The look included monkey ears and giant lips made from a sex toy. Photo / Getty Images
The look included monkey ears and giant lips made from a sex toy. Photo / Getty Images
A black model has claimed she was left emotionally distressed after being told she had to wear a "racist" monkey face during New York Fashion Week.
Twenty-five-year-old Amy Lefevre refused to don the monkey ears and mouth, which were made from a sex toy, during the Fashion Institute of Technology(FIT) show.
It's alleged organisers dismissed her concerns and told her "it's fine to feel uncomfortable for only 45 seconds."
Manhattan-based FIT was revealing 90 "looks by 10 alumni" and claim in a press release the looks were to depict a "visual future for the fashion world".
Apparently the controversial look was also discussing "topics that concern the larger industry, including gender roles, sustainability, smart fabrics and inclusivity."
The look was supposedly meant to depict unattractive features. Photo / Getty Images
However, Lefevre told the New York post she felt bulldozed into wearing the "racist" accessories and told the show organisers that she felt "incredibly uncomfortable" and that the look was "clearly racist".
Lefevre recalled feeling "emotional" during the February 7 event, and her "whole body was shaking" after she was requested to wear the look.
She told New York Post: "People of colour are struggling too much in 2020 for the promoters not to have vetted and cleared accessories for the shows."
The model ended up taking part in the show without the racist accessories and apparently fled immediately after the show ended.
The model walked in the show without the "racist" accessories. Photo / Getty Images
Other non-African-American models still donned the ears and lips made from a sex toy instead.
A witness told the Post that Chinese FIT graduate, Junkai Huang, had designed the items to highlight "ugly features of the body", and was apparently ignorant of the racist connotations.
FIT president, Dr Joyce Brown, said the model's concerns would be investigated further.
