Burberry apologises for noose hoodie at London Fashion Week

20th February 2019

Sahar Nazir

Luxury goods Fashion

// Burberry has apologised and axed its hoodie featuring a noose shown at London Fashion Week

// Model Liz Kennedy complained after being asked to model for it

// The hoodie has caused a stir on social media

Burberry has apologised after coming under fire for showcasing a hoodie with a noose during London Fashion Week.

The luxury retailer removed the noose hoodie from its collection after model Liz Kennedy complained in person and via Instagram that Burberry had made light of suicide and lynching.

Kennedy’s management confirmed she was never asked to wear it at London Fashion Week, but she said she was “ashamed to have been a part of the show”.

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.

A post shared by 🦎 (@liz.kennedy_) on Feb 17, 2019 at 9:51am PST

Burberry chief executive Marco Gobbetti said he was “deeply sorry for the distress” the design had caused, confirming that it has been axed from the collection.

Meanwhile, Burberry’s chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci said the inspiration behind the rope was nautical, but admitted he should have known “it was insensitive”.

The design has caused a stir on social media.

How out of touch are the rich that @gucci & @Burberry both have huge fuxkups in the last few months. Seriously blackface & a noose on a model? This is exactly why corporations need #diversity and #disabled ppl in the to ranks. So someone can voice reason to theses entitled idiots

— millennial moming (@BabesforBern) February 20, 2019

Burberry's 'suicide' hoodie with noose around neck is horrifying. Where is the quality control with this brand? Why would consumers support this kind of racism, crass treatment of employees, and demeaning of mental health issues? https://t.co/COChuteKbl

— Lisa Ann Richey (@BrandAid_World) February 20, 2019