The world would definitely be a better place if everyone vetted their designs a little more thoroughly. In the past few years, we’ve seen an uptick in fashion apparel brands (seemingly unintentionally) mimicking designs reminiscent of concentration camp uniforms. Back in 2015, Urban Outfitters received a ton of criticism over a new tapestry, and in 2014, Zara’s new children’s pajamas were the subject of major backlash.
Now it’s 2017, and we still can’t seem to shake this problem. According to AOL, a Madewell jacket bears an uncanny resemblance to concentration camp uniforms, but we’ll let you be the judge:
The jacket in question, the Shrunken Military Jacket, is described as being “inspired by traditional workwear” that puts a “feminine spin on a classic.” While the design is no longer sold by Madewell, it is still selling on Nordstrom’s online store.
It’s safe to assume this was a complete mistake on Madewell’s part, but we wish these companies would take a little more time to check for these parallels.
For those of you working in promotional apparel, it’s important to pass your designs through as many people as you can if you’re worried about the possibility of an insensitive design. The more eyes that see your design, the better chance you have of avoiding a snafu like this one.
