Hace unas semanas, la firma Marni lanzaba en sus redes sociales una nueva campaña para promocionar sus flip-flop, dirigida por el fotógrafo afrobrasileño Edgar Azevedo. Unas imágenes en las que se podía ver a modelos, también afrobrasileños, en la playa con las piezas de la colección. Sin embargo, la estética de las fotos y los mensajes que las acompañaban han despertado las críticas entre quienes las tachan de racistas y de hacer énfasis en roles arcaicos. Entre ellos Diet Prada quienes no han dudado en poner de manifiesto su malestar por fotos en las que se puede ver a uno de los modelos con grilletes en los pies, por ejemplo.

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On Friday, Italian brand @Marni , known for its quirky, irreverent take on luxury fashion, sent out an e-mail blast for their new SS20 campaign. In the series of images, which were also simultaneously posted on Instagram, Black models are juxtaposed with some choice words evoking the season’s mood–“jungle mood,” “tribal amulet,” and “barefoot in the jungle” among others. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You might remember H&M’s “Coolest Monkey In The Jungle” hoodie from 2018, which was photographed on a young black boy, and recalled a legacy of simianized representations of Black people as apes and monkeys. Ditto Prada’s “Otto” keychains which caused a scandal later that same year and in the months prior, an incident with Gucci’s blackface balaclava. It was a rough year for fashion brands, but it hasn’t stopped. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Marni’s new campaign is more nuanced, but no less problematic. With the models styled in a smorgasbord of ethnic accessories like Bayong wood necklaces from the Philippines, Caribbean woven grass hats, and other non-descript wooden jewelry (none of which are Marni), the images begin alluding to racist, colonial stereotypes of Black people as primitive, uncivilized, and unmodern people. One model is even painted in clay, evoking tribal bodypaint. In another image that’s since been deleted from the brand’s Instagram account, a link of chains near the model’s feet resulted in some terrible shackle-like optics. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It becomes a more layered conversation though, when you discover the photographer Edgar Azevedo is Afro-Brazilian. Meanwhile Giovanni Bianco, the art director, is Brazilian-Italian. Was something lost in translation? More context provided by the brand to explain the vision and collaboration with the photographer could have helped in this situation, but needless to say, the damage was done when the marketing team decided on those words. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ These stereotypes are just some of the ways the institution of white supremacy has oppressed, dehumanized, and deprived Black people of their human rights. For yet another fashion brand to reflect these tropes further proves the work that needs to be done to dismantle the pervasive racism throughout the world.

A post shared by Diet Prada ™ (@diet_prada) on Jul 28, 2020 at 9:07am PDT

Tal ha sido la lluvia de críticas, que la firma ha retirado todas las imágenes de esta campaña de sus redes sociales y en su lugar ha publicado un comunicado en el que pide disculpas si ha podido herir la sensibilidad de alguien:

«En Marni, nos disculpamos profundamente por el daño y la ofensa que ha causado nuestra última campaña. Lo que pretendía ser una campaña que celebrara la belleza de la cultura afrobrasileña a través de la perspectiva del fotógrafo brasileño Edgard Azevedo llegó a buen término habiendo tenido el impacto contrario. Nuestros descuidos durante el proceso de revisión son inaceptables, y por eso, lo sentimos muchísimo. El equipo de Marni está apasionadamente comprometido en la defensa de la inclusión y la celebración de la belleza de diversas culturas en todo el mundo. A medida que nos esforzamos por crear un mundo más equitativo, a través de la moda y la humanidad compartida, lamentamos sinceramente que nuestros esfuerzos hayan causado más dolor. Eliminamos de inmediato estas imágenes y estamos redoblando nuestros esfuerzos para garantizar que nuestros procesos se lleven a cabo con consideración e intencionalidad a través de una sólida lente de equidad. Todo nuestro personal se ha comprometido a utilizar este momento como una oportunidad para aprovechar nuestra plataforma para apoyar y empoderar a más voces y creadores negros cuyo talento y conocimientos son fundamentales para crear una industria de la moda más inclusiva y diversa», han explicado desde la firma.

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At Marni, we are deeply apologetic for the harm and offense that our latest campaign has caused. What was intended to be a campaign that celebrated the beauty of the Afro-Brazilian culture through the perspective of Brazilian photographer Edgard Azevedo came to fruition having had the opposite impact. Our oversights across the review process are unacceptable – and for that, we are incredibly sorry. The team at Marni is passionately committed to championing inclusivity and celebrating the beauty of diverse cultures throughout the world. As we endeavor to create a more equitable world, through fashion and shared humanity, we sincerely regret that our efforts caused further pain. We have immediately removed these images and we are redoubling our efforts to ensure our processes are carried out with thoughtfulness and intentionality through a strong equity lens. Our entire staff is committed to using this moment as an opportunity to leverage our platform to support and empower more voices and creators of color whose talent and insights are instrumental in creating a more inclusive and diverse fashion industry.

A post shared by Marni (@marni) on Jul 29, 2020 at 5:06pm PDT

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