Nathalie Dolivo, a write for French Elle Magazine has caused public outrage and a boycott of the magazine after they wrote that Africa-American’s didn’t have a clue about style until the Obama family entered the White House.
In the article Dolivo writes:
“For the first time, the chic has become a plausible option for a community so far pegged [only] to its street wear codes.”‘
The article titled “Black Fashion Power” goes on to call Obama’s style “chic” while noting that it embraces “white codes” while still making “a bourgeois ethnic reference (a batik-printed turban/robe, a shell necklace, a ‘créole de rappeur’) reminiscent [of] the roots.”
After the post went live on the website commenters quickly attacked the hack piece, one commenting party wrote:
“How, in 2012, in a France where there are at least three million blacks and mixed people, can you write such nonsense? You are too kind when you write that in 2012 we have incorporated the white codes … what do you think, in 2011, we dressed in hay and burlap bags?”
While the post was removed from the Elle website following public outcry the promise to boycott the magazine is still being heard loud and clear as other fashion writers have taken a stance against Dolivo’s comments including Alex Rees of The Cut who called the piece “misguided and prejudice.” Sarah Nicole Prickett of Canada’ Fashion Magazine took the jabbing one step further by calling the article a piece of “white supremacist” filth.
In a huge misstep for the magazine a real apology has not been issued, in fact Frence Elle’s editor-in-chief Valerie Toranian simply called the article “misinterpreted.”
In the meantime a new Facebook group has emerged that asks readers to boycott French Elle Magazine with the message:
“Say stop in order to not let the press, media etc…. publish such horror without apologizing” [Translated from French]
Are you shocked that the editors at French Elle would allow such comment made by a writer to be published to a mass audience, especially when a global audience is already focused on the country for Paris Fashion Week?
