THE HISTORY.
If we go back in time, around 1830, we remember a problematic custom like the “blackface”, in which white artists used to style their faces with a black greasepaint or shoe polish and create exaggerated lips, like caricature of colored people.
The stereotypes portrayed, were in fact racist attitudes to bring out the black people in some way inferior, ignorant, lazy and even animalistic.
And this lasted for decades, until it appeared in a children’s book, released in 1899, entitled “Little Black Sambo”, a character, depicted in “pickaninny” style, an American term that indicates the racist caricature and that, according to the scholar Robin Bernstein answers three requirements: “the figure is always youthful, always colored, and always resistant if not immune to pain”.
THE ACCUSES.
And it is on the basis of this, that a New York lawyer, Chinyere Ezie, walking in front of the Prada boutique in Soho, notices the incredible resemblance of the keychain puppets proposed by the brand, with the “blackface” and “Little Sambo”, and wastes no time in publicly condemning them on Facebook with several photographs accusing Prada of racism.
THE EXCUSES.
Obviously the question reached such a global level that it forced the brand to apologize and remove the so-called “Pradamalia” keychain figurines from the shelves.
At the beginning, the company defended itself, saying that its “Pradamalia” were “fantasy spells composed of elements of Prada’s work”, adding also: “They are imaginary creatures that do not intend to have any reference to the real world and certainly not to people of color”. According to a press release on collaboration, in fact, the creatures mix in their characteristics simply those that are the codes of the house.
But when some consumers started asking for a label boycott, Prada went further and immediately apologized.
“We would like to express our deep regret and our sincere apologies for the Pradamalia products that are considered offensive, have been removed from the market and will not be sold,” Prada said in a statement released on Twitter.
WHAT SOUNDS ME STRANGE IS…
Prada is known (at least recently) for including unknown models such as Anok Yai and Jourdan Dunn in their casting and then bringing them to a top model status.
Not to mention the choice of having Naomi Campbell in that 1994 (black and white) campaign , at a time when it was considered totally “risky” to throw people of color in international luxury campaigns.
Not only. Recently, they have edited “The Black Image Corporation”, an exhibition that highlights the importance and legacy of black creators in publishing and American photography, both in Milan and Miami.
NOW.
It is clear and normal that the exaggerated stereotypes of the time have propagated in the course of the centuries, a wrong attitude like racism, but it is equally evident that the legacy of damaging images still influences the way in which we contextualize it.
In light of all this, without making too much controversy, I would simply like to put the usual reflection on a premise.
Fashion has been born since ancient times to DIFFERENTIATE the human being. On an economic, social, physical level. We have been (rather, I have the right to tell you, because I’m going out with all the clothes), especially in the last decades, to want fashion as a tool for CONFORM YOURSELF.
Yes, because it was not enough that you were without character, now even on a visual level hardly distinguishes you, rare cases apart.
Why this? Because it is easier to resort to the concept of equality rather than fighting and being oneself. And enhance their faults.
And do you know why you can not do it? Because you are too used to judge others, (without knowledge of the cause), which makes it easier for you to go down the steps of the equals, to do the moralists and to prevent others from judging you.
When in reality this is not the racism that must be defended. But it is you who you would be defending yourself in the first place. Because it is NOT NORMAL that a person in 2018 AFTER EVERYTHING, is still on the street shouting at racism instead of rising, standing out and being PROUD of what you are, with your own qualities and your own lacks.
So I leave you with a question.
Who is really the problem? Prada, Dolce and Gabbana or who for them or your insecurity?
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