Burberry apologises for 'suicide' hoodie with noose knot

The chief executive and chief creative officer of luxury fashion powerhouse Burberry have apologized for putting a hoodie with strings tied in the shape of a noose on their London Fashion Week runway.

The knotted strings surfaced after Sunday's show when a model hired to walk (but not wear the outfit) complained both before the show and on Instagram, saying the noose not only evoked lynchings but also suicide.

Model wearing a creation by Burberry at the Autumn/Winter 2019 fashion week runway show in London. The chief executive and chief creative officer of luxury powerhouse Burberry have apologized for putting a hoodie with strings tied in the shape of a noose on their London Fashion Week runway. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Marco Gobbetti, the brand's CEO, said in a statement Tuesday that Burberry is "deeply sorry for the distress" the top has caused and has removed it from the autumn-winter collection, along with all images featuring the look.

Riccardo Tisci, Burberry's creative director, also apologized, saying "while the design was inspired by a nautical theme, I realize that it was insensitive."

Model Liz Kennedy took to Instagram the day of the show, posting a photo of the hoodie with a long message directed at Burberry and Tisci.

"Suicide is not fashion," 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.

A post shared by 🦎(@liz.kennedy_) on Feb 17, 2019 at 9:51am PST

She added, "Let's not forget about the horrifying history of lynching either."

Her post has prompted dozens of negative social media comments directed at Burberry and Tisci.

The collection, called "Tempest," is Tisci's second for the brand. The clothes were a mix of classic, severely tailored ensembles to more trendy street-inspired looks aimed at younger consumers.

Kennedy and other critics said the company should have known better.

"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. Feeling as though I was right back where I was when I was going through an experience with suicide in my family," Kennedy wrote on Instagram.

She said she asked to speak to somebody about it and was told 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.'"

Gobbetti said he called Kennedy to apologize as soon as he became aware of her concerns on Monday.

"The experience Ms. Kennedy describes does not reflect who we are and our values. We will reflect on this, learn from it and put in place all necessary actions to ensure it does not happen again."