The Kooples Founder Laurent Elicha and Wife Noemi Accused of Wearing Blackface: Report
A founder of the fashion brand The Kooples has been accused of wearing blackface, according to a report from the Daily Mail.
In a story published on Friday, the outlet posted photos showing Laurent Elicha — one of the founders of the French fashion label — and his wife Noemi wearing dark brown paint on their faces. In the images, which were allegedly posted on Noemi’s Instagram account, the duo also wore fake dreadlocks as well as “tribal” makeup and jewelry. (Noemi’s account is now set to private.)
According to the outlet, Laurent and Noemi, as well as their two young children, were dressed up for the Jewish holiday of Purim, which was celebrated Wednesday and Thursday of this week. In one screenshot allegedly from Noemi’s Instagram Story, she captioned a selfie of her costume “#tribalvibe.” Another caption read, “when I said I fell in love with Africa.”
The Daily Mail reported that Instagram users commented on the images to accuse the family of wearing blackface.
The Kooples did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment, but the Daily Mail reported that Noemi removed the photos and apologized in a statement, saying that she “regret[s] and apologize[s] for any offense that has been caused.”
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The Kooples is a French fashion label founded by Laurent and his brothers Alexandre and Raphaël Elicha. The company has worked with many celebrities, including Irina Shayk and Zayn Malik.
On Wednesday, the Business of Fashion reported that the owner of fashion brand Lacoste was in talks to buy the brand.
The outlet reported that Swiss investor Maus Frères, which owns Lacoste along with other brands, is said to have begun “exclusive negotiations with shareholders of The Kooples.” The company did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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The Kooples isn’t the first fashion brand to come under for fire for blackface in recent months. In February, Gucci faced intense backlash over an $890 sweater that sparked accusations of racism for resembling blackface.
Gucci has since apologized for the sweater.
In a statement on Feb. 15, Gucci president and CEO Marco Bizzarri said the brand would “accept full accountability for this incident” and announced plans to step up diversity hiring.
