Spike Lee Slams Prada, Gucci for Blackface ‘Coonery and Buffoonery’

Spike Lee attends the Cannes Film Festival (Credit: Deposit Photos)

Spike Lee is done with Gucci and Prada.

The Bamboozled director took to Instagram Friday to announce he’s boycotting the luxury Italian fashion houses after they recently came under fire for selling merchandise featuring blackface imagery.

Lee, who has previously sported both brands, said he would no longer wear their clothes until they “hire some black designers.”

“I, Spike Lee Of Sound Mind And Body Will No Longer Wear Prada Or Gucci Until They Hire Some Black Designers ‘To Be In Da Room When It Happens,’ the director wrote. “It’s Obvious To Da Peoples That They Don’t Have A Clue When It Comes To Racist, Blackface Hateful Imagery. WAKE UP. Ya-Dig? Sho-Nuff. And Dat’s Da ‘Coonery And Buffoonery’ Truth, Ruth.”

Lee wore Gucci last September on the Venice Film Festival red carpet, USA Today reported. He also wore a Prada suit later that month when he attended one of the line’s fashion shows in Milan.

Earlier this week, Gucci came under fire for selling an $890 black wool sweater that featured an oversized neck with a cut out of red lips when pulled over the nose.

The company later posted an apology on its website and said the item had been “immediately removed.”

Read MorePrada Issues Apology to Customers After Blackface Keychain Controversy

Gucci apology

Meanwhile, Prada found itself in the midst of a pubic relations disaster in December, for its “Pradamalia” accessories line that included keychains featuring monkey figurines with enlarged red lips and black faces. The company issued an apology and eventually pulled the design.

Spike Lee isn’t the only celebrity fed up with fashion brands hawking racist products.

Rapper T.I. took to Instagram Friday saying he’s also done with Gucci, after previously spending millions of dollars on the company’s products.

“As a 7 figure/yr customer &long time supporter of your brand I must say…Y’all GOT US f-cked UP!!! APOLOGY NOT ACCEPTED,” he wrote. “Our culture RUNS THIS SH-T!!! We (People of color) spend $1.25 TRILLION/year (but are the least respected and the least included)and if we stop buying ANYTHING they MUST correct any and ALL of our concerns. That’s THE ONLY WAY we can get some RESPECT PUT ON OUR NAME!!!!”

T.I. went on to share more posts about Gucci throughout the day.

His messages included a “call to action,” in which he urged his followers to boycott Gucci for the next three months. He encouraged anyone seeing the post to share it with their network.

The Big Things Poppin’ rapper went after Prada in another post writing, “Oh Prada TOO???!!!!!”

He added “f-ck Prada” and a middle finger emoji.


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