Timberland Severs Ties with A.P.C., Drops Collaboration

Following A.P.C. founder Jean Touitou’s comments on his decision to title part of the brand’s Fall/Winter 2015 collection “Last Ni**as in Paris,” it seems as if the French designer has publicly lost a fan: Timberland. The footwear behemoth, which intended to release a collaboration with the minimalist Parisian label next season, has just released a statement absolving itself from A.P.C. In the statement, Timberland cites Touitou’s “language and approach” as being “in complete contrast of [its] values.” The statement continues: “We will not tolerate offensive language or racial slurs of any kind being associated with the Timberland brand.” As a refresher, the news comes on the back of Touitou’s rather (egregiously?) uncouth alignment of Timberland as a “very strong ghetto signifier.” This was compounded by him defending the collection’s title by having ‘cleared’ it with collaborator Kanye West. With Timberland being the first to take action, we wonder how Touitou’s comments will affect the future of the otherwise beloved streetwear brand. Look for more news on this story as it unravels.