Gucci withdrew a designer black polo neck from its shops and websites on Thursday after it was compared to offensive “golliwog” images, in the latest racism row to engulf an Italian fashion house.
The black jumper, which sells for £690, can be pulled up over the lower half of the face, leaving a person’s mouth framed with giant red lips.
The row came as several politicians in the United States, including the attorney-general of Virginia, have been embroiled in “blackface” controversies after blacking up in the past as a prank or joke.
Mark Herring, the state’s attorney-general, issued a statement on Wednesday saying that he wore brown makeup and a wig to look like a black rapper during a party that he attended as an undergraduate in 1980.
The Gucci sweater prompted indignation on social media, with one woman writing: “You mean to tell me NO ONE saw the awful blackface resemblance with this shirt? This is clear-cut proof that there is a HUGE lack of diversity at Gucci.”
The polo neck was described as “a racist golliwog image”, with one Twitter user remarking: “Jesus Christ. Who actually thought that this would be a good idea?”
But others said the criticism was an over-reaction. “The only offensive thing about this is the price. I suppose balaclavas are all racist now, too,” was one typical remark.
In a statement, Gucci said: “We deeply apologise for the offence caused by the wool balaclava jumper. We confirm that the item has been immediately removed from our online store and all physical stores.
"We are fully committed to increasing diversity throughout our organisation and turning this incident into a powerful learning moment for the Gucci team and beyond.”
Gucci is the third Italian fashion house to be accused of peddling racist stereotypes in the last few months.
In December, Prada was forced to withdraw a line of “Sambo-like” figurines and key rings that featured monkey-like characters with big red lips.
The company issued an apology, saying that the "resemblance of the products to blackface was by no means intentional.”
“First Prada, now Gucci. Shouldn’t it be quite easy for major fashion houses to avoid producing items that look like racist tropes? Why does this keep happening?” one woman commented on social media.
In November, Dolce & Gabbana had to apologise for an online ad campaign which featured a Chinese model struggling to eat Italian dishes such as spaghetti and pizza with a pair of chopsticks.
The model laughed and giggled apologetically, in a depiction which was criticised as a negative and outdated stereotyping of Chinese women.
The advertisement prompted fury from many Chinese and the fashion house had to cancel a fashion show in Shanghai.
Chinese retailers withdrew D&G products from their shops and websites, while some celebrities publicly criticised the brand.
The row was reignited when Stefano Gabbana, co-founder of the fashion house, posted a smiling poo emoji on his private Instagram account and referred to China as “a country of shit”.
The company insisted that his account had been maliciously hacked.
Last month, the model who appeared in the advertising campaign said it had almost wrecked her career.
“I feel guilty for causing the disturbance,” said Zuo Ye. “I never expected that this one time would almost ruin my model career.”
Promising that she would “grow from this experience”, she said she was mortified to have been accused of deriding Chinese women.
It is not just Italian brands that have been accused of racism and prejudice.
In 2011 John Galliano, the British designer, was sacked as creative director of Dior, the French fashion house, after hurling anti-Semitic and racist insults at a couple dining in a brasserie in Paris.
He later blamed his addiction to drugs and alcohol for the tirade and said he had no recollection of what he had said.