Many scandals rocked the fashion world in recent years, and some of them included public apologies. Whether it’s written by a PR representative or not, apologies don’t always fix the problem, no matter how heartfelt they are.
Check out a few big apologies in the fashion world, and find out if they worked or if the scandal continued with major consequences.
Giuliana Rancic’s Apology to Zendaya
After the E! personality made racially insensitive remarks about Zendaya’s hair at the 2020 Oscars, many were outraged. Giuliana joked that the singer looked like she smelled of “patchouli” and “weed”, despite behind the scenes protests from Fashion Police co-host Kelly Osbourne.
“I want to say to Zendaya, and anyone else out there that I have hurt, that I am so, so sincerely sorry,” Rancic explained, and her apology was accepted by Zendaya. However, Kelly Osbourne decided to leave “Fashion Police” after the scandal.
Stella McCartney’s Apology for Photo of Skinny Model
The English designer sparked outrage after posting a picture of a worryingly thin model on Instagram with the caption “worn well!!!”. Hundreds of negative comments later, it was replaced and followed by an apology from the brand: “It was a quick snap done backstage that was misleading. We listened to our followers and we took it down and replaced it. We can only apologize if we offended anyone.”
Designers Apologies for Using Raccoon Dog Fur Labeled as Fake
In the past decade, many designers have issued apologies for selling garments with racoon dog fur labeled as faux fur. Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, along with Jay Z’s Rocawear and Sean John, Diddy’s fashion label. While the first scandal was uncovered in 2020, in 2020 Kohl’s also had to apologize for the same issue after using real fur trimming.
Hugo Boss’s Apology for Nazi Uniforms
One of the big apologies in the fashion world was issued after the launch of a book that documented Hugo Boss’s involvement with forced labor in World War II. Between 1938 and 1945, the company supplied Nazi officers with uniforms. Even though the company has contributed to compensations for slave laborers in the past, this is one apology that bears repeating.
Kathie Lee Gifford’s Walmart Clothing Line
After discovering that her line of clothing sold exclusively at Walmart had been produced in sweatshops and child labor was involved, Kathie Lee Gifford immediately issued an apology. Her sincerity was evident when she later became a big activist against child labor and sweatshop abuses.
John Galliano’s Apology for Anti-Semitic Rant
In 2020, Dior cut tied with John Galliano after the designer was filmed drunk and making anti-semitic comments in a Paris cafe. “Anti-Semitism and racism have no part in our society. I unreservedly apologize for my behavior in causing any offense,” Galliano said, issuing one of the big apologies in the fashion world. After getting a measure of absolution from the Anti-Defamation League, the designer returned to the fashion world, working in 2020 with Oscar de la Renta and becoming creative director of Maison Martin Margiela in 2020.
Victoria’s Secret Many Apologies
The lingerie label has been involved in many scandals and had to issues apologies for a lot of reasons, from child labor to racial and cultural insensitivity. Some of the biggest scandals that demanded public apologies from VS including using a Native American headdress in their runways shows and for Fall Out Boy drummer Andy Hurley, who wore a Rising Sun t-shirt during the brand’s 2020 show, a symbol offensive to many Chinese and South Koreans.
Jean Touitou’s Apology for “Last N****s in Paris”
A.P.C. designer Jean Touitou lost out on a lucrative deal with Timberland, after making a racially insensitive comment that was supposed to express “the ‘hood meets Bertolucci’s movie ‘Last Tango in Paris’”. The scandal ended with one of the big apologies in the fashion world, but the collaboration was not renewed.
Karl Lagerfeld’s Apology to Adele
After calling singer Adele “a little too fat”, Karl Lagerfeld was also forced to issue one of the big apologies in the fashion world, explaining that he’s a big admirer and his remarks were taken out of context.
