faux pas

Burberry Apologizes for Hoodie With a Tie Resembling a Noose

The hoodie. Photo: Anton Denisov/WireImage/Getty Images

Today in fashion scandals, Burberry has apologized for a hoodie featured in their latest collection that featured a tie around the neck resembling a noose. The sweatshirt has since been removed from the fall/winter 2019 collection.

CEO Mario Gobetti said in a statement to CNN, “Though the design was inspired by the marine theme that ran throughout the collection, it was insensitive and we made a mistake.” Designer Riccardo Tisci also said it was intended to be nautical, and not a reference to suicide or lynchings, but still apologized. “It does not reflect my values nor Burberry’s and we have removed it from the collection. I will make sure that this does not happen again.” The fall/winter collection was called “The Tempest” and meant to explore the dualities of British life — punk and prissiness living side by side.

Model Liz Kennedy, who was in the show, wrote on Instagram that she had tried to raise concerns about the design, but was told that she could only write a letter and to keep her worries to herself. She said that people backstage had been joking about it, and at one point hung it from the ceiling to figure out exactly how to tie the knot. She said she left the fitting, “Feeling as though I was right back where I was when I was going through an experience with suicide in my family.”

She also makes the salient point that there are other ways to tie the strings on a hoodie — like a bow or an actual sailor’s knot.

Burberry Apologizes for Hoodie With Nooselike Tie