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Earlier this week, we learned that Nike had no plans on continuing their working relationship with Tom Sachs, as the allegations made against him were both disturbing and disgusting. Now the controversial designer has broken his silence and is responding to the news.
According to Highsnobiety, Sachs sent an open letter to his studio team and basically owned up to his misbehavior. He acknowledged that he should’ve carried himself in a more appropriate manner than he has in the past saying he should’ve been “leading by example in my behavior, in my studio practices, not just for our own team, but for the larger community.”
“I am a demanding boss, I have high standards, I push my team to deliver more, and I always expect the absolute best,” Sacks says in the letter.
“That means at times I have been impulsive and even aggressive in my language and my approach. I’ve said things I regret. I haven’t always evolved as quickly as I’d liked. There are times I have not met even my own internal standards and times when I have let you, my team members, down. I am many things — an artist, a welder, and a builder — being a manager is something I’ve tried to learn along the way.”
Well, that’s a start. Though we doubt this will be enough to sway Nike to get back on board with the release of the highly-anticipated Mars Yard 3.0 (for now), it’s definitely a step in the right direction opposed to other controversial designers who double-down on their toxic rhetoric. Still, Sachs tried to save some face by implying he never attempted to make it a hostile work environment even though that’s how many described the atmosphere they worked in.
“But let me be clear: I have never tried to make anyone feel uncomfortable. I have never harassed anyone. I would never intentionally harm anyone. Safety is a top priority in the studio. Those are the facts.”
Whether or not this re-opens the door for him to once again work with Nike is anyone’s guess, but if he does, don’t be surprised if a backlash follows; social media never forgets when someone steps out of line on multiple levels.
What do y’all think of Tom Sachs response to the allegations? Let us know in the comments section below.
