Periodically, fashion has its Zoolander moments—those idiotic decisions by arbiters of the industry that trivialize real human suffering for the sake of controversy.

In the 2001 parody movie there was the homeless-inspired Derelicte clothing line. In real life, there was the Duncan Quinn ad with the woman being choked, the Calvin Klein child pornography campaign, and now the latest: Vogue's slave earrings.

In this month's Italian edition of the magazine, a trend story on hoop earrings bares the headline "Slave Earrings." The text accompanying the image of a model wearing the circular jewelry reads: "If the name brings to the mind the decorative traditions of the women of colour who were brought to the southern United States during the slave trade, the latest interpretation is pure freedom.”

Sorry Vogue, but America's horrific history of oppression and human torture can't be treated with the same cavalier proclamation, as say, bell bottoms making a comeback. The topic of slavery never was and never will be fair-game fodder for fashion. The Twitter universe made that abundantly clear on Monday as hoards of comments like "insanely offensive" and "What the f--- were they thinking?" flooded the social networking site. Finally, Italian Vogue's editors got a clue. Sort of.

"We apologize for the inconvenience. It is a matter of really bad translation from Italian into English," the magazine's editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani said in a statement to press."The Italian word, which defines those kind of earrings, should instead be translated into 'ethnic style earrings'. Again, we are sorry about this mistake which we have just amended in the website."

If the word "inconvenience" wasn't enough compelling evidence, the title change from "Slave Earrings" to "Ethnic Earrings" on the magazine's English translated website, was a tip-off to readers that something still wasn't connecting for the fashion bible's Italian staff. "It's equally frightening that the high fashion magazine, would find the two words–slave and ethnic–interchangeable," writes Fashionista's Hayley Phelan.

By Monday evening, the entire article was finally removed from the sight and replaced with the following text: "We've decided to remove the article from the site to prove our good faith and to show it wasn't our intention to insult anyone."

But for many, the damage is already done. If fashion is about controlling how people perceive you, and Vogue is the world's fashion bible, their Italian editors are in no position to be dispensing any advice. Right now, they're perceived as clueless.

[Edited 8/23/11 17:13pm]

Who knew slaves were so doggone fashionable.

I can't even believe

Aww, man. I already posted this in your other "Hot Mess" thread!!

*waits for them to start "Holocaust Chic" *

oh they got that shyt from me hell...i been a slave for years now...an intellectual slave...

HotGritz said:

I can't even believe

I've worked with Italian editorial for years and have had the opportunity to work in that realm of high fashion. I've lived in Italy as well, and in all sincerity, these people just simply have no clue about the layers and complexities of American history, and especially not of Black Americans. The irony is that I can say with absolute certainty that (native) Italians are crazy about the Black-American and African aesthetic. They go mad for our African American cultural contributions (music, painters, etc.) but there is a genuine naivete in them that's as if they almost see us as having one day just sprouted out the ground like Cabbage Patch kids- suddenly Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin just magically appeared out of nowhere dressed in evening gowns with world adulation at their feet. No clue about their background, no clue about the eras they lived in or the difficulties they faced, nothing.

We have to remember that the Italian way of viewing the world is very insular - they know very little of America beyond a kind of Coca-Cola ideal we've imported to them with a century of advertising, and they pay not even much attention beyond the countries that immediately surround them (France, Germany, Spain, and those of Northern Africa). I think to have an Italian understand the raw feeling associated with their use of the word slave, one would have to say...explain to a Northern Italian that this time in America's history was comparable say, to how Napoleon treated Lombardians, or- to randomly suggest the beauty benefits of castor oil to a modern day Italian (the very mention of the word castor oil is taboo in many parts of Italian society because of its use as a torture aid under Mussolini's during World War II).

Yeah. It's complicated.

PippiL said:

*waits for them to start "Holocaust Chic" *

Well, being that they actually were a part of that war and era, they more readily have emotional and psychological access to that experience- so thankfully that won't happen.

