In case you haven’t heard by now, MAC Cosmetics has caused quite the stir with their upcoming fall collection in collaboration with fashion label Rodarte. The MAC Rodarte collection is inspired by Juarez- a factory town on the border of Mexico. The collection capitalizes on the hardships of the women of Juarez, tastelessly naming the products in such a fashion that mocks the circumstances of this town. Using names such as Juarez, Factory, Bordertown, Sleepwalker, Badlands and Ghost Town to name a few. Juarez holds the highest murder rate in the world and is known for the disappearance and murder of numerous women and girls just trying to make a living. Many of these cases remain unresolved. Visit Amnesty International to learn more about Juarez.
In response to the outrage that the upcoming collection has caused, MAC released the following statement:
“We understand that product names in the M·A·C Rodarte collection have offended our consumers and fans. This was never our intent and we are very sorry. We continue to listen carefully to the comments we have received and have the following plans to address concerns:
- We are committed to donating $100,000 to a non-profit organization that has a proven, successful track-record helping women in need and that can directly improve the lives of women in Juarez in a meaningful way.
- We are changing the product names in the M·A·C Rodarte collection.
As we have done in the past, please be assured that we will communicate details regarding our progress in this matter.”
And Rodarte’s statement:
“We recognize that the violence against women taking place in Juarez needs to be met with proactive action. We never intended to make light of this serious issue and we are truly sorry.
Helping to improve the conditions for women in Juarez is a priority for us and we are thankful for all the comments calling attention to the urgency of addressing this situation.”
*statements source: Temptalia
With all of the revenue that MAC generates, $100,000 is an insult, a slap in the face. An online petition has been generated by Healing Beauty calling for MAC and Rodarte to donate ALL PROFITS from this collection to the appropriate charities who can help the women of Juarez (The Comite Fronterizo de Obreras, Amigos de las Mujeres de Juarez, and Casa Amiga ) AND to keep the names of the products to raise awareness of the situation in Juarez.
To view and sign the petition, please click the link below:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/macrodarte/
Update 7/30/10: MAC has announced that ALL global profits from the MAC Rodarte Collection will be donated to a newly created initiative to raise awareness and provide on the ground support to the women of Juarez.
Update 8/16/10: MAC will not be shipping the Rodarte Collection after all, out of respect for the women and girls of Juarez and their families.
From MAC’s Facebook Page:
This decision will not impact M·A·C ‘s commitment to donate all of its projected profits from the collection to benefit the women and girls of Juarez.
Out of respect for the people of Mexico, the women and girls of Juarez and their families, as well as our M·A·C Mexican staff and colleagues, M·A·C has made the decision not to ship the M·A·C Rodarte limited edition makeup collection. This decision will have no impact on M·A·C’s commitment to donate all of its projected global profits from this collection to local and international groups that work to improve the lives of the women and girls of Juarez. We are currently conducting due diligence to ensure we donate to organizations with a proven record of directly supporting the women and girls of Juarez.
M·A·C and Rodarte are deeply and sincerely sorry and we apologize to everyone we offended. We have listened very closely to the feedback of concerned global citizens. We are doing our very best to right this wrong. The essence of M·A·C is to give back and care for the community and Rodarte is committed to using creativity for positive social change. We are grateful for the opportunity to use what we have learned to raise awareness on this important issue.
This is great news. Kudos to MAC for righting the wrong, listening and taking correction. Our voices were heard everyone.
4 Responses
Thank you very much xx
No problem at all hon. Thanks for starting this up, brilliant idea.
I think its great u did this post… Im glad that mac decided to donate and try to make things more positive…
I am definitely glad that they decided to donate, however I really do feel that they can do more. They have the means and resources to do so. Thanks for commenting hon and please sign the petition.