Alexander McQueen Employees Allege Racial Discrimination, Slurs Like 'Burrito Face'
The Alexander McQueen store is the destination for luxury clothing and designer fashion. The NYC boutique offers high-end items with clean lines, meticulous cuts, constructed layers and balanced design. Suits, dresses, jackets, shoes, and outwear are the forte of the renowned location, which routinely attracts celebrities like Beyonce and Lady Gaga. The posh fashion house is apparently also the setting for hostile racial slurs and discrimination. A 43-year-old Hispanic former saleswoman for the boutique in NYC's Meatpacking District, Moselle Blanco, claims that her former boss called her "burrito face," "Goya princess," "taco smoke," and a number of other names.
Blanco is now suing the stylish British retailer, alleging racial discrimination. The civil suit, filed last Wednesday, states that Max Cantey, Blanco's former boss, not only called her a slew of slurs but also subjected her to offensive comments relating to her national origin and race. Cantey remarked that Blanco had "greasy hands like a Mexican," disallowing her to touch the furs or products that he taught that she might ruin. He accused her of stealing, and accused her of using cocaine at work.
When she took her complaints to other managers and HR, they made light of the complaints. And, in September 2012, she was fired for failing to retrieve a dress that had been loaned to cookbook author Jessica Seinfield.
The company denies the allegation, commenting that they are committed to equality:
"Alexander McQueen is committed to equality in the workplace, and we are proud of our diverse employee base. We take any allegations of this nature seriously and will always investigate them thoroughly, but we will not comment on individual cases," The McQueen corporation remarked in an email, sent to the Huffington Post.
The 10 year employee of the store also stated that two other employees were fired after claiming discrimination, including Africa-born former security guard Othman Ibela. He was fired this past July, after he reported that he received racially insensitive remarks regarding his origin from various sales clerks. He is also filing a lawsuit regarding the discrimination, saying that it caused him depression, anxiety attacks, and suicidal thoughts. Ibela also added that black customers were routinely racially profiled.
Barneys and Macy's have also been under fire for racial profiling minorities.