The apparel outlet Urban Outfitters has once again caused some controversy with one of their products. This time it is an eerie tapestry that resembles the uniforms homosexual concentration camp victims were required to wear during the holocaust that has people outraged at the store.
Although the tapestry is not featured on the website it is allegedly available for sale in stores. Holocaust survivor and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham H. Foxman, had this to say about the ordeal,
“Whether intentional or not, this gray and white striped pattern and pink triangle combination is deeply offensive and should not be mainstreamed into popular culture...we urge Urban Outfitters to immediately remove the product eerily reminiscent of clothing forced upon the victims of the Holocaust from their stores and online”
Urban Outfitters is fairly familiar with being under fire for offensive merchandise. The store is constantly having their motives called into question when producing controversial products such as an “Eat Less” V-neck tee-shirt, a t-shirt with Star of David featured on a pocket, or the blood splattered Kent State sweatshirt, that all stirred up social media storms.
Although Urban Outfitters has not released a statement about their recent controversial product it has outraged a number of well-established organizations. Vice president of Communications at the Human Rights Campaign, Fred Sainz, voiced his opinion in a recent press release,
“Urban Outfitters has seized yet again on imagery of the Holocaust, one of the most abhorrent chapters in world history, in an appalling effort to attract attention; this is an affront to LGBT people, Holocaust survivors, their families, and anyone with an ounce of humanity.”
The store is continuously offending some group of people or another which has stirred up curiosity about whether or not the store’s tactics are somewhat strategic. The old saying goes, ‘there’s no such thing as bad publicity’ is this why Urban Outfitters has shown no effort to cease producing offensive merchandise? Jason Mudd, the president of Axia Public Relations certainly believes so. When being interviewed on the topic by NPR Mudd had this to say,
“It's happening too frequently to be an accident; it's certainly intentional, and perhaps part of their brand strategy and positioning.”
People who are offended by these disrespectful practices should feel relieved to know that Urban Outfitter’s sales have seen a decline. If their continuous release of controversial products is supposed to be a business strategy of some sort, it is not working. It seems that the general public will not stand for Urban Outfitter’s insensitivity.
