Anna Wintour apologises for describing Kanye West fashion collection as 'migrant chic'

'The migrant crisis is real, and I didn't intend to trivialise that issue,' Vogue editor says

Olivia Blair
Saturday 16 April 2016 10:45 BST
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Anna Wintour on Late Night with Seth Meyers

Anna Wintour has apologised for describing Kanye West’s latest clothing collection as “migrant chic”.

The Vogue editor-in-chief received criticism earlier this week after making the comments on Late Night with Seth Meyers. Discussing her attendance at the hotly ticketed fashion show-come-album listening party at Madison Square Gardens in February, Winter made the reference when explaining how she was early to the show and then had to wait for the Kardashians and Jay Z to arrive.

“Eventually, they did turn up and the Life of Pablo concert started and the migrant chic fashion show started and they were both wonderful,” she said before explaining how she later slipped out but ended up getting lost in the basement.

Social media users expressed shock at the remark with one person condemning it as “wholly inappropriate”.

The 66-year-old has now apologised, saying: “I apologise if my remark was offensive in any way. The migrant crisis is real, and I didn’t intend to trivialise that issue,” reports the Guardian.

Wintour’s controversial comments came after Hungarian photographer Norbert Baska provoked backlash with a fashion shoot inspired by the refugee crisis, with critics labelling the shoot “migrant chic”.

“These people find the pictures offensive, but we never meant to offend anybody, but rather to draw the attention to the complexity of these people’s problem,” he told the Independent in October.

The Independent has contacted a spokesperson for Wintour for comment.

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