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Zalando pull t-shirt accused of "resembling a drowning migrant"
5 March 2019, 13:47
The German clothing company have removed the t-shirt from their website.
Zalando are being blasted for selling a t-shirt that resembles a "drowning migrant". The white tee, which was created by Danish label Wood Wood, showed a black hand rising out of a pool of water.
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The t-shirt – which retails for £49.99 – was described as celebrating "the simple joys of the natural world" and was actually designed to represent the rising sea levels caused by global warming.
However, according to reports from the Daily Mail, the t-shirt received backlash for it's "disgusting and misanthropic" design. Some German Twitter users insisted it "celebrated" the migrant crisis, which has resulted in many drowning whilst trying to escape their native countries by boat.
Zalando have now removed the t-shirt and issued an apology, which read: "We took the t-shirt off our platform as we are aware the image is vulnerable to different interpretations. We apologise for any unintentional offence caused.
"At Zalando, we offer our customers the greatest possible variety of products. We respect the artistic freedom of brands and manufacturers.
Farbige Models, rassistische Mode?!@Zalando
— Regula Sterchi (@RegulaSterchi) February 28, 2019
Ihr seid ja bekannt für Unmenschlichkeit im Betrieb. Aber das Ertrinken farbiger Menschen mit einem T-Shirt zu feiern muss ganz einfach auch unter eurem Niveau liegen!
🤮🤮🤮#poc #rassismus #Zalando https://t.co/IisXEDu5GC pic.twitter.com/rxH1M2q1FP
"For all products offered on our platform, we want to ensure the careful and ethical handling of people, the environment and animals. All suppliers, factories and business partners must agree to our Code of Conduct.
"This is based on the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). As a European company, it is important for us to be mindful of discrimination and support diversity and internationality."
Meanwhile, Marketing & PR Manager for Wood Wood Morten Meldgaard, said: "Although we have the greatest of sympathy for the desperate situations of refugees, the print on the Wood Wood 'Hand' T-shirt is not related to the current crisis.
"The motive can, however, be seen as a comment to global warming and the acceleration in sea level rise. Thematically the Wood Wood Spring/Summer 2019 collection entitled The Outside revolves around the relation between humans and nature."