From Gallows Hoodie To Columbine Sweater: Here Are Seven Fashion Scandals After 17 Years On Death Row: Police Killer Executed In The US

Fashion hypebeasts are out of control at the moment: the debacle surrounding the Balenciaga BDSM hugs is making waves on the internet. Some even burn their Balenciaga items in protest.

But it’s not that such scandals are new to the fashion world. Here are 7 highly controversial fashion promotions:

Benetton’s blood uniform

You could actually list all of Benetton’s advertising campaigns from the 1990s here. With thoroughly controversial and abstract campaigns, the Italian fashion house polarized and thus attracted the attention of the media and the public.

The posters featured naked newborns, human bones and kissing heads of state. But what is probably most controversial is the bloodied and riddled uniform of a fallen Bosnian soldier. The campaign was widely criticized, especially in Croatia.

Hugo Boss uniforms

Hugo Boss made uniforms for the Nazis. Point. Not designed, as is often said, but produced. Of course, that’s no big secret; you’ve known it for ages, but it’s still outrageous.

In 1924, Hugo Boss, then still a small, local company, started producing the famous brown shirts for the SA. Then, in the 1930s, orders came in for uniforms for the SA, the SS, the Wehrmacht and the Hitlerjugend. About 140 forced laborers (mainly women from Poland and the Soviet Union) were ‘used’ in the production.

Gallows humor at Burberrys

Burberry also made a big mistake in 2019 with the loop hoodie at London Fashion Week. In a now-deleted Instagram post, one of the models present became upset after the show: “Suicide is not fashion. It’s not glamorous or fancy.” She also complained that the brand’s target audience is mostly young women and they are not allowed to sell suicide clothes.

Members of the Burberry staff reportedly “hung” one of these nooses over a beam before the show and then laughed about it. Burberry subsequently apologized for the tacky outfit.

Gucci black face

It’s not just the price (over 900 francs!) that’s outrageous here: Twitter users quickly spotted a racist image of black people in this Gucci balaclava. In fact, the oversized red lips on a black background are reminiscent of racist stereotypes. In addition, the sweater just came out during Black History Month.

Gucci also apologized profusely for the racist (and unstylish) sweater and removed it from the range.

School shooting hoodies

How do you speak out against gun violence? Guaranteed not with leaking “School-Shooting” jerseys. In addition to the bullet holes, there are also the names of schools where particularly serious killings and shootings took place. Columbine High School and Sandy Hook Elementary School are just examples.

The designers of the small fashion label Bstroy had to learn this the hard way when the online shitstorm erupted after the presentation of their 2019 collection. The two gentlemen defended the tasteless faux pas, saying the move was “necessary” to draw public attention to gun violence.

Dior designer chatter

The Spanish-Maltese chief designer of Dior John Galliano in 2011 unintentionally heralded the end of his career. In a restaurant in Paris, he insulted other guests anti-Semitic: “I love Hitler, people like you would be dead today.” […] and gassed.” Galliano was suspended by Dior and subsequently fined 6,000 euros.

He defended himself by saying that he was under enormous professional pressure and had consumed large amounts of alcohol and pills. In an interview two years after the mob’s action, he stated that he could not remember the incident because during that time he had often gotten himself so drunk that he passed out.

Coolest monkey in the jungle

And to be honest with the racism: in January 2018, the Swedish textile giant H&M presented its new children’s collection online. Of the various fashion models, one boy was black. And this kid was wearing the hoodie that read “Coolest Monkey In The Jungle”.

Whether there is actually a racist intent behind it or just a lack of self-reflection on the part of the marketing department we will probably never know. What is certain is that it has been looked at carelessly. In response to the criticism, H&M has removed the hoodie from its range and also apologized.