The fashion site Revolve pulled a sweatshirt designed by Los Angeles-based brand LPA on Thursday, following public outcry over the fat-shaming message on the item, according to Allure.com.
The sweatshirt, which read “Being fat is not beautiful, it’s an excuse,” was reportedly designed by HBO Girls creator Lena Dunham and was $168. On Wednesday, several people blasted the company for the messaging of the item including model and body positivity champion Tess Holliday.
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Florence Given, a London-based artist and social justice advocate, was one of the first to bring attention to the “problematic marketing” of the sweatshirt.
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According to Fox News, the shirt was a part of a capsule collection by LPA with Dunham, Emily Ratajkowski, Cara Delevingne, Suki Waterhouse and Paloma Elsesser. The capsule was supposed to provide commentary on cyberbullying and proceeds were to be given to Girls Write Now, a charity that matters mentors underserved young women.
In the midst of the backlash, Dunham blasted Revolve for using a thin model to promote the quote, which was said to plus-sized model Paloma Elsesser.
“Without consulting me or any of the women involved, @revolve presented the sweatshirts on thin white women, never thinking about the fact that difference and individuality is what gets you punished on the Internet, or that lack of diversity in representation is a huge part of the problem (in fact, the problem itself.)” She wrote on Instagram. “As a result, I cannot support this collaboration or lend my name to it in any way.”
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In a statement about the controversy, LPA said it would donate $20,000 to Girls Write Now. “The collection has been pulled. We are proud to donate $20,000 to Girls Write Now in the hopes that those who need it can still benefit from what was to be a meaningful, insightful and impactful collaboration by LPA.”
