Forever 21 is facing backlash after it used a white model to sell a “Wakanda Forever” sweater
No matter how many times clothing companies face criticism for cultural appropriation and racist messaging, it seems like they continue to make the same tone-deaf mistakes again and again. Brands from Dolce & Gabbana to Dior are routinely slammed for offensive ads, and Forever 21 is the latest clothing company to come under fire for insensitivity after it tweeted a picture of a white model wearing Black Panther gear (yes, really). Yesterday, December 18th, the clothing retailer tweeted an image of a pale, blonde model wearing a sweater that bore the phrase “Wakanda Forever” alongside an image of the superhero’s mask.
It didn’t take long for Twitter to notice that the image was problematic.
Several users cracked jokes about gentrification and pointed out that the guy in the sweater was more likely to be a colonizer.
Not even Wakanda can escape gentrification. @blavity @blackpanther @urbanintellectuals @forever21 #forever21 pic.twitter.com/XBwJyyUCk2
— Jesuorobo Enobakhare Jr (@Jesuorobo) December 18, 2018
@Forever21 really got the palest person they could find to model a Wakanda Forever sweater. I'm crying. https://t.co/0ycedJ2eI6
— Marc Spector (@Lyracet90) December 18, 2018
They got a super pale, blond, blue-eyed model in a Wakanda Forever sweater… 🤣🤣🤣
I wanna speak to your advertising department, @Forever21. Someone approved this and thought this was going to work. 😂 https://t.co/aWefYUeBfY
— Cops Are Absurd Here (@sanefacade) December 18, 2018
how the hell @Forever21 putting Eminem Jr. in the Wakanda Forever sweater.
— I should have become a watchmaker (@KyleMaurer) December 18, 2018
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Hey @Forever21 this ain’t it pic.twitter.com/D31C8gN7jv
— BMW the DJ (@BMWTHEDJ) December 18, 2018
Others rushed to Forever 21’s defense, arguing that everyone should be able to wear superhero movie merch.
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/1075193208680931334
People got mad because Forever 21 had a white male wearing a wakanda forever sweater 🤨 Y’all so aggravating and complain about everything. Like why can’t someone white be showcased wearing that ? Black panther is a marvel character created for any and everyone to enjoy RELAX
— The Phoenix (@LadyAvena) December 19, 2018
Yeah granted I get why on one hand how it looks bad but it’s ridiculous because Black Panther wasn’t just made for black people it was made for everyone to enjoy which is why Stan Lee made him, he didn’t make the character to divide people or make em feel like it’s about race…
— Raquel Schoebel (@RaquelSchoebel) December 19, 2018
HuffPost notes that the company later removed pictures featuring the model from its website and replaced them with photos of the sweater on its own. The brand also apologized.
"Forever 21 takes feedback on our products and marketing extremely seriously," the company told HuffPost in a statement. "We celebrate all superheroes with many different models of various ethnicities and apologize if the photo in question was offensive in any way."
This isn’t the first time the fashion company has caused offense (and eye rolls). In 2013, the clothing store was marketing “City of Compton” shirts with white models. Let’s hope Forever 21 puts more thought into the messaging behind the images on their site next time around.
