Alternative clothing company Dolls Kill is under fire after their recent actions in response to Black Lives Matter protestors in Los Angeles. The company’s owner, Shoddy Lynn, shared a picture to her Instagram page that depicted over two dozen police officers blocking off a street that was in front of the Dolls Kill Los Angeles location with a caption that read, “Direct Action in its glory.” She was quickly called out for her failure to acknowledge and stand by the Black Lives Matter movement and the criticizing was delivered by celebrities, which included SZA and Rico Nasty, along with their everyday fans. Responding to the criticism, Dolls Kill posted an apology to their Instagram that read:
You are right to be upset with us — we were slow to show our support of BLACK LIVES MATTER and we should have done more. Dolls Kill is a company, but first _ foremost a collective of misfits who work 2 make this brand what it is & we need to make some things clear. WE @ DOLLS KILL CONDEMN RACISM, POLICE BRUTALITY, VIOLENCE, BIGOTRY AND HATE. In the past, we haven’t been outspoken on issues. When customers have spoken out, we’ve responded by fixing it from the inside. Cutting ties with vendors, pulling items from the site and being more inclusive. We’ve never spoken publicly, because as a fashion brand, it never felt like our place. But we’ve learned that silence is complicit. It’s not excusable. WE HEAR U. WE WILL CHANGE.
@sza out here calling them out pic.twitter.com/gBDtCKJ548
— radlene (@radlene2) June 3, 2020
Dolls kill owner unfollowed me… Not suprised .
See y’all at hot topic pic.twitter.com/FtofArf1I0— TACOBELLA (@Rico_nastyy) June 1, 2020
The responses to this apology poured in by the boatload, one of them coming from SZA. Posting a comment under the apology, the “Love Galore” singer said, “You called the cops on protestors???? … wow.” Rico Nasty also chimed in on the brand’s actions on Twitter saying, “Dolls kill owner unfollowed me… Not surprised. See y’all at hot topic.”
In their apology Dolls Kill also pledged $1 million to purchase products from black-owned fashion brands and designers to feature on their site and asked their followers to suggest brands in the comment section.
Check out the apology and comments from SZA and Rico Nasty above.