COMME des GARÇONS has apologized for dressing its white models in cornrow wigs at Paris Fashion Week. The statement comes after the Japanese brand drew considerable criticism on social media.
As Diet Prada noted, “the avant-garde Japanese label seemed to have taken a step back with their men’s show, this time putting white models in cornrow wigs.” The label’s decision appeared suspect, if not exceptionally wrong-footed, given how much recent discussion there has been surrounding black women's hair and cultural appropriation.
The incident quickly drew criticism from across social media, both for the incident itself, and the industry's lackluster response. Read some of the responses below.
In response to the backlash, COMME des GARÇONS issued the following statement to Dazed: “The inspiration for the headpieces for Comme des Garçons menswear FW’20 show was the look of an Egyptian prince. It was never ever our intention to disrespect or hurt anyone – we deeply and sincerely apologise for any offense it has caused.”
The hairstylist responsible for the wigs, Julien D, also took to Instagram to apologize. Read it below.
Curator, model, and sneaker designer, Kimberly Drew wrote that while lace front wigs can serve as sculptural objects, CDG's decision comes at a time when black culture continues to be mined for experiments.
