noose has become a symbol of intimidation and hate. Lynchings are a horrifying part of America's past — and the imagery persists because racism persists. The noose has been used to intimidate black people at work, on school campuses, and at their homes. We have all seen footage in which effigies of President Obama lynched were waved about during protests. No one genuinely believes that Burberry was trying to subtly intimidate or harass black audience members with their clothing line. But this kind of mistake should not still be happening in 2019. We cannot afford to be thoughtless. Short of a swastika, just about the worst symbol to wear around your neck is a noose.

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Burberry Apologizes for Sweatshirt With Noose Around Neckline