Luxury brands often dip their gilded toes into the market of everyday object - usually with a high fashion twist and a price tag to match. There was Tiffany's $1,500 tennis ball can, Louis Vuitton's $8,250 skateboard, Hermès' $350 bookmark, and now, Chanel's $1,325 boomerang. The item has been around for awhile as part of Chanel's sporting collection (which includes $3,350 beach rackets and a $1,550 tennis racket), but resurfaced online when makeup artist Jeffree Star tweeted about it:
Having so much fun with my new @Chanel boomerang 👌🏼 pic.twitter.com/8w6jGPIuYU
— Jeffree Star (@JeffreeStar) May 15, 2017
Immediately, people were pissed and sounding off online - about the price tag, yes, but also about Chanel's cultural appropriation of Indigenous Australians, who are one of the poorest demographics in Australia.
That @CHANEL boomerang better be able to return even after knocking me a kangaroo and Chanel CEO for lunch. $2k? TG.
— The Kaylah Truth (@kaylahtruth) May 15, 2017
When I think about Aboriginal culture, I think @chanel https://t.co/ocZSljGkPW
— Nayuka Gorrie (@NayukaGorrie) May 15, 2017
Missed headline opportunity: “Designer boomerang will come back to haunt Chanel." https://t.co/8SAxOs1o2N
— Leonie Doyle (@leoniedoyle) May 16, 2017
As The Guardian reports, "At $1,930, it costs nearly 10 percent of the average income of Indigenous Australians."
Chanel issued a sorry-not-sorry statement, saying: "Chanel is extremely committed to respecting all cultures, and regrets that some may have felt offended."
[h/t The Cut]
Image via Chanel.com