#FashionLaw – H & M Closes its Stores in South Africa After Protests Over ‘Coolest Monkey’ Hoodie

The fallout continues for H & M over the controversial advertisement previously placed on its UK e-commerce website showing a black male model child in a green hooded sweatshirt with ‘Coolest Monkey in the Jungle’ inscribed on it. The latest story is that the Swedish retail giant has closed its retail stores in South Africa after protests by South Africans, including …

#FashionLaw – Kenyan Mom of Black Child in H & M “Monkey” Hoodie Defends Ad @HM

In my article titled “Coolest Monkey” Hoodie: 8 Ways Fashion Brands Can Avoid H & M’s Dreaded PR Nightmare addressing the H&M hoodie controversy, one of the tips I discussed was that fashion advertisers should avoid the presumption that black people are a monolithic group. A Swedish Black has a completely different experience and worldview than a British or American black person. …