Every Halloween, folks risk their image and good taste to pull off zany outfits. Unfortunately the racism line gets crossed when people go the blackface route, as evidenced by a handful of top fashion designers in Milan at a party over the weekend.
The Italian city best known for being a hub of fashion and commerce held its annual “Halloweek” costume party Saturday (Oct. 26). This year’s theme, “Disco Africa,” sounded innocent enough until white guests took a few too many liberties with darkening their skin. While the leopard prints, feline makeup and other jungle-themed outfits were in abundance and bordered on bad taste, the blackface use was especially high.
Alessandro Dell’Acqua, a popular designer with collections featured in high-end stores around the world, was reportedly dressed in a black tux, white gloves and blackface similar to the style used to mock black people as caricatures in America. Dell’Acqua wasn’t alone as a whole troupe of blackface tux wearers joined him in the racially offensive outfit.
Other winners include a shot of a pair dressed as dark-skinned Egyptians. The outfits get worse and the staggering lack of decency was captured gleefully via Twitter and Instagram.
Of course, it’s well-known Europe has a lax stance on things but it should be widely understood that blackface, no matter the reasoning for wearing it, is offensive.
Peep the Halloweek photos of racist struggle from Milan on the following pages.
[Props to Gawker & Fashion Bomb Daily]
Correction: We have been alerted by Cademartori’s press office that she and Oddi are not the persons wearing the Egyptian garb.
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Photos: Instagram, Twitter
