Controversy sells in the world of high fashion, but has Claudio Cutugno gone too far?
The 22-year-old Italian designer unveiled his new line at Milan Fashion Week on Tuesday, and to the surprise of many in attendance, his runway models’ faces were covered in thick, sparkly black makeup. Although the choice in skin tone may have aligned with the collection’s all-black attire, many found it offensive.
“Was there no one backstage who thought, “Hey, you know what else this kind of looks like?'”; noted Refinery29’s Maria Del Russo. “Putting glitter on top of black paint does not even remotely take away the insulting nature of this practice.”;
Bustle’s May Sofi was more blunt in her critique: “This is literally blackface, which is, you know, racist,”; the fashion columnist wrote in her review. “While this may not have been the designer’s intention when he dreamed up this artsy makeup look, it seriously blurs the line between creative expression and just straight up discrimination. You simply can’t paint a model’s face black and ignore any racial connotations.”;
Cutugno earned the opportunity to present his collection after being named winner of the Live Next Generation contest.
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