Urban Outfitters’ latest fashion faux pas–its “Vintage Kent State Sweatshirt”–reminds us why “fashion statements” can be so dangerous. And that fake blood is only ever a good look for Halloween.

The Urban Outfitters sweatshirt bears the KSU emblem splattered with fake blood in some sort of twisted homage to the four Kent State students shot and killed by National Guard soldiers during a Vietnam War protest on campus in 1970. Is the blood supposed to honor the slain students or the National Guard’s senseless murder?

What’s next, a Sharon Tate T-shirt with stab marks in it? A Robin Williams suicide belt? This isn’t the first time Urban Outfitters has released some not so tactful articles of clothing. Slate reports that in 2010, the company launched a T-shirt with the words “Eat Less” across the front. Was it a message to overweight people or those who starve themselves to look like Urban Outfitters models? In 2004, the company sold a “Jewish Girls” T-shirt covered in dollar signs, because us JAPS really love us some money, of course. And all the way back in 2003 Urban Outfitters sold a board game called ‘Ghettopoly,’ “which included a card rewarding players for the achievement of ‘you got yo whole neighborhood addicted to crack,’ reports Slate. “The joke is that poor people are drug addicts and drug dealers.” Last time I checked, that’s not a joke but a national crisis fueling overcrowded prison systems and displacing children from their homes.

Of course the real tragedy here (besides the four dead KSU students being marginalized for profit) is that Urban Outfitters pulls these stunts in order to get attention and drive more sales. Urban Outfitters, which also owns Free People and Anthropologie, continue to battle fast fashion chains like Forever 21 and H&M, which are able to sell similar styles and products for a lot less money. It’s unlikely that anyone will purchase the KSU sweatshirt (right, America?), but people might now be more likely to wander into their local UO location and buy something, even if it isn’t as offensive as blood-splattered nonsense.

We wear a lot of clothes. And regardless of whether we’re Jewish American Princesses or ghetto drug dealers, we allow clothes to become statements—unofficial uniforms. We let brands dictate what we stand for just because they can, when it should be the other way around. And this is a problem. It perpetuates sweatshop conditions in countries like Bangladesh, China and Cambodia. It impacts our resources including water and fossil fuels. It creates debt and stress in the people who become addicted to shopping and powerless to the influence of fashion brands. It instills in us the sense that we need certain articles of clothing in the same way that we need oxygen or water, when nothing could be further from the truth.

Find Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

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It used to be that being vegan meant slim pickings. This was most definitely true when it came to food; and it was also true when it came to fashion.

What girl doesn’t love a gorgeous pair of shoes, a waist-accenting belt, or the must-have perfect seasonal outfit or purse? It’s not easy finding fashion items you love, let alone those that fit your ethical standards. But there’s been good news in the fashion world for vegan fashionistas as of late.

Gorgeous designs from Vaute Couture were featured in New York’s Fashion Week earlier this year as the first-ever all-vegan runway collection. Scores of shoe companies now cater to vegans with incredibly stylish designs, high quality/low-impact manufacturing, and notably ethical standards. And more and more high-end designers are getting in on the eco fabrics, that are good for the environment as well as feel great on the body.

Now, iconic fashion store Urban Outfitters is getting in on the game. The struggling retailer has added the Della fashion line to its offerings. Della works directly with women seamstresses in Ghana to make the handcrafted clothes and accessories.

Based in Los Angeles, Della’s proceeds go to support the community in Hohoe, Ghana. All products are 100 percent vegan, handcrafted and says founder Tina Tangalakis, “Della is actually the name of the first person I met in Ghana, he was the driver for the volunteer organization I traveled with and he greeted me when I arrived at the Accra airport with a warm, happy smile. The welcoming, caring person that Della is acts as a reflection of what I want the business Della to be.”

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Image: Elvert Barnes

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Are Anthropologie and sister company Urban Outfitters supporting independent designers or ripping them off?

Earlier this month, indie fashion lovers went wild when Anthropologie debuted Made In Kind, its new “project in collaborative design.” With an initial offering of 11 exclusive, limited-edition capsule collections, Made In Kind shines a spotlight on independent designers and small brands, including sustainable favorites like Samantha Pleet and Organic by John Patrick.

But as excited as we want to get about Made In Kind, we can’t ignore accusations that both Anthropologie and its sister store, Urban Outfitters, have previously ripped off independent designers. In the world of independent fashion, there can often be a fine line between finding inspiration in another product and downright copying it. In this week’s Behind the Label, we explore the difference.

