Gucci Apologizes For, Discontinues Sweater Slammed for Mimicking Blackface

Gucci has apologized for and discontinued a sweater slammed for its similarities to blackface. The black wool balaclava sweater has a piece of fabric that wraps around the chin and mouth; the latter hole is rimmed with red and meant to portray lips.

However, many Twitter users immediately saw the sweater in a more racist light, with one user saying, “”Gigantic brands like @gucci create offensive ‘fashion,’ quickly apologize, and then state, ‘We did not know.’ I don’t care. This is unacceptable.”

In its apology, Gucci noted, “We consider diversity to be a fundamental value to be fully upheld, respected, and at the forefront of every decision we make” and said the company is “fully committed to increasing diversity throughout our organization and turning this incident into a powerful learning moment for the Gucci team and beyond.”