Timberland has cut ties with A.P.C. following designer Jean Touitou's controversial remarks about his Fall/Winter 2015 men's collection.
This past weekend, Touitou presented his collection in Paris and called a portion of the line "Last Ni**as in Paris." As Style.com reported, he said it was a fusion of the 1972 erotic-drama, Last Tango in Paris, and Jay Z and Kanye West's single, "Ni**as in Paris."
"We have chosen to immediately terminate our involvement with the A.P.C. brand," Timberland president Stewart Whitney said in a statement. "Simply stated, this kind of language and approach is in complete contrast with our values," Whitney added. "Timberland seeks to collaborate with designers and brands who are at the forefront of lifestyle trends; equally important, they must also share our values. We will not tolerate offensive language or racial slurs of any kind being associated with the Timberland brand."
As a result, Whitney confirmed that the highly-anticipated Timberland x A.P.C. six-inch boots planned for fall will no longer go into production. It's interesting considering that the boots were pivotal in the new collection, with Touitou saying, "I made looks which are a cross-over of those two references: the Timberland shoes, and the sweat pants are iconic of hip-hop..."
