British fashion chain Jigsaw has gone political with a new ad campaign that praises immigration and claims there is “no such thing as 100 percent British.”
The fashion outlet, which has prided itself on having “Beautiful British style since 1970,” is using a new campaign to say people should be able to move around and that “love, openness and collaboration will take us forward.”
The ‘Jigsaw Loves Immigration’ ad says: “British style is not 100 percent British. In fact, there is no such thing as 100 percent British.
“Or 100 percent Dutch, French, American, Asian or European. Whatever your opinion, at some point in your ancestry someone moved in and unsettled the neighbors.”
Alongside the models are labels pointing out that its clothes are made by people from 45 different countries, with products from 16 nations across the world.
“As a clothing brand, we couldn’t do what we do if people weren’t free to move around.
“Without immigration, we’d be selling potato sacks. We need beautiful minds from around the world. Working with beautiful materials from around the world. To make beautiful things for people from around the world.
“Fear, isolation and intolerance will hold us back.”
The ads have divided social media. Some have praised the campaign as “powerful,” “courageous” and “bold.”
However, one user wrote: “I wonder how many customers you have just lost with this propaganda?”
Another tweeted: “So Peter Ruis [Jigsaw’s CEO] is anti-Brexit … that’s £1,000s he won’t be getting from me ever again.”
As part of the campaign, Jigsaw teamed up with Ancestry.co.uk to give its staff genealogy tests to show the fashion industry’s diversity.