A streetwear brand is facing backlash for debuting sweaters that bear the names of schools that have suffered mass shootings, including Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
New York-based brand Bstroy recently unveiled the apparel at New York Fashion Week. The hooded sweaters are embroidered with the names Stoneman Douglas, Virginia Tech, Columbine and Sandy Hook. They also have details that appear to resemble bullet holes.
The sweaters have sparked an outrage online, with people taking to the comments on Bstroy's Instagram and calling the apparel "pathetic" and "disgusting."
"My dead classmates dying should not be a f-----g fashion statement," user ksaenzz wrote.
Broward County School Board member Lori Alhadeff, whose daughter Alyssa died in the 2018 Parkland shooting, said the fashion line diluted the tragedy to consumerism.
"It's almost like they're promoting it, and I think it's pretty sick and wrong," she said. "It definitely angers me. It makes it very painful that somebody would want to profit by making sweatshirts with bullet holes in them and the name Stoneman Douglas."
Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime also died in the shooting, also slammed the sweaters, tweeting, "Under what scenario could somebody think this was a good idea? This has me so upset. If any of my followers no anybody involved with this clothing line, please ask them to stop it immediately."
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One of the company's founders defended the shirts and told NBC News that "Art's job is to wring emotion out" and the hoodies were meant to treat the "incidents with reverence and respect."
The brand told NBC News that the sweaters were initially created for the fashion show and not intended to be sold, but they are now considering selling them.
"Parents need to be aware of what this is and make sure they don't give money to their children to buy these sweatshirts," Alhadeff said.
