Burberry, a luxury fashion brand, has apologized for showcasing a noose around a white model’s neck  that premiered during London Fashion Week on Sunday.

The imagery was immediately blasted on social media for making a mockery of lynching and suicide. CEO Marco Gobbetti apologized for any distress.

“We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by one of the products that featured in our A/W 2019 runway collection,” Gobbetti said in a statement.

“Though the design was inspired by the marine theme that ran throughout the collection, it was insensitive and we made a mistake,” he added.

Creative Director Riccardo Tisci also made amends. He claimed it was inspired by a nautical theme but realizes now it was insensitive. The hoodie and images have since been removed from autumn-winter collection.

“While the design was inspired by a nautical theme, I realize that it was insensitive,” the designer said.

Liz Kennedy, a model who was a part of the show, blasted the brand for incorporating such imagery and felt the need to speak out in an Instagram post. She was initially told that it was just “fashion” and nobody would care.

“I had a brief conversation with someone but all that it entailed was ‘it’s fashion. Nobody cares about what’s going on in your personal life so just keep it to yourself,'” she wrote.

“It is not glamorous nor edgy and since this show is dedicated to the youth expressing their voice, here I go. Riccardo Tisci and everyone at Burberry it is beyond me how you could let a look resembling a noose hanging from a neck out on the runway.”

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@burberry @riccardotisci17 Suicide is not fashion. It is not glamorous nor edgy and since this show is dedicated to the youth expressing their voice, here I go. Riccardo Tisci and everyone at Burberry it is beyond me how you could let a look resembling a noose hanging from a neck out on the runway. How could anyone overlook this and think it would be okay to do this especially in a line dedicated to young girls and youth. The impressionable youth. Not to mention the rising suicide rates world wide. Let’s not forget about the horrifying history of lynching either. There are hundreds of ways to tie a rope and they chose to tie it like a noose completely ignoring the fact that it was hanging around a neck. A massive brand like Burberry who is typically considered commercial and classy should not have overlooked such an obvious resemblance. I left my fitting extremely triggered after seeing this look (even though I did not wear it myself). Feeling as though I was right back where I was when I was going through an experience with suicide in my family. Also to add in they briefly hung one from the ceiling (trying to figure out the knot) and were laughing about it in the dressing room. I had asked to speak to someone about it but the only thing I was told to do was to write a letter. I had a brief conversation with someone but all that it entailed was “it’s fashion. Nobody cares about what’s going on in your personal life so just keep it to yourself” well I’m sorry but this is an issue bigger than myself. The issue is not about me being upset, there is a bigger picture here of what fashion turns a blind eye to or does to gain publicity. A look so ignorantly put together and a situation so poorly handled. I am ashamed to have been apart of the show. #burberry. I did not post this to disrespect the designer or the brand but to simply express an issue I feel very passionate about.

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Others took note of how these brands have begun to possibly exploit black anger in order to draw more attention to their products.

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