After Gucci’s recent blackface backlash, it was Burberry at the core of fashion enthusiasts’ criticism that was caused by a hoodie they showcased at the London Fashion Week show on Sunday with a cord knotted in the shape of a noose.
One of the company’s own models raised concerns about the hoodie first, which lead to Burberry dropping the item from its collection.
“We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by one of the products … featured in our A/W 2019 runway collection Tempest,” Burberry CEO Marco Gobbetti said in an emailed statement. “Though the design was inspired by the marine theme that ran throughout the collection, it was insensitive and we made a mistake.”
Burberry’s creative director, Riccardo Tisci, also apologized.
“While the design was inspired by a nautical theme, I realise 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 said.
The said model was Liz Kennedy, who posted her disapproval on Instagram.
“Suicide is not fashion,” Kennedy wrote. “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 it is beyond me how you could let a look resembling a noose hanging from a neck out on the runway.”
She blamed the company’s leadership with ignoring “impressionable youth,” adding, “let’s not forget about the horrifying history of lynching either.”
Meanwhile, on similar lines, after dropping the blackface sweatshirt last week, Gucci has also released another statement that sheds light on the brand’s major push on Friday to step up diversity hiring as part of a long-term plan to build cultural awareness at the luxury fashion company
The statement includes new hiring strategies as a global director for diversity and inclusion will be included for their New York division, along with five new designers from around the world for its Rome office.
It also will launch multi-cultural scholarship programs in 10 cities around the world with the goal of building a “more diverse and inclusive workplace on an ongoing basis.”
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