What's interesting is that this is not the first time I've seen something termed as slave jewelry. "Slave Earrings" have been around for a long time, but from the aesthetic and shape of the earring it usually stems from the style of slaves in ancients courts in (Holy Land locales). There's also that obnoxious chain earring thing that seems to be making a comeback that's always been known as a slave earring (I think I remember Prince wearing one quite often in the 90's when he was performing as Symbol Man- it used to irritate me- but in retrospect maybe he was making a subtle statement about his status as a "SLAVE" to Warner Bros....actually I'm more inclined to believe that he just has horrendous taste in jewelry, but still...).

Even the chain known as "slave earring" goes fairly far back in (modern) history at least. If you really want to see something blatantly offensive we have no further to look than our own fashion spreads of the 40's...such a blatant slap in the face to the pain of our history, I can't chalk this one up to ignorance:

Ottensen said:

PippiL said:

*waits for them to start "Holocaust Chic" *

Well, being that they actually were a part of that war and era, they more readily have emotional and psychological access to that experience- so thankfully that won't happen.

Yeah, I'm fairly confident we won't see Holocaust Chic any time soon, but not for those reasons. I think it's for the same reasons that people say the descendants of slaves should just 'get over it' - that the Holocaust is seen as more important, more poignant, more tragic, and more worthy of respect. So that line would never be crossed there.

So what's next? They trying to resurrect the 80's doorknocker earrings and put that on their "ethnic line"?

Ottensen said:

HotGritz said:

I can't even believe

I've worked with Italian editorial for years and have had the opportunity to work in that realm of high fashion. I've lived in Italy as well, and in all sincerity, these people just simply have no clue about the layers and complexities of American history, and especially not of Black Americans. The irony is that I can say with absolute certainty that (native) Italians are crazy about the Black-American and African aesthetic. They go mad for our African American cultural contributions (music, painters, etc.) but there is a genuine naivete in them that's as if they almost see us as having one day just sprouted out the ground like Cabbage Patch kids- suddenly Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin just magically appeared out of nowhere dressed in evening gowns with world adulation at their feet. No clue about their background, no clue about the eras they lived in or the difficulties they faced, nothing.

We have to remember that the Italian way of viewing the world is very insular - they know very little of America beyond a kind of Coca-Cola ideal we've imported to them with a century of advertising, and they pay not even much attention beyond the countries that immediately surround them (France, Germany, Spain, and those of Northern Africa). I think to have an Italian understand the raw feeling associated with their use of the word slave, one would have to say...explain to a Northern Italian that this time in America's history was comparable say, to how Napoleon treated Lombardians, or- to randomly suggest the beauty benefits of castor oil to a modern day Italian (the very mention of the word castor oil is taboo in many parts of Italian society because of its use as a torture aid under Mussolini's during World War II).

Yeah. It's complicated.

Europeans have as little understanding for American history as Americans have for European. The experiences of slavery in Europe have been very diverse and different to those in America.

I think the ignorance goes both ways.

Ottensen said:

HotGritz said:

I can't even believe

I've worked with Italian editorial for years and have had the opportunity to work in that realm of high fashion. I've lived in Italy as well, and in all sincerity, these people just simply have no clue about the layers and complexities of American history, and especially not of Black Americans. The irony is that I can say with absolute certainty that (native) Italians are crazy about the Black-American and African aesthetic. They go mad for our African American cultural contributions (music, painters, etc.) but there is a genuine naivete in them that's as if they almost see us as having one day just sprouted out the ground like Cabbage Patch kids- suddenly Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin just magically appeared out of nowhere dressed in evening gowns with world adulation at their feet. No clue about their background, no clue about the eras they lived in or the difficulties they faced, nothing.

We have to remember that the Italian way of viewing the world is very insular - they know very little of America beyond a kind of Coca-Cola ideal we've imported to them with a century of advertising, and they pay not even much attention beyond the countries that immediately surround them (France, Germany, Spain, and those of Northern Africa). I think to have an Italian understand the raw feeling associated with their use of the word slave, one would have to say...explain to a Northern Italian that this time in America's history was comparable say, to how Napoleon treated Lombardians, or- to randomly suggest the beauty benefits of castor oil to a modern day Italian (the very mention of the word castor oil is taboo in many parts of Italian society because of its use as a torture aid under Mussolini's during World War II).

Yeah. It's complicated.

