“We sincerely apologize for this image,” the company said in a statement. “It has been removed from all online channels and the product will not be for sale in the United States. We believe in diversity and inclusion in all that we do.”
When asked how the brand intends to prevent such issues in the future, a spokeswoman says H&M will be “reviewing our internal routines.”
Indeed, as of late morning on Monday, the green sweatshirt was not on H&M’s U.S. site. On the U.K. site, the product is still for sale, but the image does not include a child model, unlike H&M’s other apparel items, which are modeled by kids.
The apology did little to sway The Weeknd, who said on Monday that he would no longer work with the retailer. The singer had collaborated with H&M on clothing collections, the most recent of which debuted this past fall.
Consumers did not hold back in their fury over the weekend. Charles Blow, a New York Times op-ed columnist, asked on Twitter, “h&m, have you lost your damned minds?!?!?!”