Bloggers are often called upon as influencers to help fashion, beauty, tech—pretty much all the industries—push whatever their latest product is because, well … bloggers are cool. Bloggers always have their manicured fingers on the pulse of what's new, now and next.
Popular black fashion, beauty and lifestyle blogger HeyGorjess (Jessica Franklin) posted a photo on Instagram of an email she received from a fashion company called Shop London. Franklin said the brand reached out, wanting to work with her, and she kindly declined the partnership. The email she received as a response was shocking.
Someone named Laura from Shop London said, "We are looking for a white audience. I think my assistant sent this email in error. Thank you." Two minutes later, Laura sent another message to Franklin: "I said we are not looking for a black audience. Thank you."
Pick your jaws up off the floor. These are the emails that rarely see the light of day but certainly happen all the time. Franklin wanted her 49,100 followers on Instagram to know that this brand is not only rude but racist. Two emails to reiterate a point that was entirely uncalled for? That's not how any of this works!
There's no room to play white devil's advocate here. Shop London—a glorified Instagram boutique filled with body-con pieces of fabric—needs to assign someone else to emailing because whoever Laura is … she's going to get them placed in the racist Hall of Fame before they're able to get their following anywhere near Jessica Franklin's. Who emails people these things?!