I’ve been pretty fond of Nylon ever since I went to their SXSW showcase, saw Kali Uchis perform, and got some free Pax vapes in their media lounge. Which is why I spent a good ten minutes trying to find a way to rationalize their decision to create this Cinco de Mayo-themed apparel collection of t-shirts and accessories with slogans like “More Tequila” and “Vatos Locos.”
Maybe this is some kind of meta-commentary on the gringo appropriation and commercialization of a holiday that Mexicans don’t really care about to begin with, I tried to tell myself.
Maybe this “No Juan Cares” t-shirt is meant to be literal. As in, literally not one Juan cares about this YT sombre-bro celebration. (Incidentally, probably No Juan needs a $34 No Juan Cares t-shirt).
But yeah, after ten minutes of wracking my brain I couldn’t really come up with any good reason why this collection exists. The annoying thing is, I’d totally buy that guacamole ring, because I’m obsessed with guacamole just like everyone else with tastebuds. But it’s the fact that these items have been specifically curated and branded as “Cinco de Mayo” that makes me feel some type of way. Context matters.
I can’t help but wonder how the Nylon en Español team (whose Editor-in-Chief happens to be Mexican) feels about this collection.
What do you guys think? Is this collection annoyingly tone deaf or NBD? Sound off in the comments.
Update 5/4/15: After we covered this Nylon collection, the story was picked up by CNN Money who reached out to Nylon’s CEO Paul Greenberg. After being contacted, he said he’s decided to no longer sell the merchandise. “We are very sorry and regret that we misjudged how these items would be perceived,” Greenberg said in a statement. “This is a first for us, as we have never received this kind of reaction before to any of our products. We will no longer sell these items.” I stopped by MSNBC’s Changing America to talk about the pervasive misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding the holiday below: