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
Stars gather in London for 2025 fashion awards
DUBAI: From Yasmine Hamdan to supermodel Iman, stars from the worlds of fashion and entertainment gathered on the red carpet at The Fashion Awards 2025 in London on Monday.
The event at the Royal Albert Hall was attended by celebrities such as actresses Cate Blanchett and Sienna Miller, the latter debuting her baby bump in a sheer Givenchy gown.
The ceremony, founded in 1989, is overseen by the British Fashion Council. This year marked the first under new council CEO Laura Weir.
Hosted by US actor Colman Domingo, the event and saw Jonathan Anderson named Designer of the Year award for his work at Dior and JW Anderson — the third year he has won the award. Taking to the stage, he said: “I love being in the house of Dior because it’s a massive challenge … I believe in collaboration, thank you so much for this honor.”
Givenchy’s Sarah Burton won British Womenswear Designer of the Year, with Grace Wales Bonner taking the menswear equivalent.
This year’s Vanguard Award went to Turkish designer Dilara Findokoglu. The Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator went to Rei Kawakubo, Adrian Joffe and Dickon Bowden for Dover Street Market, and the Outstanding Achievement Award was handed to Brunello Cucinelli.
US Sudanese model Anok Yai was named Model of the Year. Accepting her prize, an emotional Yai said: “To all the little Black girls watching me right now, your colour is not a curse … you are more powerful than you can imagine,” reported the BBC.
She took to the stage in a cream corseted custom gown by Dilara Findikoglu. The floor-length dress featured swathes of lace, crushed velvet and satin, and a dramatic train.
“Whenever you see a Dilara piece, you know that it’s her work right away … I love the romance of her pieces — there’s this raw, edgy darkness to it that I’ve been obsessed with,” Yai told Vogue magazine ahead of the ceremony.
