h&m
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Beyoncé and Beyond: Tyler Mitchell Is Your New MasterClass Instructor
Fashion lovers and the Hive alike hit nirvana in 2018, as Tyler Mitchell became the first Black photographer to shoot a cover of American Vogue, immortalizing the already iconic Beyoncé in a series of portraits which marked the next evolution of the homespun elegance she’d evoked in 2016’s Lemonade. One of his portraits of the…
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H&M Group Apologizes Again for Racial Insensitivity, This Time Involving The N-Word and a Beanie
Corporations just can’t seem to stop doing racist things, despite all the flowery statements and promises of change that have come from them this year and other times before. The H&M Group is now apologizing to its employees and the public for a photo it recently discovered in the internal systems of one of its…
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The Truth From Ruth: As Her Collaboration With H&M Drops in Stores, Ruth E. Carter Drops Some Knowledge on Us
“I’ve never wanted to be a fashion designer, because I felt like I was a storyteller,” says famed costume designer Ruth E. Carter, who, in 2019, thrillingly added an Oscar to her many accolades for her work in 2018’s Black Panther. For many longtime film lovers (including this writer), Carter’s triumph was long overdue; since…
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Skye’s the Limit: Justine Skye Talks Authencity, Artistry and Her Hometown-Inspired H&M Collab
Justine Skye knows she’s a bit of a mystery. In fact, the 24-year-old singer has at times been better known for her influencer status and famous friends like Kendall and Kylie Jenner than her music, despite inking her first record deal at 19. Then came her late-2018 single, “Build,” the video to which both continued…
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What Our Reactions to the H&M Child Model’s Hair Really Said About Our Feelings About Black Hair
Any black person who has embarked on a natural hair journey can inform you that afro-textured hair is work. After going natural over five years ago, I’ve spent countless hours experimenting with everything from DIY avocado and banana hair smoothies to handheld hair steamers. I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time considering the merits of…
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Nappily Ever After: H&M Issues Statement About Black Girl’s ‘Natural’ Hair, No Apologies This Time
So… H&M has found itself the subject of another b(l)acklash. The fast-fashion retailer got called out again for their questionable choices in reflecting black kid magic. But this time they are not folding up like the cheap suits they shill out. On Friday, the Stockholm-based clothing company issued a statement on the firestorm that ignited…
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Proving ‘Diversity & Inclusion’ Are in Fashion, Chanel Hires Its 1st Head of D & I—but Not a Person of Color
Often, the best way to confront a scandal is to avoid creating one in the first place. After a flurry of major brands—including Gucci, Prada and H&M—quickly scrambled to create diversity-focused positions, boards and initiatives following major gaffes in cultural insensitivity, Chanel, which has thus far avoided being named in a recent racial scandal (and…
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From Homecoming to the ‘School of B’ Howard University Traditions Helped Mold Ezinne Kwubiri for Success
Back in high school, applying to an HBCU wasn’t even on the radar of Ezinne Kwubiri as she made college plans. In fact, the Nigerian-born, future H&M executive’s only knowledge about historically black institutions came from what she saw on TV sitcoms in the 1980s and ’90s—The Cosby Show and A Different World. But after…
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The Makeover: As More Brands Confront Diversity and Inclusion Issues, Here's How H&M Has Been Doing the Work
“Is H&M still canceled?” It’s the question that inevitably arises anytime we so much as mention the Swedish-based fast-fashion juggernaut, which faced international backlash early last year when a black child model was infamously photographed wearing a sweater that read “Coolest Monkey in Jungle.” While the hotly debated gaffe was doubtfully intentional, by their own…
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Meghan Markle Takes Maternity Glam Day to Night, Starting With a $35 H&M Dress (and You Can, Too)
Now that Meghan Markle is nearing the third trimester of her pregnancy, she’s no doubt running into the issue most pregnant women do, million dollar clothing budgets notwithstanding: What to wear? Whether in acceptance of her (temporarily) changing body or in solidarity with the masses of non-royals she now comes in contact with in her…