13 September 2018
Newsdesk
Lena Dunham has distanced herself from her sweatshirt collaboration, admitting she is "deeply disappointed" about the way they have been marketed.
The Girls actress teamed up with her friend Pia Arrobio's brand LPA on a range of sweatshirts featuring quotes "from prominent women who have experienced internet trolling & abuse". However, one piece, a grey cropped sweatshirt bearing the quote, "BEING FAT IS NOT BEAUTIFUL IT’S AN EXCUSE," caused uproar this week (begs10Sep18) when fashion retailer Revolve advertised it using a slim model, causing many to interpret the top as "fat-shaming".
Lena has responded to the controversy in a lengthy post on Instagram in which she explains that Revolve executives made their marketing decision without her permission and it doesn't fit with her original intention of empowering women.
"Without consulting me or any of the women involved, @revolve presented the sweatshirts on thin white women, never thinking about the fact that difference and individuality is what gets you punished on the Internet, or that lack of diversity in representation is a huge part of the problem (in fact, the problem itself.)" she wrote.
"As a result, I cannot support this collaboration or lend my name to it in any way. This doesn’t take away from my love or respect for what Pia has done with LPA, but I am deeply disappointed in @revolve’s handling of a sensitive topic and a collaboration rooted in reclaiming the words of internet trolls to celebrate the beauty in diversity and bodies and experiences that aren’t the industry norm."
She continued by thanking plus-size model Paloma Elsesser and the other women for sharing their quotes for the clothing line and said she was disappointed that their words were not honoured.
The collaboration was meant to benefit charities help young women by empowering them to express themselves through writing and art. She concluded by announcing she will be making a donation "to the charity of every woman’s choice who was wronged with me".
