A spooky ad for the MAC and Rodarte makeup line
All the controversy surrounding the collaboration between MAC and Rodarte has finally come to a head. MAC has announced that they will be cancelling their partnership with Rodarte on their Juarez-themed makeup line.
Last month the fashion house and cosmetics company fielded a heavy helping of backlash following their announcement of a makeup collection that was centered around the Mexican city of Juarez. Kate and Laura Mulleavey of Rodarte claimed they were inspired by the women of the factory-laden town after visiting on a recent road trip through Texas. What they seemingly did not know, or just chose not to acknowledge, is that the town is reportedly one of the most violent and poverty-stricken towns in the entire country. Gang wars in the area often result in civilian casualties, many times being the women whose factory uniforms inspired the makeup line. Needless to say, once the announcement was made that the collection would debut in September, brimming with bloody-looking and ghostly hues sporting names like "Ghost Town" and "Factory", many people disapproved.
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At first the two companies tried to diffuse the situation by apologizing and setting up a charity foundation for victims of the town's violence. They later tried to change the names of the products in the line but seemingly soon realized, this would not be a collection of best sellers. Therefore, the cosmetics company has put the kibosh on the entire collaborative line, perhaps for the best. The cancellation was confirmed in a statement posted to the MAC Facebook page. The charity initiatives are reportedly still in effect, but both Rodarte and M.A.C. seem to want the entire media frenzied issue to be over with. Included in the official statement:
Out of respect for the people of Mexico, the women and girls of Juarez and their families, as well as our MAC Mexican staff and colleagues, MAC has made the decision not to ship the MAC Rodarte limited edition makeup collection. This decision will have no impact on MAC’s commitment to donate all of its projected global profits from this collection to local and international groups that work to improve the lives of the women and girls of Juarez. We are currently conducting due diligence to ensure we donate to organizations with a proven record of directly supporting the women and girls of Juarez. MAC and Rodarte are deeply and sincerely sorry and we apologize to everyone we offended. We have listened very closely to the feedback of concerned global citizens. We are doing our very best to right this wrong. The essence of MAC is to give back and care for the community and Rodarte is committed to using creativity for positive social change. We are grateful for the opportunity to use what we have learned to raise awareness on this important issue.
Article Source: NY Mag, Elle UK
Photo Source: NY Mag
-Alia Rajput
