Prada 'Blackface' Probe Ends With Settlement, City Says

NEW YORK CITY — An investigation into racist practices within the legendary fashion house Prada — launched after it stocked a figurine of a red-lipped monkey — has ended with a settlement, the city's Human Rights Commission announced Wednesday.

Prada will submit to company-wide racial equality training after its Soho store showcased a line of collectibles, known as Pradamalia, that included a $500 dark-wood monkey keychain with oversized red lips and bulging eyes, according to Human Rights Commissioner Carmelyn P. Malalis.

“Today’s conciliation ... recognizes the harm of racist iconography, demands accountability from Italy to New York City,” said Malalis.

"My hope is that government, here in New York City and across the country, continue to think outside the box to address and remedy historical and current harms perpetrated through anti-Black racism.”

The settlement mandates Prada launch a fashion school scholarship for students with underrepresented backgrounds, hire a permanent diversity executive to oversee advertising and future product lines, and consult on racial equity with Fashion Institute of Technology president Dr. Joyce Brown, officials said.

Prada's corporate press office did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.

The controversial Pradamalia line first spurred outrage in December 2018 when civil rights attorney Chinyere Ezie posted photos on social media.

“I was shocked to see Blackface and Sambo images in a Prada Soho window display in 2018," said Ezie. "This iconography has been used throughout history to mock and demean Black people and strip us of our humanity."

Prada responded by pulling the product from the shelves and pledging to donate money made from the items to a "New York-based organization committed to fighting for racial justice."

The Human Rights commission issued a cease and desist letter and launched its probe about one week after Ezie's social media post went viral.

Ezie worked with the commission and Prada on portions of the restorative justice elements of the agreement, officials said.