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 The collection was shown in January at the Paris Fashion week
and is due to hit stores in June, but a Louis Vuitton
spokeswoman said the Jackson-themed items would not be put up
for sale.
Louis Vuitton said that at the time of the event, it was not
aware of the "Leaving Neverland" documentary, in which two adult
men say they were befriended by Jackson and abused by him in the
early 1990s.
"I am aware that in light of this documentary, the show has
caused emotional reactions. I strictly condemn any form of child
abuse, violence or infringement against any human rights," Louis
Vuitton menswear designer Virgil Abloh said in a statement.
Abloh, an American designer who was hired by Vuitton in March
2018, said his intention for this show had been to refer to
Jackson as a pop culture artist.
The documentary has caused a backlash against Jackson's legacy,
as some radio stations stopped playing his music and an episode
of "The Simpsons" cartoon show featuring his voice is being
pulled from future broadcasts.
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Jackson's family has called the documentary and news coverage of the
accusations a "public lynching" and said he was "100 percent
innocent".
"We find the allegations in the documentary deeply troubling," Louis
Vuitton CEO Michael Burke said, adding that the firm is fully
committed to advocating the cause of child welfare.
Louis Vuitton is the world's biggest luxury brand, with annual sales
of more than 10 billion euros, and is the biggest revenue driver for
its parent company, French luxury goods group LVMH.
The menswear unit is a relatively small part of its business and
pulling the Jackson-themed items should not have a major impact on
the label.
(Reporting by Geert De Clercq and Pascale Denis; Editing by Angus
MacSwan)
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