The worst retail fails and controversies of 2019, so far

• Since the start of 2019, numerous brands have faced fails and controversies.
• Online retailer Boohoo, for example, was accused by shoppers of having models wear fake baby bumps to showcase maternity clothes.
• ASOS was also called out for using bull clips to help a model fit in one of the brand's dresses.
• Racism was also a huge issue in the fashion industry this year, as both Gucci and Katy Perry Collections faced backlash for selling designs that resembled blackface.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Since the start of 2019, brands and designers have released numerous items that have been met with public scrutiny.

Many of the products were even removed from store shelves. Gucci and Katy Perry Collections, for example, faced backlash for selling clothes that resembled blackface. Marc Jacobs was also accused of stealing another brand's design.

From overpriced clothes to racist garments, here's a look at some of this year's worst fashion fails and controversies, so far.

Marc Jacobs kicked off 2019 with a controversial T-shirt that reminded many of Nirvana.

The controversy began when designer Marc Jacobs posed for an Instagram photo in January wearing a black T-shirt with the word "heaven" printed above a smiley face.

The $115 black Bootleg Grunge Tee was created for the brand's Redux Grunge collection, which was a nod to an earlier grunge line created by Jacobs in 1993.

Nirvana filed a lawsuit against the smiley-face design, saying it looked "virtually identical" to the band's logo, which was drawn by the late Kurt Cobain in 1991.

As Insider previously reported, the band sought "compensatory and punitive damages for the harm ... caused," and also requested that Jacobs and its retailers stop selling and promoting the collection immediately.

Later in January, Boohoo was accused of having people wear fake baby bumps to model maternity clothes.

Twitter users were the first to notice that Boohoo seemingly hired non-pregnant people to model maternity clothes. The brand was accused of using pillows and fake baby bumps underneath the models' clothes to create the illusion of pregnancy.

Insider previously reviewed photos of maternity clothing on the brand's website, and while it wasn't clear if all models were wearing fake baby bumps, at least one photo of a model wearing a sheer black dress does appear to show her wearing some type of attachment on her stomach.

Some people thought Justin Bieber's clothing line was overpriced when it launched in January.

His Drew House line originally featured $48 T-shirts and $148 tops made from corduroy. More recently, the brand sold $38 slippers and $48 tote bags.

As a result of these prices, many people criticized the brand on Twitter and questioned why there were no affordable options in the collection. Still, pieces from the brand routinely sell out.

In February, Gucci began selling a high-neck sweater with a design that resembled blackface.

The $900 balaclava top featured a high neckline that extended over the nose and a red lip print around the mouth.

After receiving criticism in response to the design, Gucci took to Twitter, saying it "deeply apologizes for the offense caused by the wool balaclava jumper." The brand also removed the item from stores.

Katy Perry's footwear line was the source of another blackface scandal that month.

In February, Katy Perry Collections began selling slippers and sandals encrusted with jewels that looked like eyes, noses, and mouths. In response to the designs, many on Twitter said the black shoes resembled blackface. 

In a statement previously sent to Insider, Perry and Global Brands Group — which works with Katy Perry Collections — said the shoes were immediately removed from retailers.

"I was saddened when it was brought to my attention that it was being compared to painful images reminiscent of blackface," Perry and Global Brands Group said in their statement. "Our intention was never to inflict any pain."

Shoppers noticed in April that an ASOS model had bulldog clips attached to her dress.

Though the $45 dress seemed to fit the model just fine, two bulldog clips were actually attached at the front to pull it in tighter. Just one day later, however, another Twitter user noticed that the clips were removed from the image.

ASOS apologized to the original Twitter user who pointed out the retailer's mistake.

"Hi Ronnie, thank you for raising this with us," an ASOS representative said. "We're sorry to hear the clips are showing in the picture. We'll now raise this with our specialist team. If you have any questions please send us a message we'd be happy to help."

In May, sales of James Charles' merchandise were halted as a result of his feud with YouTuber Tati Westbrook.

As Charles feuded with Westbrook in May, makeup mogul Jeffree Star took Westbrook's side. The YouTuber also decided to remove Sisters Apparel, Charles' merchandise company, from the Killer Merch website, which he co-owns.

Charles' company has since re-launched, and its products are now sold on its own website.

Nordstrom and Gucci faced backlash that month for selling the $800 "Indy Full Head Wrap."

The product was previously described on Nordstrom's website as "a gorgeously crafted turban" that will "turn heads while keeping you in comfort as well as trademark style." Members of the Sikh community took issue with the garment and said it belittles their faith.

Nordstrom quickly pulled the item from shelves and issued an apology to the Sikh community. The Sikh Coalition previously told Insider in a statement that Nordstrom "offered their sincere apologies" and hoped Gucci would follow its decision in removing the item from stores.

Gucci did not respond to Insider's previous request for comment.

Kim Kardashian West angered many when she attempted to name her shapewear brand "Kimono Solutionwear."

Not only did she name her brand after the traditional Japanese garment, but she also attempted to trademark the word "kimono."

Though the reality-television star described the moniker as a "nod to beauty," many felt it was actually just cultural appropriation. She's since renamed her brand SKIMS.

In July, Forever 21 mailed diet bars to some customers who purchased items from its website.

On Twitter, some people shared photos of the diet bars they said they received in their Forever 21 packages. Some even questioned if the bars were only sent to those who ordered "plus-size" clothing.

In response to the criticism that followed, Forever 21 representatives said the bars were included "in all online orders, across all sizes and categories, for a limited time." The brand also said it would remove the diet bars from future packages.

That same month, Nike pulled a patriotic pair of shoes that Colin Kaepernick described as being offensive.

The Air Max 1 design was multicolored and had 13-star American flags embroidered on the back of each shoe. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, athlete Colin Kaepernick influenced the brand to halt the production of the sneakers, which he described as being offensive. Many on social media also criticized the design and questioned why Nike would incorporate a flag that's reminiscent to some of slavery.

In a statement previously sent to Insider, a Nike representative said it "has chosen not to release the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July as it featured an old version of the American flag."

It's widely believed that seamstress Betsy Ross created the 13-star flag in 1776, but many scholars disagree, according to the Library of Congress. The design has also been repurposed by groups like the Ku Klux Klan, according to The New York Times.

• Read more:
• 18 controversial clothing items that were pulled from stores
• I used to shop for clothes exclusively at Forever 21. Here's why I stopped going over time, and why I'm not surprised the store has filed for bankruptcy.
• I bought Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson's new makeup the day it was released at a Morphe store, and the scene was close to chaos
• Forever 21 is selling a shirt printed with the name of an Ariana Grande song 2 months after she filed a lawsuit against the brand