Colour cosmetics giant – MAC – is having to re-brand its range inspired by the Mexican town of Ciudad Juárez created in partnership with Rodarte, the design fashion label.
The collection had shades entitled Juarez, Factory and Ghost Town, named after the town, which is infamous for the number of women murdered there. The branding caused a storm of protests across the blogosphere, as beauty writers highlighted the link. MAC initially apologised for the product branding and said it would give an amount of the profits to charity, but it has now been forced to re-brand the range entirely. The cosmetics company has also pledged to donate $100,000 to a ‘non-profit organisation that has a proven, successful track-record in order to help women in need and improve their lives in a meaningful way’. Rodarte, the fashion house, which inspired the collection, also issued a statement in an attempt to draw a line under the controversy, stating: “We recognise that the violence against women taking place in Juarez needs to be met with proactive action.”
