Is the Founder of A.P.C. Racist? His Offensive Comments May Shock You

If you follow fashion runway shows, then you know it's not uncommon for designers to name their looks something a bit . . . out there. But when A.P.C. founder Jean Touitou abruptly announced at his recent men's show in Paris, "I call this one look Last Ni##@$ in Paris," one really had to wonder: WTF?!

But if the name alone wasn't enough to make your blood boil, the designer stuck his foot in his mouth again by casually explaining his choice: "Because it's the sweet spot when the hood — the 'hood — meets Bertolucci's movie Last Tango in Paris. So that's 'Ni##@$ in Paris and Last Ni##@$ in Paris." He also decided to call out the brand's Timberland boot collaboration, saying that "the Timberland here is a very strong ghetto signifier. In the ghetto, it is all the Timberlands, all the big chain." Right . . .

Apparently, though, Touitou meant no harm, because — duh! — he's friends with Kanye West, which obviously means it wasn't racist, right? Well, Timberland didn't think so, because the brand announced today that it's cutting all ties with A.P.C. But what do you think? Were the comments racist or just some kind of French humor that got lost in translation? Let us know in the poll.

*Update: Jean Touitou has issued a statement to GQ in response to the incident. "When describing our brand's latest collaboration, I spoke recklessly using terms that were both ignorant and offensive," his letter reads. "I apologize and am deeply regretful for my poor choice of words, which are in no way a reflection of my personal views."