Bstroy Spring/Summer 2020 Controversy
Bstroy Spring/Summer 2020 Controversy
Via Twitter
On September 15, US streetwear brand Bstroy presented its Samsara collection in New York. The collection, which showed hoodies with school names and bullet holes in them has sparked major controversy all over social media. The hoodies featured the school names: Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas and Columbine. These are all schools that have been victims of the devastating effects of school shootings. Upon first glance, the hoodies seem to mock victims of mass shootings however the founders and designers of the brand say otherwise. "We wanted to make a comment on gun violence and the type of gun violence that needs preventative attention and what its origins are, while also empowering the survivors of tragedy through storytelling in the clothes,": is what co-founder Brick Owens told Today in regards to the major backlash Bstroy has received. Statements made by the brand have not stopped people from taking to social media to voice their opinions on Bstroy’s insensitivity.
Delaney Tarr, a survivor of the Parkland, Florida shooting wrote on Twitter; “So this is fucking disgusting. Unacceptable. Bullet holes? People died. People DIED. Jesus.”
This of course, is not the first controversy created by fashion brands however it may be one of the most offensive displays in streetwear this year. It is not uncommon that brands use controversial imagery to create conversations about themselves in the media. It may not have necessarily been the intention, however before this scandal I had not heard of the New-York based brand and I am sure a lot of other people are in the same boat.
For me personally, a question regarding this issue arises: “should fashion brands be allowed to make controversial statements and not suffer the consequences?” This question arises because although many people were offended by the hoodies, (and my condolences go out to all the people negatively affected by gun violence) we must remember that fashion is a creative art and when making socio-political statements there will always be a group of people that take offence. The designers who created the hoodies are Black men who felt it was important to point out that Black men are often ostracized in both society and fashion. They claimed that they saw the collection as avant-garde. We must ask ourselves; If it had been a big brand like Off-White or Supreme, would the collection have received as much backlash? And where do we draw the line between avant-garde and offensive or distasteful?
K. Iruwa
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