Diesel sparks outrage by selling jacket with homophobic slur printed on back

Fashion brand Diesel is being criticised on social media for selling a £350 jacket that features a homophobic slur.

The satin bomber jacket is embellished with the word “f****t” on the front pocket and features an all-over print on the back with the same comment.

The piece features as part of company’s “Hate Couture” range, which sells clothes covered in offensive and provocative terms in a bid to encourage customers to embrace the hateful comments they receive.

It includes jackets with “not cool” and “imposter”, a T-shirt that read “the bad guy”, and hoodies covered in “Diesel is dead”.

Celebrities including Nicki Minaj, Tommy Dorfman and Bella Thorne have helped to promote Diesel’s range with each one choosing a word that had been used to describe them in an abusive online comment.

Actor Bella Thorne chose the word “slut” after she revealed that she has been slut-shamed for her clothing choices while, actor Tommy Dorfman, best known for his role as Ryan Shaver in 13 Reasons Why, chose the word “f****t” after receiving homophobic abuse online.

However, Twitter users have pointed out that the homophobic slur is not something should be commercialised, describing it as “disgusting”.

“This is disgusting from @DIESEL. Are offensive words fashion now? #homophobia this can't be allowed,” one person wrote.

Another commented: “Seriously? I don’t need to waste £350 to increase my risk of getting queer bashed, thanks @DIESEL.

“People experience that for free every single day. Also, did I miss the memo about the gays reclaiming that word? No, I did not.”

A third added: “Please tell me this is a joke. I get the message you’re trying to convey but as a gay and a long time customer of Diesel, I’m appalled at this! @DIESEL.”

The controversy comes after the fashion brand decided to sell the jacket online despite receiving backlash when the campaign first launched back in September.

In response to the reaction on social media a spokesperson for the fashion brand tells The Independent: "Diesel strongly feels that bullying is one of the critical issues of our times. Bullying in all forms effects millions worldwide and we are committed to using our platform to raise awareness for this issue.

"Creating Hate Couture our aim has always been to disempower those that create the hate and manifest negativity.

"To bring awareness to the wider issue, each celebrity that took part to the campaign was brave enough to choose a real comment they got online to wear proudly with the goal of empowering others to take a stance. Because the more hate you wear the less you care.

"Nicki Minaj was dubbed “The Bad Guy.” Gucci Mane was told “F*** You, Imposter.” Bella Thorne was named a “Slut.” And, Tommy Dorfman was called “F****t.”

"We hope that people will wear the collection with pride, owning the hate and battling against negativity. We have donated a portion of sales from Hate Couture together with OTB Foundation to the Ali Forney Center (a charity selected by Tommy Dorfman) whose mission is to protect LGBTQ youths from the harms of homelessness and empower them with the tools needed to live independently."

This isn’t the first time a fashion brand has missed the mark by embellishing its clothes with offensive terms.

In September, online retailer Revolve came under fire for selling a sweatshirt on its website that read: “Being fat is not beautiful it’s an excuse.”

The top was part of a collection, created by fashion brand LPA, and included five sweatshirts that feature the most “abusive and controversial comments” directed at people like Lena Dunham, Suki Waterhouse and Cara Delevingne online.

After spotting the jumper, a number of people accused the brand of fat-shaming and called for the product to be immediately removed.

In light of the backlash, the retailer also donated $20,000 (£15221) to Girls Write Now – a charity mentoring underserved young women to find their voices through the power of writing and community.