Tattoo Clothing Fashion Line by H&M Under Attack
The clothing store H&M has come under fire for its most recent line of clothes that were created and inspired by the main character of a new movie set to hit theaters on Wednesday.
Natalie Karneef, a blogger, wrote a blog article titled An Open Letter to H&M from a Rape Survivor. In the blog post, Karneef objects the idea that a rape victim inspired the new H&M clothing line.
"H&M, you have created a line of clothing based on her character: a woman who has suffered a lifetime of abuse, who is violently raped, and who is hunting down a man who violently rapes and kills other women," Karneef wrote.
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A spokesperson for H&M wrote that the company apologizes if anyone was offended by the line, and it was not their intent to upset anyone. The H&M spokesperson stated: “The collection is based on and inspired by the film and character Lisbeth Salander and though we think Lisbeth is a strong woman who stands up for her ideal, we are not trying to represent her specifically."
Kerneef is upset not at the clothes themselves but at the fact that she feels that H&M will “glamorize it, putting a glossy, trendy finish on the face of sexual violence and the rage and fear it leaves behind."
The spokesperson continued, "Our goal is to rather offer a collection that we see in today's trend picture that will appeal to many customers.”
The 30-piece Dragon Tattoo collection is the work of Trish Summerville, who worked as the costume designer for the David Fincher film.
Julie Gerstein, style editor for The Frisky, a woman's lifestyle blog wrote: "I doubt that H&M's desire to create a clothing line based on the Lisbeth Salander character in 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'…It seems more of a marketing decision than a statement on rape culture.”
