FIT faces Blacklash Over Racist Accessories Mocking Black Features In Fashion Show
Fashion Institute Of Technology (FIT) found itself in hot water after a grad student debuted "large prosthetic ears and lips and bushy eyebrows," accessories as a part of their runway show.
The clothes were designed by Junkai Huang, a recent FIT graduate who is originally from China. The clothes were also said to highlight “ugly features of the body.” But reality is the accessories were racist.
In a time when fashion has been under fire for racist campaigns and clothing that have led to boycotts, we would hope that extra measures are taken to ensure that those instances do not continue to happen.
“This program protects a student’s freedom to craft their own personal and unique artistic perspectives as designers, to be even what some would consider to be provocative, so that they find that voice,” FIT president Dr. Joyce F. Brown said in a statement obtained by The Post.
“However provocative design and fashion might be though, my commitment to ensure that people are not made to feel uncomfortable, offended, or intimidated is also of the utmost importance not only to me personally but to the college community as well. We take this obligation very, very seriously and will investigate and take appropriate action regarding any complaint or concern that is made in this situation,” the statement continued.
A young Black model took an important stand after claiming she was pressured to wear the monkey ears and large red lips during the show, which took place on Feb. 7 during New York Fashion Week.
Amy Lefevre, a model with four years of professional modeling experience, broke down the incident in an interview with The New York Post. She says, “I stood there almost ready to break down, telling the staff that I felt incredibly uncomfortable with having to wear these pieces and that they were clearly racist, I was told that it was fine to feel uncomfortable for only 45 seconds.” How tasteless!
We understand creative integrity, but this is deplorable. FIT should put some rules in place so this can never happen again!
