Subscribe
The Daily Grind Video
CLOSE

 

Dolce & Gabbana received some serious backlash this week, coupled with accusations of racism, over a pair of earrings displayed during the showing of their Summer/ Spring 2013 collection. 

The questionable earrings, featured mainly on white models, featured a Blackamoor Mammy style that romanticizes slavery. 

STORY: Kanye West’s Fashion Show Nixed From Paris Fashion Week

The ornament clip-on earrings featured a black women with a fruit basket on her head. 

Dolce & Gabbana has spoken out to clear up any racist allegations, claiming that the earrings were inspired by ornaments frequently seen in Sicilian homes. 

The company’s magazine compensated with the following statement on their website: 

The show jewelry is reminiscent of ornate ceramics that often appear in Sicilian homes, restaurants and hotels. The head is inspired by traditional Moorish people, a term used to describe the Medieval Muslim inhabitants of Sicily – a place that consistently inspires Dolce & Gabbana designs and the native country of Domenico Dolce. Traditionally, the heads are then covered with an Italian tin glaze that gives a shiny finish and painted in vibrant colors to symbolize stories and legends from Sicilian towns.

The display of the earring follows up on reports that claim black models are frequently used more in spring and summer collections because the color of their skin makes the clothing pop. High fashion may need to learn that black skin is neither an ornament, nor an accessory. 

What do you think of the earrings?

SOURCE: Swide