Thanks Ottie. And I understand how this could be the case on an individual basis. But what doesn't make sense to me at ALL, is the number of people in this internationally known publication that deals with advertising and marketing on a world-class level, who would have to review and ultimately approve this copy and NOBODY raised enough of a stink to cause the decision makers pause??? Or if someone did, they still didn't give a fuck.

paisleypark4 said:

...Then they wonder why we stay mad

See . . .

Ottensen said:

HotGritz said:

I can't even believe

I've worked with Italian editorial for years and have had the opportunity to work in that realm of high fashion. I've lived in Italy as well, and in all sincerity, these people just simply have no clue about the layers and complexities of American history, and especially not of Black Americans. The irony is that I can say with absolute certainty that (native) Italians are crazy about the Black-American and African aesthetic. They go mad for our African American cultural contributions (music, painters, etc.) but there is a genuine naivete in them that's as if they almost see us as having one day just sprouted out the ground like Cabbage Patch kids- suddenly Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin just magically appeared out of nowhere dressed in evening gowns with world adulation at their feet. No clue about their background, no clue about the eras they lived in or the difficulties they faced, nothing.

We have to remember that the Italian way of viewing the world is very insular - they know very little of America beyond a kind of Coca-Cola ideal we've imported to them with a century of advertising, and they pay not even much attention beyond the countries that immediately surround them (France, Germany, Spain, and those of Northern Africa). I think to have an Italian understand the raw feeling associated with their use of the word slave, one would have to say...explain to a Northern Italian that this time in America's history was comparable say, to how Napoleon treated Lombardians, or- to randomly suggest the beauty benefits of castor oil to a modern day Italian (the very mention of the word castor oil is taboo in many parts of Italian society because of its use as a torture aid under Mussolini's during World War II).

Yeah. It's complicated.

Its complicated and quite sad. But I suppose they wouldn't bother to learn much about American history yet alone African-American history since America is still pretty much the new kid on the block

HotGritz said:

Ottensen said:

I've worked with Italian editorial for years and have had the opportunity to work in that realm of high fashion. I've lived in Italy as well, and in all sincerity, these people just simply have no clue about the layers and complexities of American history, and especially not of Black Americans. The irony is that I can say with absolute certainty that (native) Italians are crazy about the Black-American and African aesthetic. They go mad for our African American cultural contributions (music, painters, etc.) but there is a genuine naivete in them that's as if they almost see us as having one day just sprouted out the ground like Cabbage Patch kids- suddenly Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin just magically appeared out of nowhere dressed in evening gowns with world adulation at their feet. No clue about their background, no clue about the eras they lived in or the difficulties they faced, nothing.

We have to remember that the Italian way of viewing the world is very insular - they know very little of America beyond a kind of Coca-Cola ideal we've imported to them with a century of advertising, and they pay not even much attention beyond the countries that immediately surround them (France, Germany, Spain, and those of Northern Africa). I think to have an Italian understand the raw feeling associated with their use of the word slave, one would have to say...explain to a Northern Italian that this time in America's history was comparable say, to how Napoleon treated Lombardians, or- to randomly suggest the beauty benefits of castor oil to a modern day Italian (the very mention of the word castor oil is taboo in many parts of Italian society because of its use as a torture aid under Mussolini's during World War II).

Yeah. It's complicated.

Its complicated and quite sad. But I suppose they wouldn't bother to learn much about American history yet alone African-American history since America is still pretty much the new kid on the block

I agree with you that's an ignorant action.

However, it's not that American really know European history, now do they? Probably the majority of Americans couldn't point Italy on the map, let alone name and point out 5 European countries. The ignorance about different histories of the different subcultures in America is comparable to general American ignorance of the existance of countries and cultures outside America. Or do you think that there is less ignorance among Americans about different subcultures in Europe?

HotGritz said:

Ottensen said:

I've worked with Italian editorial for years and have had the opportunity to work in that realm of high fashion. I've lived in Italy as well, and in all sincerity, these people just simply have no clue about the layers and complexities of American history, and especially not of Black Americans. The irony is that I can say with absolute certainty that (native) Italians are crazy about the Black-American and African aesthetic. They go mad for our African American cultural contributions (music, painters, etc.) but there is a genuine naivete in them that's as if they almost see us as having one day just sprouted out the ground like Cabbage Patch kids- suddenly Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin just magically appeared out of nowhere dressed in evening gowns with world adulation at their feet. No clue about their background, no clue about the eras they lived in or the difficulties they faced, nothing.

