Easy2Dress Racism?

Earlier this week I was scrolling my instagram feed when a picture posted by one of my favorite accounts, @Tuffmagazine, caught my eye. There was an attractive white man jumping rope in the middle of a boxing ring with a jersey inspired shirt reading... NIGGA 00. My first thought was “What the..?” This was blogger/model Mariano di Vaio in an Easy2Dress FW2014 campaign ad shot. Easy2Dress, an Italian based street wear brand that identifies themselves as creating “unconventional t-shirts & clothes”. But when does unconventional become disrespectful?

Despite the fact that many of Tuffmagazine and creator @akacharleswade followers sounded off in response to this coming to their attentions, but there were many people supporting the brand and model. Some saying that to Italians there is no negative connotation around the word, as if they are unaware of the origins of the word nigga. Though not all were saying that this made the concept and creation of this shirt okay, but that if you had no idea that a word was “bad” how would you know not to embrace it? 

Outside of America most American lingo people pick up is via American entertainment. This mostly consisting of movies and music. A few people pointed out that Italian youths only know the word because they hear their favorite rappers say it. Kanye, Drake, and the likes... so they only see it as a colloquial term for a friend, homie, etc. 

E2D Skull Indian Head 2013

Now there is no way I can believe that the designer of this brand had no idea of the roots in the word nigga, but say they did not, it would be their responsibility  to be aware of the terms they are using. Easy2Dress was in headlines last year for their insensitivity to the Native American culture because of a skull head Indian shirt in one of their 2013 collections. Which leads me to believe it is not that they are unaware as much as they think they are pushing the limits. Though the outcome Is at the expensive of the pride and inconsideration of another’s culture and experiences. Their ultimate goal is to turn a profit and build a name. 

Which brings me to the fact that they had to believe this item could sell to even put it on the market, and why would they think this? The urban experience has become a coveted lifestyle and image in the last decade.  With rappers wearing and endorsing high fashion brand name clothes in their songs and everyday attire the average urban youth looks to attain these same things. Leading to this generation of minorities that work and save up money to spend it on brands that have never tried or wanted to appeal to them.. until they noticed their money is still green. 

Now urban styled street wear has been all over the runways of top fashion houses internationally from Givenchy to Bailman. If the youth of Italy and the world is consuming these products because the mass pop culture is influencing them to do so, do we blame them for not being aware, or are we to blame for sweeping our past under the rug?

Everyone is always so worried about being politically correct that they don’t even bother addressing issues of racism. There is the quiet “Get over it” that has been whispered in the condescension of people who address racism interchangeably with slavery. But I am not talking about slavery, I am talking about the blatant disrespect to a culture. I know “we” have so called reclaimed the word but in a sense of only “we” are allowed to use it. I’m not sure where this mentality comes from but I know I use the word myself (black, white, native american), never in a demeaning way but I do still use it.

None the less to see anyone, of any color, use the word as propaganda for sales disgusts me. Let alone, that when they do and offend people, they don’t even bother to issue an apology or retract the item. 

All of this leads me right back here to us... America. Who do we truly blame? Not one major and hardly any independent blogs, magazines, shows, etc, nor any artists have shown any concern for this image and message being portrayed to millions of people internationally. In the grander scheme of things I see a slow exploitation of a culture that unnoticeably to most has been in the works for a while. Where those with access will steal and copy the talent and ideas of the poor to turn it into a product that they will resale to them at extreme inflations.

Why is it no major Hip-Hop artist has stood up to address this? Someone to tell their fans all over the world that there is a fine line not to be crossed when it comes to the urban american culture.  That it all derives from very sensitive roots and everything is more than just style and words. This is not suppose to be entertainment, this was born out of a need for expression. Yet it seems like the blues era all over again.

But who am I talking to? I digress. My whole point is… stay aware, stay opinionated, feel, stay vocal, use your freedom of speech and rights while we all still have them. Know the corporations only feed us what we will eat.

- Jessie Marie