Fashion can be all about controversy and pushing boundaries. But one brand may have gone too far with its Spring/Summer 2018 release. Italian fashion brand Big Uncle recently launched the Colonial Deal collection, inspired by the styles of western colonialism.

The release is “a short and an intense journey in the West former colonies in order to understand the Colonial style”, as described on the Big Uncle website. “The garments, whether they have different weights and consistencies, whether they are rough or delicate, remind us of our emotion, of our Colonial Deal”, Big Uncle continues.

Items include sweatshirts with “colonialism” written on them, as well as denim jackets emblazoned with military colours. Freelance writer Mireille Harper has taken issue with the collection, and has started a Change.org petition to halt production of the clothes. “Both fashion designers (Sabino Lebba and Riccardo Moroni) seem blatantly unaware of the continuing legacy of racism, oppression and poverty which ‘colonialism’ has created”, Harper wrote.