Anthropologie’s first store was opened by current president Richard Hayne in Glendale, Pennsylvania, in 1992. Under Urban Outfitters Inc., which also owns Urban Outfitters, Free People, Terrain, and BHLDN, the chain has since expanded to more than 135 retail locations that offer, according to its website, “a one-of-a-kind and compelling shopping experience that makes women feel beautiful, hopeful and connected.”

It’s this kind of aspirational marketing that has created thousands of loyal customers and dozens of fan blogs with titles like You, Me & Anthropologie and Breakfast at Anthropologie, dedicated to proclaiming the gospel of the clothing chain (for a good laugh, also check out the satirical blog Anthroparodie).

Anthropologie’s “secret sauce” is in careful curation and inspired retailing. “Part of our business is this idea of the found one-of-a-kind object, antique or craft,” said Aaron Hoey, Anthropologie’s general merchandising manager, in an interview with The Toronto Star published in February. “It has to be this authentic for it to feel authentic in the store. Otherwise it would just be the same thing as everywhere else.”

The Good

Anthropologie has a history of seeking out unique items from independent designers around the world. In fact, an entire Sundance Channel reality television show, Man Shops Globe, was dedicated to buyer-at-large Keith Johnson‘s round-the-world hunt for global treasures. In a separate article in the Toronto Standard, also published in February, merchandising manager Hoey said that the chain is particularly fond of supporting local designers in their various markets.

We love to localize. So if you have a great ceramicist in Toronto and he or she can only make a couple hundred units – because a lot of people aren’t set up to manufacture – well, that’s great, because we’ll send them to five stores. We’ll see them in Toronto, of course, and we’ll also shoot some to California, where this artisan wouldn’t have naturally been exposed.

Anthropologie also has a great record of working with not-for-profit and fair trade organizations in the developing world. Recent examples include the Thousand Hills Cowl, made in Rwanda with women’s co-ops through Indego Africa, and the Perfect Skippers Necklace, handcrafted by artisans in the mountains of Ecuador through The Andean Collection.

As for the Made In Kind project, a big plus is that it gives small designers great exposure to Anthropologie’s large and loyal online community. Each brand is highlighted with a special landing page, and many of the designers are written up in the online Anthropologie magazine. Plus, with a new crop of designers launching each month, Anthropologie is able to satisfy online shopper cravings for new, fresh merchandise.

The Bad

While Anthropologie’s indie aesthetic is a big reason for the store’s popularity, sometimes it hits a bit too close to home for people in the fashion and handmade communities. Though no major scandals have arose (yet) Anthropologie is consistently scrutinized for releasing items that look remarkably similar to items found on Etsy – so much so that an online game called “Etsy or Anthropologie?” has developed on the Regretsy blog, asking readers to guess which item comes from which source.

More evident are the accusations levied against Anthropologie’s sister store Urban Outfitters, which has come under fire for everything from anti-Semitic t-shirts to politically incorrect Navajo-inspired undies. One of the biggest controversies came last spring, when Etsy seller Stephanie Koerner claimed that Urban Outfitters had stolen the designs for its line of I Heart Destination necklaces from her United States of Love collection.

Her story swept through the social media world, forcing Urban Outfitters to issue a formal response denying the claims:

In her recent blog post and on Twitter Koerner claims that Urban Outfitters stole her designs or was inspired in some way by the items in her Etsy shop for our I Heart Destination necklaces. In fact, a quick search on Etsy for ‘state necklace’ reveals several other sellers with similar products (as seen here on Regretsy) who offered their wares as much as a year earlier than Ms. Koerner. We are not implying that Koerner stole her necklace idea from one of these other designers, we are simply stating the obvious—that the idea is not unique to Koerner and she can in no way claim to be its originator.

The Questionable

Urban Outfitters’ response raises an important point: in the world of independent fashion, which is inspired and informed by many different sources, how is it possible to claim a design as original? While Koerner’s accusations against Urban Outfitters were great at galvanizing attention, the validity of her claims was later questioned by Regretsy and larger blogs like Fashionista, which pointed out that the idea of stamping a heart on a metal outline of a state had been done long before Koerner’s Etsy line.

