# Professor Thomaï Serdari is interviewed about how luxury brands can learn from backlash over culturally insensitive products and avoid creating them in the future

1 Faculty News February 18, 2019 ![Knowledge at Wharton logo ](/sites/default/files/styles/246w/public/assets/images/knowledgeatwharton192x144.jpg?itok=L--sWOiV)>

Excerpt from [Knowledge@Wharton on SiriusXM](http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/gucci-blackface-sweater/) -- “Companies need to understand what it means to operate globally and to understand who that upper tier luxury consumer is. An interesting thing is that a lot of these luxury consumers are younger today, so these companies are addressing a younger generation. And even though these consumers may not be African American, for example, they are sensitive because younger customers are a little bit more sensitive, regardless of what their own cultural background is.”

[Listen here](http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/gucci-blackface-sweater/)