Influencer slammed for tone-deaf Ukraine post promoting bikinis

A fashion influencer who posted about the conflict in Ukraine while promoting her bikini collection has been slammed over the move.

A fashion influencer is under fire for using the Ukraine-Russia conflict to raise her clothing brand’s visibility.

WeWoreWhat founder Danielle Bernstein boasts 2.8 million Instagram followers, but on Friday she posted a series of bikini shots of herself with a caption that has now been edited following major backlash, Page Six reports.

The original caption read: “When I say you can do both, I truly mean it. You can post about fashion and post about world issues. You can raise awareness for your new collection while also raising money to give back.”

She added, “You can go about your day while also showing compassion and reaching out to others.”

Danielle, 29, concluded the post by plugging her new swimsuit collection and telling her followers that “proceeds from the swim launch are going towards an on-the-ground organisation in Ukraine. Stay tuned for more giveback for this collection.”

Danielle Bernstein has been slammed for her tone-deaf post promoting her bikini collection while talking about the conflict in Ukraine. Picture: Instagram

The comments under the post have since been turned off, but critics chimed in when Diet Prada, an Instagram watch group that follows fashion accounts, shared screenshots of the original post.

One user in particular, who seemed to encompass the overall sentiment of the backlash, wrote, “War is not the opportunity to promote your business, #standwithukraine.”

Another added, “performance activism, is quite literally, the death of change and reform. scary to think about.”

A third pointed out how Danielle has been in the hot seat before for other issues, writing, “weworewhat has had so many scandals im surprised they haven’t decided to just shut down already”.

After being criticised she changed the caption, but it was widely shared online. Picture: Instagram

In November 2020 and March 2021, the New York based designer was accused of copying two indie fashion brands and was in a legal battle with undies brand The Great Eros for allegedly stealing a design. Danielle has denied the claims.

She was also previously accused of swiping a mask design — which she denied — and of copying jewellery for a line with Nordstrom.

Since her latest controversy blew up, Danielle has changed her caption to try and explain just how the funds of her swimsuit launch will be used to assist Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), an organisation on the ground in Ukraine.

“Almost every single @shopweworewhat launch has given back hundreds of thousands of dollars to an extremely important cause and I couldn’t be more proud of that,” she claimed. “This will be no different.”

The US fashion influencer said she has sent $250,000 ($AU344,258) worth of refugee relief to Ukraine. Picture: Instagram

The fashion influencer then alleged, “Two days ago our team sent $250,000 ($AU344,258) worth of refugee relief to Ukraine. Because of the current situation we are delaying the launch date and making a second donation of $5,000 ($AU6885) to our @wegavewhat partners @globalempowermentmission TODAY, because we know it is needed NOW.”

She concluded, “Once we release the collection we will provide additional support and a third financial donation with a portion of proceeds.”

However, another fashion influencer, Heidi Kaluza, who posts under the username @the_rogue_essentials, claimed Bernstein’s $250,000 donation was “not true,” saying an event Danielle hosted had raised that much money with “no info … about where it went”.

In response, Danielle shared on her Instagram Story that @WeGaveWhat, the philanthropic arm of @WeWoreWhat, has raised $22,000 ($AU30,289) to date for GEM.

But people said ‘War is not the opportunity to promote your business’. Picture: Instagram

GEM also thanked @WeGaveWhat for their continued partnership, stating, “These funds are critical and being used immediately on the ground to support refugees.”

A rep for Danielle did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.

This article originally appeared on The NY Post and was reproduced with permission