Still, it’s undeniable that both the design of Urban Outfitters’ destination jewelry line and its marketing bore a striking resemblance to Koerner’s. And hers isn’t the only accusation against the chain; similar claims were levied by jewelry designers at the Brooklyn Flea in 2010 and by t-shirt designers in 2006 and 2007.

One thing is for sure: if Urban Outfitters Inc. wants to continue highlighting its collaborations with independent designers, it needs to be extra careful about any claims – against any of its brands – that the company is knocking off the very designers it purports to celebrate. Where Anthropologie is concerned, Hoey has denied association with Urban Outfitters:

We operate like a mom-and-pop at Anthropologie. We actually know nothing about Urban Outfitters. I don’t know a single person that works there. While it is a sister company because it’s owned by the same parent company, we don’t know what goes on there. I would encourage them, if they’ve done any of these things, to clean up their act. I don’t want our reputation damaged by anything that’s happened in the past at Urban; it’s not what the CEO wants, either. For me, it’s a lesson: I’ll never let that happen at Anthropologie.

But as much as Anthropologie wants to distance itself from Urban Outfitter’s alleged sins, it’s difficult to ignore the fact that both stores are owned by the same parent company. To ease these kinds of consumer conflicts, Urban Outfitters Inc. needs to do a better job at enacting policies across all of its brands to prevent knock-offs and preserve its support of independent designers.

SEE ALSO:

Behind the Label: H&M’s Conscious Collection

Behind the Label: Levi Strauss’ E-Valuate Program

Behind the Label: TOMS’ One for One Campaign

Behind the Label: Puma’s Vision and Clever Little Bag

Read more Behind the Label here.

Image: pjinomaha, Regretsy [2]

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Thanks to strong social platforms and online media, e-commerce sites like Urban Outfitters can’t afford many more PR disasters.

When Sasha Houston Brown, a Native American woman, walked into an Urban Outfitters weeks ago, she found the fast fashion chain selling what they refer to as their “Navajo Collection.” Houston-Brown was offended by the imported “plastic dream catchers wrapped in pleather hung next to an indistinguishable mass of artificial feather jewelry and hyper sexualized clothing featuring an abundance of suede, fringe and inauthentic tribal patterns” that included items like a Navajo Print Fabric Wrapped Flask and Navajo Hipster Panty.

After reading Native American activist Houston Brown’s compelling An Open Letter to Urban Outfitters on Columbus Day, Change.org member Tiffanie Wilson went online and found herself looking at the same offensive “Navajo inspired” garb and as another woman of Native American descent, “was shocked to find such culturally insensitive and offensive products being sold to make a profit.” Her petition was followed by a cease and desist letter to Urban Outfitters from the Navajo Nation’s very own government. Not too surprisingly, only 10 days later, Wilson had her victory with over 16,600 people backing her petition against Urban Outfitters and the entire collection being pulled. But although the Navajo name disappeared from the 20 or so items, they were simply renamed. You can now find the “Navajo Hipster Panty” as the “Printed Hipster Panty.”

No stranger to pimping politically incorrect, Urban Outfitters has had at least seven of these legal run-ins.

Was this a win or not for the Navajo Nation? In the U.S., under the terms of the Federal Indian Arts and Crafts act of 1990 and the Federal Trade Commission Act, it is prohibited to falsely claim, or even imply, that a product is Native American-made when it is not. So while we toast the win for Houston Brown and Wilson, like Color Lines comments, for some, “there’s a larger ethical question of whether any mainstream company can and should profit off of Native culture,” if the culture hasn’t any say. The bigger question is, where do companies like Urban Outfitters, Forever21 and H&M get the courage to do so much bad?

I caught up with Houston Brown last week to ask how she felt about what transpired with Urban Outfitters.

Was this your first time calling a company out on using the Navajo name?

Prior to my letter to Urban Outfitters, I had never called out or contacted a company for using a tribal name, but I have experienced racism my entire life and have always taken a stand against it.

The issue at hand is larger than Urban Outfitter’s use of the name of this specific tribal nation – their use of a tribal name is reflective of Western societal treatment of Indigenous peoples. We are seldom brought into the mainstream public sphere (except on occasions such as Thanksgiving, and of course Halloween, when children can still ‘dress up’ as an Indian). Our collective history, vast contributions to the world and tremendous cultural resiliency are frequently trivialized or hidden. Urban Outfitter’s offensive product line is one example of the ongoing cultural commodification and racism we face daily.

