Apparel Online India Magazine July 1st Issue 2018 | Page 10

WORLD WRAP THE LATEST NEWS HAVE YOUR SAY For the latest news on apparel and textile, make sure that you visit https://apparelresources.com/top-news/ Write to Apparel Resources, B-32, South Extension-1, New Delhi (110049), India or email: [email protected] Tendering an apology is not enough… B R A N D S N E E D T O T I G H T E N T H E S U P P LY C H A I N There was a lot of social media backlash earlier this year, when H&M put on sale a hooded sweatshirt with the message: ‘Coolest monkey in the jungle’; the catch was that the particular garment was worn by a young black boy…, and to make it appear more seemingly insensitive to the implication…, a white boy was shown wearing a similar product with the message – ‘Survival expert’. What followed was a series of angry tweets and succession of apologies. But this is not the first time that a fashion brand has been in the dock, for products/messages that are considered inappropriate and offensive. At one end, this active criticism of products that are ‘offensive’ is a sign that the society is becoming more inclusive, and as the same time, it also indicates that brands are not putting enough checks in place to ensure that such incidences are irradiated. M aybe it is the impact of social media or the growing awareness among consumers on social, political and ethical issues, but the fact is that the last few years have seen an increase in incidences where brands have had to issue public apologies and suffer business losses due to the failure to anticipate how a particular product or message would be seen and interpreted by the general public. One wonders, why such a sustainable and socially inclined company like H&M did not see the backlash coming…, the interpretation was obvious. Reacting to the picture seen as disgracefully racist, singer and songwriter The Weeknd, who has collaborated with H&M on fashion line, tweeted that he was ‘shocked and embarrassed’ and will no longer work with the company. Yet, to the credit of the company the official detailed apology that came two days later, after the initial apology, started with – “Our position is simple and unequivocal – we have got this wrong and we are deeply sorry.” The long letter added, “We clearly haven’t come far enough. We agree with all the criticism that this has generated; we have got this wrong and we agree that even if unintentional, passive or casual racism needs to be eradicated wherever it exists,” putting at ease many questions on the credibility of the company’s intention. H&M also put action behind their words, removing the hoodie from sale everywhere and committing to recycling the remaining stock. For sure this is not going to be the last such case, and the past has sadly 10 Apparel Online India | JULY 1-15, 2018 | www.apparelresources.com In 2013, Nike’s ‘Boston Massacre’ slogan T-shirt turned into an offensive reminder of the Boston Marathon bombings not imposed the seriousness of such mistakes. In December 2017, people were outraged when they discovered that American Eagle was selling a men’s ‘metal cuff’ bracelet that they thought looked like ‘slave shackles’. A few months earlier, in the name of creativity, Kendall and Kylie Jenner debuted a T-shirt range that showed the sisters’ faces superimposed over several famous musicians, including Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., and The Doors. The sister had to issue a statement apologising for causing offense after receiving criticism from music fans and alle