We have to remember that the Italian way of viewing the world is very insular - they know very little of America beyond a kind of Coca-Cola ideal we've imported to them with a century of advertising, and they pay not even much attention beyond the countries that immediately surround them (France, Germany, Spain, and those of Northern Africa). I think to have an Italian understand the raw feeling associated with their use of the word slave, one would have to say...explain to a Northern Italian that this time in America's history was comparable say, to how Napoleon treated Lombardians, or- to randomly suggest the beauty benefits of castor oil to a modern day Italian (the very mention of the word castor oil is taboo in many parts of Italian society because of its use as a torture aid under Mussolini's during World War II).

Yeah. It's complicated.

Its complicated and quite sad. But I suppose they wouldn't bother to learn much about American history yet alone African-American history since America is still pretty much the new kid on the block

But how much history does one REALLY need to know to understand naming an accessory after one of the horrible events in HUMAN history, fuck American history, is at the least distateful. I don't think that is complicated at all.

SCNDLS said:

HotGritz said:

Its complicated and quite sad. But I suppose they wouldn't bother to learn much about American history yet alone African-American history since America is still pretty much the new kid on the block

But how much history does one REALLY need to know to understand naming an accessory after one of the horrible events in HUMAN history, fuck American history, is at the least distateful. I don't think that is complicated at all.

Agree

dJJ said:

Probably the majority of Americans couldn't point Italy on the map,

Come on now, if there is one European country anyone in the world would recognize on a map, it's Italy with its boot shape.

sextonseven said:

dJJ said:

Probably the majority of Americans couldn't point Italy on the map,

Come on now, if there is one European country anyone in the world would recognize on a map, it's Italy with its boot shape.

sexton u do have a point.

HotGritz said:

sextonseven said:

Come on now, if there is one European country anyone in the world would recognize on a map, it's Italy with its boot shape.

sexton u do have a point.

true. I chose a pretty bad example to make my point.

Ottensen said:

HotGritz said:

I can't even believe

I've worked with Italian editorial for years and have had the opportunity to work in that realm of high fashion. I've lived in Italy as well, and in all sincerity, these people just simply have no clue about the layers and complexities of American history, and especially not of Black Americans. The irony is that I can say with absolute certainty that (native) Italians are crazy about the Black-American and African aesthetic. They go mad for our African American cultural contributions (music, painters, etc.) but there is a genuine naivete in them that's as if they almost see us as having one day just sprouted out the ground like Cabbage Patch kids- suddenly Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin just magically appeared out of nowhere dressed in evening gowns with world adulation at their feet. No clue about their background, no clue about the eras they lived in or the difficulties they faced, nothing.

We have to remember that the Italian way of viewing the world is very insular - they know very little of America beyond a kind of Coca-Cola ideal we've imported to them with a century of advertising, and they pay not even much attention beyond the countries that immediately surround them (France, Germany, Spain, and those of Northern Africa). I think to have an Italian understand the raw feeling associated with their use of the word slave, one would have to say...explain to a Northern Italian that this time in America's history was comparable say, to how Napoleon treated Lombardians, or- to randomly suggest the beauty benefits of castor oil to a modern day Italian (the very mention of the word castor oil is taboo in many parts of Italian society because of its use as a torture aid under Mussolini's during World War II).

Yeah. It's complicated.

Very true. Their knowledge of geography, history and foreign languages is very poor, generally speaking. They're a big nation so they probably think they can allow themselves to be ignorant when it comes to certain things. That's how I explain this lack of knowledge to myself.

And yes, I know about the oil, people in my area were torchured by Mussolini's people that way too.

Would it have been wrong to call them French Hoop earings? How about Irish Hoop earings?

Slaves had their own culture and made that culture out of pure nothing. They made american Southern food. That is Slave's creativity. The fact that they were slaves is because others kidnapped them,sold them, breed them and made them so. it is not offensive to say they were slaves and not willing imigrants from a country in Africa.

They are one of the most stunning cultures on this planet fucken ever in history!!!!