If they had just used the prints and not the Navajo name would you still have backed this petition?

Well, you certainly would not have the same legal standing and violation of federal law, but using the faux-Indian prints would still be extremely derogatory and offensive and worth challenging.


The Native American trend is huge right now. When is it okay to reference and what would have been a better way for Urban Outfitters to have promoted their collection?

It is more than simply referencing Native American tribes (i.e. sovereign nations); companies should be obligated to follow trademark law and federal legislation designed to protect tribes against corporate encroachment and appropriation.

I don’t have an issue with individuals being inspired by Native American art and style or wearing authentic Native jewelry or clothing. Native peoples, artists and businesses should be the creators of Native fashion and be the beneficiaries of the sale of Native goods. Corporations don’t have the right to illegally rip off our art, produce it cheaply oversees and make a profit on our culture.


I saw in a CBS News article that had UO gone to the Navajo Nation and asked to collaborate, it was something that could have proved a mutually beneficial relationship. Is this something the Navajo Nation has considered?

If Urban Outfitters had gone to the Navajo Nation, there wouldn’t be issue – there also wouldn’t be a hipster panty! There are so many talented Native artists and designers who could create authentic and beautiful native apparel and jewelry. Instead, Urban Outfitters chose to make a cheap imitation of what they interpret as Navajo design.

The unemployment rate in Indian country is higher then anywhere else in the nation and there is no reason that Navajo people should not be able to design and produce Navajo-branded fashion for retailers.

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ExclusiveBright Young Things launches a sustainable capsule collection at Urban Outfitters.

The Bright Young Things first season collection is debuting at Urban Outfitters with a four-piece capsule collection. The versatile collection can be worn in multiple ways and includes: The Converter Pant, The Everything Halter, The Wrap Skirt-Dress, and The Coat-Dress. Designer Eliza Starbuck says the collection was inspired by the idea of updating American classics in an effort to offer basics that are multifunctional.

“If I were to pinpoint the icons that are behind the style inspiration I’d say they’re a mix of Laurence of Arabia, Katherine Hepburn, and Carmen Miranda, although I certainly hope they don’t come off that way,” says Starbuck. “I wanted them to be for today’s versions of these characters.”

The New York-based line debuted at The GreenShows in September at the 2010 New York Fashion Week with just one little black dress. The dress itself has encouraged thrifty, creative dressers everywhere to embrace the fact that less is more and no better was that celebrated than through Starbuck’s creation of the first LBD for Sheena Matheiken’s The Uniform Project.

As for the Urban Outfitter collection, expect to see a pant with fun twists like a basic trouser with side entry that allows the wearer to wear it at three different levels on the waist (high-waisted, a slouchy-cuffed slack, or a drop crotch harem style pant), and an Everything Halter which was designed to be twisted and wrapped into different looks or flipped upside down and worn as a sexy skirt or beach cover up.

Producing the line in Manhattan’s Chinatown allowed Starbuck to closely monitor production and make adjustments to the production if necessary.

“It was really cool to get to know the factory workers,” says Starbuck. “There were days when I was in there working side by side with them.”

When asked if she thinks more women are getting creative with their clothes, Starbuck says it really depends on the individual.

“I know some amazingly creative dressers, women who inspire me to get dressed in the morning,” says Starbuck. “Then there are so many women who don’t have the confidence to stand out and assert their own sense of style, who tend to imitate the style they see on celebrities or that they see on TV or in magazines.”

There’s also the matter of personal priorities.

“Of course there are those women out there who really can’t or don’t care about fashion and have other things they focus on,” says Starbuck. “I try to design clothes that would work for any of these types, but I think the women who like to experiment will have the most fun with it.”

The Bright Young Things capsule collection can be seen now at Urban Outfitters, with pieces priced from $89-$240. Materials include tencel and hemp blends.

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You may have noticed that the New Year has inspired in us a whole lot of starting fresh and cleaning slate. The time is right for ridding our lives of the old and irrelevant, and making room for only the essentials.

So it’s as good a time as any to talk about a not so stylish and slightly sensitive subject – your dirty laundry. I’m referring to your clothes and a place to put them prior to washing.

If last year’s hamper or laundry basket is Rubber Maid or something similar, please listen up. There are alternatives – stylish containers for soiled garments that don’t need to be hidden away in the closet or under the bed.

