New York-based designer and artist Tom Sachs took to Instagram Stories on Wednesday (May 10, 2023) where he posted a public statement addressing allogations by employees of a hostile work enviroment first surfaced in a Curbed article in March.
In the handwritten statement, he wrote that he deeply regreted if “anyone ever felt less than supported, safe and fulfilled within my studio–but it’s clear that some people did.” While acknowledging employee complaints, he emphasized, “I have never harrassed anyone, or tried to make anyone feel uncomfortable.
The letter likely was spurred by a recent announcement by Nike, which noted, “We are not working with Tom’s studio at this time and have no release dates planned.” Nike issued the statement following social media rumors of an upcoming Tom Sachs shoe launch.
When the Curbed article was first published, Nike issues a widely criticized statement limited to expressing deep concern over “the very serious allegations.”
Nike and Sachs through a platform called NikeCraft had collaborated over 10 years on various shoe amd apparel capsules. Most recently, Nike and Sachs issues a General Purpose shoe, which was sold at Kohl’s.
When the Curbed article was first published, Sachs, according to the NY Times, sent a letter to staff stating that he never tried to make anyone uncomfortable. He did, however, acknowledge that he could be “impulsive” and “even aggressive,’’ adding that he was “a demanding boss” who always expects “the absolute best.” He added that “recent representations” of him in the media did “not portray the totality” of his long career.
