Just days after their London Fashion Week showcase, Burberry's Riccardo Tisci is already receiving backlash over one particular design...
There's no doubt that Riccardo Tisci made a brave, bold and brilliant debut at Burberry last season. And whilst many wondered if there was anyone good enough to follow in the footsteps of Christopher Bailey, Tisci proved himself with a brand new era (and vision) for the British brand.
However, during London Fashion Week, the Burberry show didn't quite get the reaction it was expecting.
Marking Tisci's second runway collection for Burberry, the Tempest collection came complete with 101 looks that took inspiration from British culture. As a result, the silhouettes remained quintessentially British with panelled trench coats, shearling parkas, smart tailoring and cinched dresses. Nonetheless, a hoodie design received major backlash, causing a whirlwind of negativity for the overall collection and the brand's new designer.
One of the brand's own models, Liz Kennedy, posted a lengthy Instagram post on the Burberry-beige hoodie. Its design uncannily resembles a noose and Kennedy explained that "it is not glamorous nor edgy since this show is dedicated to the youth expressing their voice."
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After receiving criticism, the fashion brand have removed the item from its collections and released an official statement.
Marco Gobbetti, Burberry's Chief Executive Officer, said: "We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by one of the products that featured in our A/W 2019 runway collection. Though the design was inspired by the marine theme that ran throughout the collection, it was insensitive and we made a mistake. We will reflect on this, learn from it and put in place all necessary actions to ensure it does not happen again."
Burberry has been the latest fashion brand to be criticised for releasing designs that have been considered insensitive. Earlier this year, Gucci had to withdraw its black balaclava jumper as many claimed the design was offensive.
