Breaking Fashion News Alert: Shopping While Black and Jay Z

You may have heard of “driving while black.” Well, “shopping while black” has now come front and center as a lawsuit by Trayon Christian, an African American college student, was filed on Tuesday in a Manhattan Supreme Court claiming that Christian was racially profiled while purchasing a $350 Salvatore Ferragamo belt at Barneys New York last April.

Trayon Christian was stopped by undercover cops that were tipped off by a Barneys’ sales clerk after Christian purchased the belt, according to the New York Post. The lawsuit states that the NYC College of Technology freshmen was asked how he could afford the purchase and was then handcuffed and booked at a local precinct.

Michael Palillo, Christian’s attorney told the New York Post, “Christian was told that his identification was false [though he had showed his debt card and ID] and that he could not afford to make such an expensive purchase.” Christian had saved up money from his part-time job to purchase the belt. Trayon Christian has since returned the belt and plans never to shop at the Madison Avenue store again.

In response to the racial profiling claim, Barneys has released the following statement, “Barneys New York typically does not comment on pending litigation. In this instance, we feel compelled to note that after carefully reviewing the incident of last April, it is clear that no employee of Barneys New York was involved in the pursuit of any action with the individual other than the sale. Barneys New York has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination and we stand by our long history in support of all human rights.”

Coincidentally, Jay Z has been pulled into the recent “shopping while black” fray. The rap mogul has come under increasing pressure to pull out of his holiday collaboration with Barneys. As reported on Fashion Reverie, Jay Z’s and Barneys’ collaboration is “a Christmastime promotion that will include limited-edition products by designers such as Lanvin, Balenciaga, Balmain, Rick Owens, and Proenza Schouler. And 25 percent of the sales will go to Jay Z’s non-profit foundation the Shawn Carter Foundation Scholarship.”

An online petition and a barrage of messages on Twitter from fans have called on Jay Z to withdraw from his collaboration. Jay Z contends that is not making any money from the collaboration with 25 percent of the sales going to his foundation.

Defending himself, the rap mogul offered several statements. “I move and speak based on facts and not emotion,” the statement said. “I haven’t made any comments because I am waiting on facts and the outcome of a meeting between community leaders and Barneys. Why am I being demonized, denounced and thrown on the cover of a newspaper for not speaking immediately?” explains Jay Z.

—William S. Gooch