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Harlem native and hip hop’s new I-say-what-I-want emcee, Azealia Banks, has never been shy about her opinion and never really cares who she pisses off. She recently took to Twitter to call out Italian fashion house, Dolce & Gabbana. Their spring 2013 collection catwalk was beyond controversial and slightly rude. The fashion house received tons of backlash from the media but, like everything in fashion, the news came and went.

MUST READ: Azealia Banks On Nicki Minaj: “I Don’t Believe ‘Rap Game’ Hierarchy…Sorry”

Even though D&G’s collection was brightly colored and filled with this season’s top trends, it was pretty hard to focus with the models dangling little black women wearing burlap dresses and plantation-ish cornucopias as headpieces on their ears. Dolce & Gabbana representatives eventually released a statement saying the accessories used (called Blackamoor) were inspired by their Sicilian roots.

I’m not buying that and neither is Azealia.



I’m never ever surprised at the blatant racism used in fashion. Because the world of fashion is praised for its wild creativity, racism is way too easy to mask. From the enormously shocking JACKIE editorial calling Rihanna a Ni**a B*tch, to Dior dumping their lead designer, John Galliano, over his anti-semitic insults to a stranger at the next table–it’s certain that racism ugly head keeps reappearing in our timelines. I mean, the only models of color on the D&G catwalk were the earrings they all were wearing.

But is boycotting enough for the average fashionista who isn’t in the position to purchase high-end designer garments? Do we stop purchasing Vogue, do we quit rushing out of work to hit the designer sample sales, or will this be news today and gone tomorrow?

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