Photo by Donato Sardella/Getty Images for Turner
In 2017, H&M encountered some backlash after selling a monkey hoodie, which an overwhelming amount of people deemed to be racist. Now, Moschino, who interestingly enough had a collection with H&M is being sued for racially profiling black customers.
Shamael Lataillade, who works for Moschino at their West Hollywood (WeHo) location is suing the Italian luxury clothing company for the way her supervisor required employees to treat black customers. According to documents obtained by TMZ, the WeHo store supervisor would reportedly call black shoppers, who appeared as if they couldn’t afford what was in the store, a “Serena.” She would also allegedly tell employees to watch them closely, purposely mislead them by claiming certain items were out of stock, and sometimes instruct workers to write down their license plates to report to the police.
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – FEBRUARY 04: Actress Serayah McNeill (L) and Singer Justine Skye attend The Powerpuff Girls x Moschino Launch Event at Moschino Store on February 4, 2016 in West Hollywood, California. Moschino PPG Event. 25923_001. (Photo by Donato Sardella/Getty Images for Turner)
Although it’s not clearly stated in the lawsuit, one can infer that this code name is in reference to tennis superstar Serena Williams. Who, interestingly enough, could buy several Moschino stores without even having to check her bank account.
Lataillade, who is a black, Haitian-American, also made claims that her supervisor discriminated against her for practicing voodoo. Prior to the lawsuit, she allegedly tried to report to corporate about the “Serena” code word and other racist acts that were taking place at the store.
Moschino replied to Shamael’s lawsuit, and denied everything, saying that the retailer “complies with applicable equal employment laws and values, and respects all customers and clients regardless of their race or background.”
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