Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana’ s racially offensive Spring 2013 collection, which they presented during Milan fashion week last month, went by mostly unnoticed by mainstream media, leaving many unaware of the shocking designs that the fashion dup had sent down the runway. But, hip-hop’s most outspoken and fashionable newcomer, Azealia Banks, recently blew the lid on the story when she announced that she’s boycotting the designers for their racist fashions.
Last month, during Milan fashion week, Dolce & Gabbana premiered their Spring 2013 collection, which they said was inspired by their Sicilian heritage. Unfortunately, that inspiration also seemed to include Sicily’s tumultuous history with the Moors, a group of Muslims who invaded Italy and Spain, because the clothing was adorned with Blackamoor imagery (closely resembling mammy-like figures) in the form of things like burlap dresses and earrings with black women with brightly colored lips, wearing plantation-era cornucopias on their heads.
Adding insult to injury, the designers also failed to include any black models in their runway show.
Over the weekend, Banks took to Twitter to vent her rage over the collection.
It’s unclear whether Dolce & Gabbana have heard of Banks’ boycott, but she previously name dropped them in her “Van Vogue” song and Banks has definitely been making waves in the fashion world. She has her own M.A.C. lipstick, she’s the new face of T by Alexander Wang, she’s performed for Karl Lagerfeld and she recently became buddies with Naomi Campbell.
Sadly, this is certainly not the first time that the world of fashion has been the subject of a racist scandal. Check out some other racist fashion moments below. – nicholas robinson
