ADL blasts Urban Outfitters for tapestry 'eerily similar' to Holocaust uniform
If you were wondering how difficult it was not to make clothing reminiscent of horrific human rights violations in history, the designers at Urban Outfitters have shown it’s actually pretty difficult.
If you were wondering how difficult it was not to make clothing reminiscent of horrific human rights violations in history, the designers at Urban Outfitters have shown it actually must be pretty difficult.
Only months out from the vintage, seemingly "blood-spattered" Kent State sweatshirt debacle, the Philadelphia-headquartered retail chain is facing criticism for a home décor tapestry that is "eerily reminiscent" to the uniform gay men were forced to wear in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. The Anti-Defamation League has issued a statement urging Urban Outfitters to remove the wall hanging.
The tapestry has beige and gray stripes and sporadically placed pink triangles throughout. During the Holocaust, gay men were forced to wear uniforms with horizontal stripes and a pink triangular patch over the chest.
"Whether intentional or not, this gray and white stripped pattern and pink triangle combination is deeply offensive and should not be mainstreamed into popular culture," said ADL National Director and Holocaust survivor Abraham H. Foxman in the ADL press release.
According to the Washington Post, the tapestry was noticed at a Colorado Urban Outfitters and was being sold for $69 as part of the store's "Assembly Home" line.
Urban Outfitters been condemned for a plethora of different sartorial offenses from socks depicting the Hindu god Lord Ganesh to an offensive corporate email about an ethnically themed holiday party.
The corporation has even come under fire by the ADL in the past. In 2012, the ADL issued a letter to Urban Outfitters after noticing a t-shirt with the Star of David on it. Later, the designer of the shirt said it was never meant for sale.
A representative for the company has not returned an email for comment.