DUBAI: Nike is investigating the “misuse” of its logo seen on fake products branded with a racist slur against the Romany Gypsy community in Europe.
Products have been taken down on eBay and Amazon and included baby clothes, hoodies, bags and fridge magnets.
They were all branded with a race hate slur and the tagline “Just Nick It” instead of Nike’s “Just Do It.”
BBC Newsbeat spoke to Dr. Hazel Marsh, a Romany Gypsy and a lecturer at the University of East Anglia in the UK, who said she had reported the offensive products to Nike and received a letter from a representative in return.
“I just want to say thank you for letting us know about this misuse of our logo,” the letter read.
“We here at Nike respect and appreciate every one of our consumers no matter what their race, age or gender is,” it added.
The products are printed with the slur “Pikey,” thought to originate from the phrase “turnpike dweller” that was used in the 1800s.
“That word is a disgusting word. It’s exactly the same as the n-word,” Sherrie Smith, who runs a website where racism against the Gypsy and traveling community can be reported, told BBC Newsbeat.
Amazon told the news site that they had removed two product listings while eBay said it was in the process to doing so.
Nike reacts to ‘misuse’ of logo in racist knock-off merchandise
Nike reacts to ‘misuse’ of logo in racist knock-off merchandise
Amina Muaddi spotlights Rihanna’s love for her designs
DUBAI: Romanian Jordanian designer Amina Muaddi this week shared a selection of her favorite looks worn by Rihanna throughout December, highlighting several recent public appearances.
Earlier this week, Muaddi posted an image of the Fenty Beauty founder in Los Angeles, where she was spotted grocery shopping wearing snake-printed pointed-toe heels from the designer’s collection.
Rihanna styled the shoes with a bright-red leather jacket layered over a white top, pairing the oversized, structured piece with loose black wide-leg trousers worn low on the waist.
She later wore a similar snake-print design, this time in boot form, for a dinner outing. For that look, Rihanna opted for a plaid zip-up jacket by Miu Miu, styled with a long Balenciaga skirt.
Another outfit shared by Muaddi was from Rihanna’s appearance at the 35th Gotham Film Awards in New York City. The singer stepped out in a flowing lavender satin gown worn off the shoulders, featuring a relaxed, draped silhouette. She completed the ensemble with open-toe stiletto sandals from Muaddi’s designs in a matching pale lilac shade.
Muaddi also highlighted a more casual winter outing, where Rihanna wore pointed-toe snake-embossed stiletto pumps styled with a brown-and-cream faux-fur coat draped over a black top, paired with slim trousers, tinted rectangular sunglasses and minimal jewelry.
No one has an affinity for Muaddi’s shoes quite like Rihanna.
The singer-turned-designer has an unparalleled collection of heels by the designer, which have become her go-to choice of footwear whether she is attending red-carpet events, fundraising galas, taking an off-duty stroll or stepping out to dinner with her partner A$AP Rocky.
The artists have both collaborated with the designer in the past.
In 2020, the Paris-based designer teamed up with the rapper’s creative agency AWGE on a four-piece collection of flared pumps and lace-up heels.
The collection marked A$AP Rocky’s first foray into women’s footwear and was Muaddi’s first collaboration for her own brand, though she also released a limited-edition footwear capsule collection with Rihanna’s Fenty label that same year.
The collaboration was honored as Collaborator of the Year at the 34th FN Achievement Awards.
Following the sell-out success of the first collection, Rihanna enlisted Muaddi to design yet another collection for Fenty.
