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Burberry apologizes for 'suicide' hoodie with noose hanging from neck

The online fury was unleashed after the label’s own model Liz Kennedy protested against the fashion piece by Burberry denoting a noose and passing it as a ‘fashion statement’, expressing her disgruntle in an extensive Instagram post.

By Web Desk
February 20, 2019

Acclaimed fashion brand Burberry is the latest to fall underneath social media outrage after putting out a hoodie with strings dangling resembling the shape of a noose.

The online fury was unleashed after the label’s own model Liz Kennedy protested against the fashion piece denoting a noose and passing it as a ‘fashion statement’, expressing her disgruntle in an extensive Instagram post.

“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. 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 stated.

View this post on Instagram

@burberry @riccardotisci17 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. 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. How could anyone overlook this and think it would be okay to do this especially in a line dedicated to young girls and youth. The impressionable youth. Not to mention the rising suicide rates world wide. Let’s not forget about the horrifying history of lynching either. There are hundreds of ways to tie a rope and they chose to tie it like a noose completely ignoring the fact that it was hanging around a neck. A massive brand like Burberry who is typically considered commercial and classy should not have overlooked such an obvious resemblance. I left my fitting extremely triggered after seeing this look (even though I did not wear it myself). Feeling as though I was right back where I was when I was going through an experience with suicide in my family. Also to add in they briefly hung one from the ceiling (trying to figure out the knot) and were laughing about it in the dressing room. 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. Nobody cares about what’s going on in your personal life so just keep it to yourself” well I’m sorry but this is an issue bigger than myself. The issue is not about me being upset, there is a bigger picture here of what fashion turns a blind eye to or does to gain publicity. A look so ignorantly put together and a situation so poorly handled. I am ashamed to have been apart of the show. #burberry. I did not post this to disrespect the designer or the brand but to simply express an issue I feel very passionate about.

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After the show received massive criticism online the CEO of the brand Marco Gobbetti released a statement expressing his regret and apologizing “for the distress” adding that "while the design was inspired by a nautical theme, I realise that it was insensitive".