Retail racism should be a thing of the past, but this 2019, we’re still being greeted with disappointing news. Moschino, the Italian luxury brand led by American fashion designer Jeremy Scott, is under fire for allegedly assigning the name “Serena” to its customers of African descent. It is not clear if this is widely practiced in the company, although former employee Shamael Lataillade says that it is the case for a West Hollywood location. Lataillade filed a long complaint against Moschino before a California state court and singled out her former manager Ranna Selbak for her treatment of both black customers and employees.
Lataillade did not mince her words for her former employer and boss. The suit detailed questionable practices that would prove “shopping while black” is alive and well—black clientele, particularly those who were not showy in jewelry and the designer brands they wore, were referred to as “Serena”, obviously taking after tennis superstar Serena Williams, who herself had to deal with racist remarks countless times. They were occasionally followed around while browsing the store, and their license plates furtively documented by Selbak. Items were not available for black customers to try on. Others were forced to show that they had money to spend just so they could be left alone, and there were instances when shoppers intentionally dropped hundred-dollar bills while inside fitting rooms after becoming aware that they were being monitored. In one event, cops were even called, only to find that they were being asked to apprehend a high-profile rapper which was left unnamed in the file.
Lataillade herself is a black, Haitian-American woman, who has not been spared of her former manager’s racist actions according to the complaint. It was Selbak who fired her last year, after she raised a complaint to management regarding her manager’s orders that encouraged racial profiling and discriminatory behavior of which she was also subjected. It was already Lataillade’s second attempt to be heard by the corporate staff, and although she was initially promised a follow-up on the matter, Moschino did not reach out. In the years that Lataillade has been employed with Moschino, she has experienced discrimination under Selbak—these include not receiving just compensation for additional workload as well as clothing allowance, not enjoying vacation days that are mandated by the company, and not fully collecting rightfully earned commissions, as Selbak would take away as high as 4% from the total. The plaintiff also claims that her manager has attacked her verbally, going for her natural hair and calling it unprofessional, berating her by calling her “thief” and “ghetto”, and saying that she was a voodoo practitioner because of her Haitian background.
The 36-page file claims 17 offenses, which include race harassment and discrimination, defamation, and breach of contract, and Lataillade is seeking monetary damages for the accounts of misconduct. Meanwhile, Moschino released a statement claiming that the company does not discriminate on the basis of race or background.
Sadly, such instances are not unheard of in the industry. Within the last five years, both Versace and Zara have been accused of using racial code words. Racist practices persist, even when it has not been proven that African Americans are more likely to shoplift than any other group. It would perhaps take a lot more to change the perception; recent research already found that African Americans have a combined buying power of $1.2 trillion.
Image credits: Imaxtree, Moschino, i-D, Julian Finney / Getty Images, Valerio Architects, Now Fashion, Pete Summers / Rex / Shutterstock
