The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, has issued an apology after putting on a runway show that many have called racist.
With their models donning “Monkey Ears and Lips”, the runway show was, what many called – visually disturbing and insensitive.
The show was held earlier this month on Feb 7, to celebrate this year’s graduates of the New York-based college’s Master of Fine Arts program.
The resemblance to historically racist caricatures was what appalled people the most about the whole showing and soon after criticism started pouring in, the institution issued a formal apology.
President Joyce F. Brown issued the formal apology on the institute’s official Instagram page:
“Currently, it does not appear that the original intent of the design, the use of accessories or the creative direction of the show was to make a statement about race. However, it is now glaringly obvious that has been the outcome. For that, we apologize — to those who participated in the show, to students, and to anybody who has been offended by what they saw.”
Read his full statement below (click on next image):