The trendy clothing chain Zara has been hit with accusations of racism for selling a T-shirt that bears a slogan proclaiming, “White is the new black.”
The phrase, printed in black letters on white cloth, might be a reference to the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black” or a spoof of the popular saying about what’s in fashion.
But fuming fashionistas say the shirt has inflammatory undertones.
“With all the uproar about cultural appropriation, did you really think it was a good idea to print a ‘White is the New Black’ shirt?’ one Twitter user, @QFTPC, railed.
Another fumed, “Dumb, why would you think creating a shirt that says ‘White is The New Black’ would not be controversial?”
The phrase’s apparent insensitivity may be due to a language barrier, some people said, noting the retailer is based in Spain.
Zara — which has several popular New York City branches — also sells a T-shirt that reads, “Leopard is the new black,” in leopard-print letters.
The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday about the T-shirt uproar.