Urban Outfitters Career Flop with 'Bloody' and Faded Kent University Sweatshirt; Twitter Reacts, School Makes Statement, Clothing Line Apologizes
Urban Outfitters probably didn't make the best career choice when introducing what appeared to be faded faux blood-stained Kent State University sweatshirt as a new addition to their vintage attire.
The masses went to Twitter to voice their disgust toward the sweatshirt due to it reminding them of the four unarmed students who were shot and killed in 1970 by the Ohio National Guard while conducting a protest at Kent State against the expansion of the Vietnam War in Cambodia.
Some used the social media platform to recall past clothing items manufactured by Urban Outfitters that were deemed offensive.
One Twitter member remembered the t-shirt created by Urban Outfitters which made fun of Jewish women.
how could we forget this urban outfitters gem pic.twitter.com/BVXYzC7hOA
— Tori Dingeldein (@torisgorawr) September 16, 2014
Another remembered the tees that glorified eating disorders and depression.
is urban outfitters serious? pic.twitter.com/kMe7C1U0Zz — night hawk (@Bre_Ghazali) September 16, 2014
Then there was the t-shirt that praised Auschwitz, the German Nazi concentration camps.
BUT LET'S NOT FORGET ABOUT THE "AUSCHWITZ CHIC" T SHIRT #urbanoutfitters #BoycottUrbanOutfitters #GOFUCKYOURSELVES pic.twitter.com/70xFrWqG24
— Talia (@Talifornia_girl) September 16, 2014
With the help of graphic design, another Twitter member predicted Urban Outfitters next line-up of controversial t-shirts.
sneak peak at @UrbanOutfitters new fall line pic.twitter.com/th4NvyGCbZ — chet (@chetprtr) September 15, 2014
Others thought the sweatshirt costing $129 was offensive enough.
The real controversy with the urban outfitters "bloodstained" sweatshirt is that it's so damn expensive so everyone's doing the diy version
— Jen Hill (@zenjen_h) September 16, 2014
The Kent State sweatshirt was sold out after ebay user kentstatesweater brought the only one available. According to ABC News, kentstatesweater is now selling the sweatshirt on ebay for $550. The user claims that 50 percent of the proceeds will go to The Southern Poverty Law Center.
@Minutemaniac Hehehhehee - truthfully, shouldn't be too hard to make your own! For about $20.00 ! @UrbanOutfitters — Artie Rypple (@ArtieRypple) September 16, 2014
One thing is for certain, Urban Outfitters received a great deal of promotion in the midst of this controversy.
Urban outfitters got helly free advertising for this sweater
— Ty (@Tyfromthejungle) September 16, 2014
Along with Twitter members, Kent State also released a statement. “May 4, 1970, was a watershed moment for the country and especially the Kent State family. We lost four students that day while nine others were wounded and countless others were changed forever," read the statement reported by Cleveland's FOX 8. "We take great offense to a company using our pain for their publicity and profit. This item is beyond poor taste and trivializes a loss of life that still hurts the Kent State community today. We invite the leaders of this company as well as anyone who invested in this item to tour our May 4 Visitors Center, which opened two years ago, to gain perspective on what happened 44 years ago and apply its meaning to the future.” Eventually, Urban Outfitters delivered an apology via Twitter.
Urban Outfitters sincerely apologizes for any offense our Vintage Kent State Sweatshirt may have caused. It (cont) https://t.co/o3oKyPJFu8 — Urban Outfitters (@UrbanOutfitters) September 15, 2014
Emily Vincent, a Kent State spokesperson, told ABC News that Urban Outfitters emailed them with the same statement they released on Twitter.
