Forever 21 In Trouble For Having White Man Wear ‘Wakanda Forever’ Sweater in Ad

Source: SOPA Images / Getty

Forever 21 couldn’t make it to the new year without one more scandal.

The fast-fashion retailer found itself in more hot water this week after unveiling a holiday sweater inspired by Marvel’s game-changing movie Black Panther. The piece in question wasn’t too noteworthy, as it featured a Fair Isle pattern with a Black Panther helmet motif and the phrase “Wakanda Forever” emblazoned on the front. Did the piece adequately reflect the vibrant utopia depicted in the film? Absolutely not; however, the lazy design isn’t what sparked outraged.

On Tuesday, Forever 21 decided to market the sweater on its official Twitter page. And the brand decided to have the piece modeled by a a blond-haired, blue-eyed white guy. The irony wasn’t lost on Twitter users.

https://twitter.com/WhoIsMarkPaul/status/1075138578643079168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1075138578643079168&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.complex.com%2Fstyle%2F2018%2F12%2Fforever-21-backlash-using-white-model-to-promote-black-panther-design

https://twitter.com/Lyracet90/status/1075094019322073089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1075094019322073089&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.complex.com%2Fstyle%2F2018%2F12%2Fforever-21-backlash-using-white-model-to-promote-black-panther-design

READ MORE: Complex.com

Article Courtesy of Complex

First and Second Picture Courtesy of SOPA Images and Getty Images

First through Seventh Tweet and Third through Eighth Picture Courtesy of Twitter and Complex

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