MAC halts shipment of Juarez line
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
"Out of respect for the people of Mexico," MAC Cosmetics and fashion house Rodarte have opted not to ship their controversial Juarez cosmetics line, according to statement on MAC's Facebook page. The Estee Lauder Companies' brand came under fire last month for the collection, inspiration for which was traced to Rodarte founders' trip to impoverished city where they witnessed workers going to factory jobs in the middle of the night. MAC line featured product names such as "Bordertown" and "Factory" (1"The Rose Sheet" July 26, 2010, In Brief). Having previously committed to changing product names and donating $100,000 to a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of women in Juarez, MAC now says it will scuttle the line and donate all projected profits to groups with that mission. "MAC and Rodarte are deeply and sincerely sorry and we apologize to everyone we offended," according to the cosmetics brand's statement. "We are doing our very best to right this wrong. ... We are grateful for the opportunity to use what we have learned to raise awareness on this important issue.