Model told off after refusing to wear bizarre ‘racist’ accessories in fashion show

A model who refused to wear strange accessories in a New York fashion show has captured global attention after speaking out.

A model who refused to wear bizarre accessories in a New York fashion show says she and other models were intimidated into wearing the “clearly racist” items.

Model Amy Lefevre, 25, said she was “ready to break down” after being asked to wear the bushy eyebrows and oversized ears and lips, which the designer reportedly didn’t see as being offensive.

Ms Lefevre, who is African-American, said when she told staff at the February 7 runway show she felt uncomfortable she was told “it was fine to feel uncomfortable for only 45 seconds”.

Two models wear the accessories. Picture: via Diet Prada

Model Amy Julliette Lefévre refused to wear the accessories.

Ms Lefevre refused to wear the accessories in the show.

The models were asked to wear fake red lips made from sex toys, big ears and bushy eyebrows, in looks put together by designer Junkai Huang. Mr Huang was part of a 10 person graduate show for a group completing a Master of Fine Arts class in fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. The look was yesterday called “blatantly racist” by fashion watchdog Diet Prada.

But Mr Huang, who is from China, reportedly didn’t understand the racial overtones of the accessories and had intended to exaggerate “ugly” features with the accessories.

Ms Lefevre ultimately walked the runway without wearing the accessories. Other models wore the items, with one witness telling the New York Post the models were verballed by staff and organisers at the event as they raised their concerns.

The incident was addressed by social media fashion watchdog Diet Prada yesterday, who called it “a shame”.

“It shouldn’t be down to the models to have to refuse wearing blatantly racist accessories on the runway, especially not in a show thrown by an institution like (FIT),” Diet Prada said.

The post has been liked more than 57,000 times and sparked heated debate in the page’s comments section.

The NY-based FIT has since apologised for the incident, saying the designer and organisers didn’t intend to make the show about race.

“Currently it does not appear that the original intent of the design, the use of accessories or the creative direction of the show was to make a statement about race; however, it is now glaringly obvious that has been the outcome,” president of FIT Dr. Joyce F. Brown said in a statement given to NY Post.

Dr Brown said the institution should have taken steps to stop the incident occurring.