Netizens slam Burberry for hoodie glamourizing ‘suicide’, luxury brand posts apology
British luxury brand Burberry has faced outrage on the social media for showcasing a hoodie that shows a noose around the neck. The outfit was present in Burberry’s Autumn/Winter collection called Tempest during London Fashion Week that recently concluded. On the social media, the brand was blasted for glamorising suicide. Model Liz Kennedy, who walked in the Burberry show but did not wear the outfit, also criticised the brand.
Taking to Instagram, Kennedy said that she had voiced her disapproval to the outfit but was ignored by the fashion house.
"Suicide is not fashion. It is not glamorous nor edgy and since this show is dedicated to the youth expressing their voice, here I go... How could anyone overlook this and think it would be okay to do this especially in a line dedicated to young girls and youth," she wrote.
She said she was herself dealing with the loss of a family member, who committed suicide.
"I had asked to speak to someone about it but the only thing I was told to do was to write a letter. I had a brief conversation with someone but all that it entailed was 'it's fashion'," she added.
The outfit was a creation of Burberry's chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci.
Comedian Wanda Sykes also criticised the company by tweeting, "How can we make this THE worst Black History Month ever? I mean let's really f**k it up."
After the uproar, Marco Gobbetti, the chief executive of Burberry, issued a statement, saying the brand was "deeply sorry for the distress".
According to The Guardian, Tisci also apologised, saying "while the design was inspired by a nautical theme, I realize that it was insensitive".
"It was never my intention to upset anyone. It does not reflect my values nor Burberry's and we have removed it from the collection," he added.
The brand said it has removed the controversial outfit from the autumn-winter collection, along with all images featuring the look.