Here are some of the hippest hampers we could round up. Choose wisely.

1. Top image: Woven West African Basket – VivaTerra, $198.

Clockwise from top left:

2. Whitney Wicker Triple Bin Hamper – Urban Clotheslines, $85.

3. Ruffle Laundry Bag – Urban Outfitters, $36.

4. Wire Round Basket – My Sparrow, $36.

5. Crunch Drawstring Round Hamper – Umbra, $25.

6. Image above: dwellstudio Owl Sky Large Storage Bin – fawn & forest $80.

Clockwise from top left:

7. Ferm Living Laundry Bag – 2Modern, $80.

8. Crunch Can Natural – Umbra, $20.

9. Bag Caddie – Steele Canvas Basket Corporation, $70.

10. Square Carry Basket – Steele Canvas Basket Corporation, $65.

Above from left:

11. Sedona Hamper w/ Liner – Crate&Barrel, $99.95.

12. Bamboo Hamper w/ Liner – Crate&Barrel, $99.95

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As Benjamin Franklin said, “Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.” While Franklin might not have foreseen the attachment future Americans would have to their accessories, the Peasants and Travelers’ cork Doctor’s Bag confirms wine is a gift that keeps on giving.

Peasants and Travelers, a two-year-old accessories label, released the cork version of their venerable Doctor’s Bag design for spring 2010. Owner and designer, Jee Kim, had discovered a swatch of the unexpected material during a trip to Asia. While it intrigued her, she wasn’t sure how she could use it. The sojourn was a break from her steady climb up the ranks of fashion with stops at Gucci, Neiman Marcus, and Banana Republic. But, once she was settled back in San Francisco and working on her new line of bags, she remembered it and decided it would be perfect for crafting a bag.

Made from remnants of wine bottle corks from Portugal that have been smashed down and laminated to retain surface flexibility, Kim says the resulting material, “is waterproof and apparently, floatable.” Although, she doesn’t advise you attempt setting your bag to sail to test it.

Cork has enjoyed a resurgence of late in home interiors and has long been accessible in the shoe industry as wedges, heels, and espadrilles, but what is so unexpected is the luxe and highly refined character it lends the bags.

A good thing gets around fast. It caught the eye of curators at New York’s MoMA who then featured a whole series of cork made accessories by Pelcor, a global cork fashion brand in Portugal, for their “Destination Portugal” exhibit which opened in May.

Our editor-in-chief, Sara Ost, was similarly entranced when she saw the Doctor’s Bag at SF’s Thread show a few weeks ago. Kim offers, “It has a fashion forward look, which you wouldn’t expect. People are so intrigued when they see it in person.” “Its appeal is unisex” says Kim, with men and women coveting its “classic style with a modern interpretation.”

The design is as efficient as it is eye-catching. It’s roomy and travels well, fitting into an overhead storage locker or under the plane seat. It’s part of Peasants and Travelers’ urbane villager line, which includes the paper tote bag, a larger weekender, and an oversized envelope that fits an iPad perfectly.

Nearly every inch of Peasants and Travelers’ bags are composed of reclaimed materials ranging from recycled cork to the repurposed cotton-dress shirt gingham lining “that, unlike nylon linings that rip and tear, gets softer with use”, enthuses Kim. The bags are BPA, phthalate and lead free but their most impressive green credential according to Kim is its longevity – “when you adore something, you won’t want to throw it away.”

Available at 10 locations, including Urban Outfitters.

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I love that when I Googled “trend, geode jewelry,” the first hit was the designer Jacquie Aiche. That sealed geode jewelry’s fate with me as a trend. Working across from her booth at the D&A show in New York City with the lovely Floriana Annibali, who was repping it, I tried this ring on at least five times. Now I’m on the hunt to find more representations of what is clearly a trend for the raw and chunky.

Kimberly McDonald’s one-of-a-kind pieces are also breathtaking and she’ll actually split a geode for you upon request as a special gift for mother/daughters and twins.

A great modern spin on the old broken heart pendant.

I did find geode jewelry on sites like Urban Outfitters, and various interpretations of it on Ebay which, as we’re all striving to reduce our carbon footprint, common sense tells me (as should you) that perhaps the second choice would be your greenest.

Many local jewelers in your community who can’t afford a website might have lots of these trendy gems. Your best bet is to make a map of some of them and make it a personal mission with one of your more adventurous friends to find one.

Let me know your results!

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