“F.N.F” (Let’s Go) rapper GloRilla recently announced her new collaboration with a fashion designer whose brand once thrived in the Black community.
On Tuesday, March 28, Tommy Hilfiger announced that the Memphis native was the newest face of Tommy Jeans and revealed their affiliation with London-based luxury streetwear brand, Aries.
In a joint Instagram post, GloRilla wore three different cropped, denim outfits, revealing just a little bit of skin. Her hair was styled in a half-up, half-down ’do with a side-swept bang.
While this is a huge venture for the Grammy-nominated artist, many fans couldn’t seem to congratulate her because of their belief that Hilfiger is a racist.
However, several have expressed their discontent with the newfound partnership due to a long-running rumor that the label wasn’t designed for people of the culture to wear.
“The man who didn’t want blk ppl wearing his sht… ok cool.”
“It’s crazy because I remember him saying he didn’t want black people in his clothes & they’re not made for us.”
“I wish more people knew Tommy Hilfiger is not racist. How tf you still believing a rumor from the 90s.”
Hilfiger’s supposed email has been a topic of discussion for decades. It reportedly states that if he had known, minorities would wear his clothes, he wouldn’t have made them “so nice” and said his clothes were for “upper white people.”
Oprah Winfrey was dragged into the rumor mill after the email maintained that Hilfiger defended his comments during an appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
Those rumors were eventually disputed in 2007 after he actually appeared on Winfrey’s show.
He said, “I was never on the Oprah show, I would never say that, and all my friends and family who know me and people who work with me and people who have grown up with me said ‘that’s crazy.'”
Though he has debunked the alleged statement, the decades-long rumor about Hilfiger has made a heavy imprint on the culture.
Despite those upset by GloRilla’s Tommy Hilfiger collab, many are quite impressed. Several fans compared her denim choices and poses to the late R&B princess Aaliyah.
“Glorilla giving Aaliyah in 97 vibes.”
“She got the lil swoop n everything.”
In an interview with Paper Magazine, GloRilla credited the late ’90s sensation for inspiring her as she embarked on this new journey.
“I’m a big Aaliyah fan, and I love what she did with them,” she told the outlet, “I’m part of keeping a legacy going.”
The “Rock The Boat” vocalist was one of the main artists to introduce Hilfiger’s style to the urban mainstream. Aaliyah, Destiny’s Child, and Snoop Dogg have all supported the brand without facing backlash.
In addition to those late ’90s and early 2000s icons, “Euphoria” actress Zendaya also partnered with Hilfiger in 2019 for her first clothing collaboration.
