Sarah’s Day has announced she is pulling her activewear campaign after being accused of cultural appropriation.
The campaign for her third activewear collaboration Reboot with White Fox Boutique was themed ‘everything elevated’.
Sarah was almost unrecognisable at the shoot, with her normal short, blonde hair woven into thick fluro braids.
The YouTuber was in tears when she apologised on her Instagram story to her 1.1 million followers for her hairstyle causing offence.
“I’m so sorry I screwed up. I was misinformed and uneducated. I’m doing my best to educate myself and to use my platform because I don’t know what it feels like to be offended in that way.
“You know what I mean? I can’t say what I did was right because if you’re offended there’s a reason for it and you’re totally allowed to feel offended. I don’t want anyone to feel sad,” she said.
The mum-of-one explained it was her idea to wear braids, explaining she always wears then and wanted to incorporate Coachella and ‘festival vibes’ to the campaign.
“Specifically, we need to talk about the braids because this is where the controversy and accusations and issues of cultural appropriation.
“In no way am I making excuses or trying to justify. I’m really trying to give reasoning because everyone’s asking me questions. Even if they’re mean questions. Everyone’s like, ‘Why the eff do you think it’s ok to wear braids?’ Like, this is me answering,” Sarah said.
“This is a very serious topic and for us to like be put into this category is very scary for us because this is the complete opposite of what we’re about. The complete opposite,” Sarah’s fiancé Kurt Tilse added.
“I’m the last person to judge anyone or try to be controversial or cultural appropriate. I just want everyone to be happy,” Sarah said.
“I don’t know if I’m just not educated in this or it’s like I don’t know because not once did I think about cultural appropriation. “If that ever crossed my mind, I wouldn’t have done it because you guys know I hate conflict and I hate controversy and I don’t want to offend anyone. If I thought it would I would have never ever done it.
“I’d be lying if I said I completely understood what’s ok and what’s not ok because even after researching so much, asking my friends of all different culturally background of all different races, everyone has a different opinion,” she continued.
“It’s a very fine line,” Kurt agreed.
“So, I don’t’ know what’s offensive, I don’t know what’s cultural appropriation, so I had a call with White Fox, and they don’t want to offend anyone. The people who worked on this campaign are heartbroken we could have upset,” Sarah said in tears.
The 27-year-old also took to her Instagram feed to share an apology and explanation around her campaign.
On May 13, Outspoken Media first reported on Sarah’s hairstyle and the issues the campaign may face, after she revealed the controversial look on her Instagram story.
Despite collaborating with Sarah on the campaign, White Fox Boutique are yet to comment on the matter.