Luxury fashion called out for hypocrisy on Black Lives Matter, racism and diversity, and accused of paying lip service

Fashion and beauty brands have been showing their solidarity with the Black Lives Matter campaign

However, they are facing a backlash from models and insiders, who accuse them of double standards

Reading Time:4 minutes

Fashion brands are being accused of hypocrisy after they showed support for Black Lives Matter. Tamu McPherson (pictured), who works with labels on diversity training, says the industry is “steeped in racism, anti-blackness and white privilege”.

Published: 5:00am, 27 Jun 2020Updated: 5:54pm, 28 Jun 2020

When luxury fashion lined up social media posts to show solidarity with Black Lives Matters protests, brands got a whole lot of blowback.

Transgender model and actress Munroe Bergdorf jumped on L’Oreal’s #BlackoutTuesday posts to accuse the beauty brand of hypocrisy for having fired her three years ago when she complained in strong language about racism and white supremacists. US actor Tommy Dorfman, who appears in a recent campaign for Salvatore Ferragamo, called out the Italian luxury brand for what Dorfman called a “homophobic and racist work environment”.

And ordinary Instagram followers piled on, challenging fashion houses to do more than post a black square on their virtual real estate, to instead make catwalks, magazine covers, boardrooms and creative studios living showcases of diversity.

Global fashion brands have faced racial backlashes in the past, notably in the wake of scandals such as the Gucci knitwear recalling blackface, Prada’s “Little Black Sambo” bag charm, and Dolce & Gabbana’s anti-Asian comments.

Munroe Bergdorf accused L’Oreal of hypocrisy for firing her three years ago when she used strong language to complain about racism. Photo: Brent N. Clarke/Invision/AP

The US protests against systemic racism, which are spreading around the globe, are also putting the spotlight on fashion in its role as a cultural beacon, and emboldening insiders – some with lucrative deals that often assume their discretion – to speak up.

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