一波未平一波又起：Alessandro Michele為Gucci種族歧視事件道歉

一波未平，一波又起。時尚界種族歧視風波已不新鮮，繼早前報導Prada宣布全面下架品牌推出名為Otto的猴子卡通產品，日前再有品牌涉及種族歧視爭議。今次主角卻是提倡平權多元化意識的Gucci。相比起以往品牌做法，Gucci果斷下架產品同時發出聲明，創意總監 Alessandro Michele其後向公司內部發表道歉信。到底事件發生什麼事，我們且聽聽品牌解釋。

Gucci種族歧視事件與Prada昔日遭遇相似，全因為品牌所設計名為Balaclava的黑色長袖高領毛衣。心水清的你會發現這件嘴唇高領毛衣與Gucci去年天橋款式相似，好端端的設計怎麼會事隔多天才起爭議？問題是那件誇張紅嘴唇配黑色長袖高領毛衣設計刻意讓穿衣者露出嘴巴，紅唇及黑毛衣造型恰恰與扮黑臉（blackface）形象相近，因而引發嘲諷非裔人士的紅唇與深膚色特徵的爭論。

一名非洲裔美國時尚博主把這款高領毛衣放到社交媒體，並寫上（Happy Black History Month y’all）等諷刺字眼。相比起Otto 猴子種族歧視事件網民一面倒的反應，不少人為Alessandro Michele抱不平指出博主反應過激，更有網民搞笑回應指：「讓人感覺不舒服是這件價值890美元毛衣昂貴的價格吧！」然而Gucci對事件的高度關注程度遠超大家所想，品牌為平息種族歧視風波快速下架相關產品。其後品牌發表聲明指出為此無意冒犯而致歉，同時確保這款商品將會從所有門店下架。不久後再度發出聲明指會承諾提升內部的多元化意識，把今次事件作為Gucci 團隊日後前車可鑑的教訓。

事情風波持續擴大，連創意總監 Alessandro Michele也為今次品牌種族爭議向公品內部發表道歉信，內容指出自己當初設計這件毛衣理念源自怪誕藝術家Leigh Bowery，他天馬行空的行為藝術成為品牌致敬讚美原因。但卻沒想到這種創意會引發種族歧視爭議，Alessandro Michele也為此感到很悲傷難過。信件強調他非刻意所為並願意為事年負上全部責任並致歉。同時他指出品牌不但會下架商品同時會加強員工的多元文化意識教育。畢竟品牌打著多元化為複興的核心口號，難怪會嚴肅看待事件。

“Dear Colleagues,

I feel the need to write you all these few words to give a name to the pain of these days: my own and that of the people who saw in one of my creative projects an intolerable insult.

It’s important for me to let you know that the jumper actually had very specific references, completely different from what was ascribed instead. It was a tribute to Leigh Bowery, to his camouflage art, to his ability to challenge the bourgeois conventions and conformism, to his eccentricity as a performer, to his extraordinary vocation to masquerade meant as a hymn to freedom.

The fact that, contrarily to my intentions, that turtle-neck jumper evoked a racist imagery causes me the greatest grief. But I am aware that sometimes our actions can end up with causing unintentional effects. It is therefore necessary taking full accountability for these effects.

For this reason our company immediately apologized and withdraw the garment that produced such controversies. As you may have read from Marco in his letter, we are putting in place a series of immediate actions across the world that will increase inclusivity, diversity, participation and cultural awareness at any level and in any workplace. We are truly committed in facing what happened as a crucial learning moment for everybody.

I’ve always fought to grant myself and any other the possibility to be different. I’ve hardly been through this fight all over my personal life and I later brought it into my work. Here I always tried to give citizenship’s right to the traditionally marginalized, to those who felt unrepresented, to those that history silenced or made believe they were worthless.

My aim, in which personal and political are intimately interwoven, has always been to turn the pain into a chant. Therefore I’ve always worked to let alternative imageries loaded with joyful inclusion emerge. Imageries able to celebrate diversity in every form. Imageries able to favour empowerment and self-determination processes. This is who I am and these are the things I believe in.

I really shelter the suffer of all I have offended. And I am heartfully sorry for this hurt. I hope I can rely on the understanding of those who know me and can acknowledge the constant tension towards the celebration of diversity that has always shaped my work. This is the only celebration I’m willing to stand for.”

值得大家反思的是時尚大牌何以頻繁惹上歧視風波？明白時尚品牌向來喜愛舊立新而主力把新穎設計手法吸引消息者的眼光。然而走在資訊科技爆炸的年代，品牌全球性影響力絕對不容忽視。以往快時尚巨頭H&M因為種族歧視而陷入輿論無法自保，品牌對種族主義色彩的設計應該俱有全面敏感意識，從根本解決問題。