Ethics in Fashion and Gucci’s Blackface Sweater; Will the Fashion Industry Finally Learn from Its Mistakes?

Abstract

The fashion industry has faced many criticisms of racial insensitivity in recent years. In December of 2018, luxury brand Prada was criticized for displaying merchandise and storefront figurines that resembled blackface (Bhattarai, 2020), while earlier in the same year, H&M received backlash for its’ monkey sweater (Selk, 2018). The fact that the Gucci Blackface sweater controversy occurred soon after these incidents is concerning, as it undermines the credibility of the brands’ promises to prioritize diversity and raises the question of “will the industry ever learn from its mistakes when similar controversies arise too frequently?” The problem with the Gucci Blackface sweater controversy extends beyond a mere issue of “design gone wrong.” It reveals a more profound problem within the fashion industry, and that is the lack of diversity and underrepresentation of diverse voices in decision-making positions. The design and production of high-end fashion products involve several stages of approval, from the initial concept to the final product. The fact that a product with blatantly offensive racial connotations could make it to the shelves highlights the absence of diversity within the fashion industry, which cannot be overlooked. A common response to crises around offensive products, including the response from Gucci, is acknowledging the lack of diversity. But simply hiring individuals from diverse backgrounds or having a person of color present in the room does not come close to a real and effective solution. G. B. Saunders (pseudonym), in an article on Colorlines, wrote: