The death of George Floyd has certainly triggered political and communal unrest in the United States of America midst of a global pandemic. The fashion fraternity stood in unison against racial discrimination as many fashion houses and high-end brands pledged donations towards the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement despite their shops were vandalized and looted.

However, there were some fashion labels that came under the radar of Diet Prada for their racist actions in the past. Instagram’s infamous yet anonymous watchdog recently called out fashion brands like Loreal Paris, Salvatore Ferragamo, Celine and lent its support to those who have been calling out the high-end fashion labels that have posted solidarity messages but refused to act on it prior. Facing the flack this time around is the famous boho brand- Zimmermann.

DP called out Zimmerman for its anti-racist post that read a quote of Desmond Tutu, "If you are neutral in the situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor."

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by ZIMMERMANN (@zimmermann) on May 31, 2020 at 11:18pm PDT

Diet Prada called out the Australian brand after its anti-racist post on social media and shared the company’s internal ‘Grooming & Presentation Standards.’ These leaked guidelines revealed how the employees of Zimmermann were supposed to groom and present themselves at work.

 

 

 

 

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@zimmermann , another likely fave of Boho Karens worldwide, is under fire after throwing their hat into the performative allyship ring. As multiple former interns came forward with their experiences facing and witnessing anti-Black discrimination at the company, a telling brand guideline was leaked. In the “Grooming & Presentation Standards” portion of the retail employee manual, Black women are completely absent in favor of the likes of Olivia Palermo and various VS angels. This is actually an updated edition—the photos of Asian models were added only after employees raised complaints about its lack of diversity. The makeup portion features an exhaustive list of beauty products aimed at achieving a glow like Romee Strijd or Candace Swanepoel, but the hair section is where things get really problematic. By specifying that hair must be “soft, textured loose waves, or blow-dried straight”, while prohibiting “high buns, top knots, plaits, braids”, the language seems worded in a way to make it incredibly difficult for any Black employees to wear their hair natural or in accordance to their cultural identity. Ex-employees say this version of the guide circulated up until Sept. 2019. For reference, the NYC Commission on Human Rights issued new guidelines in Feb. 2019, stating that the targeting of people based on their hair or hairstyle will be considered racial discrimination. An updated version specified that hair could be worn in its natural state, but still prohibited buns, knots, and braids. In comments on the brand's post, former intern @desireejcelestin describes a high-level employee mocking a Black model’s hair, comparing it to a dust bunny she picked up off the floor. The model complained to her agency, and was temporarily dismissed until her agent resolved the issue. Zimmermann requested the model apologize. Other Black interns also came forward saying they weren’t allowed to attend the runway show because they “didn’t understand the brand”, while others attended. There's a slight silver lining to these hollow posts though—they’re exposing myriad injustices POC face in an industry that seems more rotten day by day. •

A post shared by Diet Prada ™ (@diet_prada) on Jun 8, 2020 at 1:06pm PDT

Recommended Read: Diet Prada lends support to stylist Jason Bolden and actor Tommy Dorfman as they call out brands Celine and Ferragamo for their ‘Black Lives Matter’ post

While the makeup section of the manual featured an exhaustive list of beauty products to achieve a radiant glow, the hair section, seemed to be a tad bit problematic. According to Diet Prada’s post, the retail brand mentioned that the hair must be worn in “soft, textured loose waves, or blow-dried straight with a centre or side part” while prohibiting “high buns, top knots, plaits, braids”, making it difficult for the black women to work for the brand while wearing their hair naturally. It also mentioned that ex-employees confirmed that this manual was in place till September 2019.

To top that, the brand’s former intern, Desiree Celestin, shed light on the incident where a high-level employee mocked a black model’s hair. Other black interns also complained that they weren’t allowed to attend the runway show because they didn’t understand the brand.

 

 

 

 

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Girl Gang: More from Story 3 of our Spring 20 Ready-to-Wear Collection. Explore and shop via the link in our bio. #ZimSpring20 #zimmermann

A post shared by ZIMMERMANN (@zimmermann) on May 26, 2020 at 12:30am PDT

Responding to these racist accusations, Zimmermann provided clarifications on the above-mentioned points. The brand’s spokesperson confirmed that they terminated the person who made racist remarks. “Management had been made aware of an incident in early 2019 and the contractor who made the remarks was immediately terminated," as reported by an international daily, Brisbane times.

(Left- to- right: Simone Zimmermann and Nicky Zimmermann)

Speaking of the manual, a source close to the fashion label clarified that the guideline shared by Diet Prada is an old version that had been replaced about 12 months ago. When asked founders Nicky and Simone Zimmermann why did they feel the need to address the lack of diversity only recently, they refused to comment.

Looks like we have a long way to go before becoming culturally and racially inclusive. What are your thoughts on this?

(Source- Brisbane Times)