Been seeing folks pass this one around... Between exploitative labor practices and some well-documented accusations of stealing designs, I wouldn't really call Forever 21 a company that puts people first. But I guess that's not really stopping it from selling a crapload of clothes.
The latest WTF in Forever 21's inventory... Fashionista points out that the clothing chain is selling "Oriental Girl Necklace." [UPDATE: Looks like the necklace has been yanked from the Forever 21 website, but you can see a screenshot of the product page here.]
Yup, if you head over to the mall right now, you might find them selling these great little culturally insensitive accessories. But they're not just stopping there. Why not sell some Native American-inspired crap too? Sure: Forever 21 is Selling Native American Girl and 'Oriental Girl' Necklaces.
Even if that’s supposed to be tongue-in-cheek or something, it’s still idiotic and insensitive. There’s been a lot of controversy lately surrounding Native American-inspired apparel (which Forever 21 sells tons of), especially following Urban Outfitters’ latest scandal. To get you caught up, the Navajo Nation sent Urban Outfitters a cease and desist to stop selling merchandise labeled “Navajo” as it was infringing on their copyright. You would think that after seeing Urban Outfitters get into trouble (and offend an entire tribe in the process), other companies in the fashion industry might think to be a little more sensitive to this issue, or at least take a second look at their product and consider whether or not it might offend anyone (In fact, you would think large companies would do that anyway).Just another day at Forever 21. I am increasingly convinced that whoever's making these decisions does not know or just does not care.