Yes, Name another culture that has affected the cultures of the world and yet has no land, no government no army and no official leader of their own.

Obama is not a descendant of slaves. His wife is. I hate the way other blacks put slaves and their decendants down. There are not many peoples in history that have done so much with so very little. Yes they had style in all things, and their style was fabulous enough for rich people to copy them!!!!! They were Saul from the bible times a million.

Fuck anybody who thinks they were less then because they were kidnapped and breed.

I honestly think they sit a lot higher in heaven then most of us will ever see.

dJJ said:

HotGritz said:

Its complicated and quite sad. But I suppose they wouldn't bother to learn much about American history yet alone African-American history since America is still pretty much the new kid on the block

I agree with you that's an ignorant action.

However, it's not that American really know European history, now do they? Probably the majority of Americans couldn't point Italy on the map, let alone name and point out 5 European countries. The ignorance about different histories of the different subcultures in America is comparable to general American ignorance of the existance of countries and cultures outside America. Or do you think that there is less ignorance among Americans about different subcultures in Europe?

What relevance does American familiarity with European subcultures have to do with Italian Vogue's piece? Would a Kentucky Wal-Mart cashier's unfamiliarity with France's Roma population (or efforts to relocate them) really have bearing on the editorial decisions of Italian Vogue? If so, how?

Second, the stereotyping of Americans is always fascinating to me. It's always easy to dismiss Americans as loud, obnoxious cads who only speak English and while ignoring American journalists who risk their lives to be correspondents in Europe or academics who study European history. How many of those latter American professionals must there be before it's suddenly more difficult to assert the premise of American ignorance?

I just think using a supposed American ignorance as justification or absolution for marginalizing Americans' suffering is a really shakey premise.

[Edited 8/27/11 20:11pm]

ThreadBare said:

dJJ said:

I agree with you that's an ignorant action.

However, it's not that American really know European history, now do they? Probably the majority of Americans couldn't point Italy on the map, let alone name and point out 5 European countries. The ignorance about different histories of the different subcultures in America is comparable to general American ignorance of the existance of countries and cultures outside America. Or do you think that there is less ignorance among Americans about different subcultures in Europe?

What relevance does American familiarity with European subcultures have to do with Italian Vogue's piece? Would a Kentucky Wal-Mart cashier's unfamiliarity with France's Roma population (or efforts to relocate them) really have bearing on the editorial decisions of Italian Vogue? If so, how?

Second, the stereotyping of Americans is always fascinating to me. It's always easy to dismiss Americans as loud, obnoxious cads who only speak English and while ignoring American journalists who risk their lives to be correspondents in Europe or academics who study European history. How many of those latter American professionals must there be before it's suddenly more difficult to assert the premise of American ignorance?

I just think using a supposed American ignorance as justification or absolution for marginalizing Americans' suffering is a really shakey premise.

[Edited 8/27/11 20:11pm]

I really think you need to come to Dallas so I can help you work through some thangs.

ThreadBare said:

... and while ignoring American journalists who risk their lives to be correspondents in Europe ...

I guess Vogue (Italy) ignores its own history and its part in it slave trade throughout history. Hello people!!

I don't get it? Why glamorize a part of your OWN ugly past? I hate that people - IGNORANT people try to make this an issue that only affect African Americans. Italians shouldn't want to glorify or celebrate any wrong they attributed to in its own history. Their hands are bloody too. Many if not all the European countries profited and gained from the slave trade until Brittian stood up and helped to abolish trading routes on the high seas... the story of Amistad rings a bell.

I guess I don't know much about geography of Asian countires, but at least I know more than many people who forget that slavery that brought the Africans to the Americas was a world wide and ongoing atrocity that went on for CENUTURIES.

How ignorant does one have to be not to care? I think they know they just choose NOT to care.

There is nothing sexy about slavery.

Peter, a slave from Baton Rouge,

Guess Vogue should hire make-up artists to make welts on their models backs to complete the look! Oh... sooo sexay!!!

Yeah but, do you like the earrings or not?

http://www.elena-adams.com/slaveearrings.html

They are basic hoop earrings... nothing new. Guess Ms. Adams had to use a creative name to get attention for her boring jewelry.