Following the H&M controversy, the Swedish fashion chain has hired a company insider to deal with the fallout from using a black child to advertise a hoodie with racial slur.Annie Wu has been appointed as “Global Leader for Diversity and Inclusiveness” for H&M group.
The backlash from the advertisement was the biggest the company had ever seen. Several celebrities, including NBA star LeBron James and rapper Diddy, expressed outrage, while others, like singer The Weeknd and G-Eazy, cancelled their partnerships with the brand., The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party also staged anti-racism protests at H&M outlets in South Africa, trashing the stores.
According to the BBC, the family of the five-year-old model at the centre of the controversy has been forced to move houses “for security reasons.”
“The recent incident was entirely unintentional, but it demonstrates so clearly how big our responsibility is as a global brand,” H&M said in a message posted to its social media accounts.
“Our commitment to addressing diversity and inclusiveness is genuine, therefore we have appointed a global leader, in this area, to drive our work forward.”
According to CNN, H&M couldn’t provide details on Wu’s role. She will also continue in her job as the company’s global manager for employee relations, according to a company spokeswoman.
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