Welp… another day, another example of the power of social media!? I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve been tagged online about this recent incident involving Beyonc? dress designer Michael Costello!
There’s a young woman online claiming that the ?Project Runway? designer, who has designed gowns worn by Beyonc?, Tamar Braxton & more has used several racial slurs online and off.
Last October, online boutique owner Maxine James blasted Costello in an instagram post, stating that he’d purchased one of her custom designs then shared it with his followers as if it were his own creation.
[Sidebar: This seems to be a pretty common practice nowadays. CLICK HERE to read about K. Whasserface, who just got blasted for the same thing! But I digress]
Costello allegedly took the matter offline recently when he confronted the up & coming designer in person, referring to her in a derogatory manner yet again.? James claims that when she tried to tape the incident, Costello broke her phone! Now, James has posted a long diatribe that includes video of a witness who claims to have seen it all go down between James & Costello in his LA fabric store:
Today Michael Costello approached me at a local fabric store while I was sitting waiting on my fabric, walked up to me attacked me with all sorts of insults, Called me a “Nigger” to my face… Physically Snatched my phone out of my hand and threw it out the window leaving my phone shattered to pieces.
Details + video below…
Online designer Maxine James reportedly felt the wrath of Costello’s racial slurs when she blasted him for stealing her online designs and passing them off as his own.
[READ: Public Urges Beyonc? to Boycott Designer Michael Costello after Racist Remarks… ]
For the record, Michael Costello spoke out against the allegations of racism with the following statement:
I have never used, and would never use, racial slurs.
The hurtful screenshot circulating is fake and does not represent my views on society, nor do I condone the use of such a terrible term. I have worked my whole life to further the cause of equality. Diversity is the very foundation that Michael Costello (the brand) was built upon. I am deeply upset and I am struggling to understand why someone would try to tarnish my reputation by creating a fake screenshot of me using a derogatory term. (source)
Fast forward about nine months and the two designers reportedly bumped heads again earlier today (July 28, 2015) while they were both shopping in the garment district in LA.
This time, things didn’t end peacefully and in Maxine James’ latest post, she includes video of a witness detailing the incident.
I’m terribly heart broken and disgusted by @MichaelCostello #MichaelCostello actions yesterday. This is a video of one of the owners of Shanels City fabric store, who witnessed the entire physical and verbal assault done by Michael Costello today.
For those of you that don’t know about the previous encounter #MichaelCostello and I have had please visit the link located in my bio so you can see this is obviously on going behavior, he once purchased a dress from me,slapped it on his model in his show room and passed it as his own, he used his following to slander my business @EllaeLisque and so call “expose” me but actually ended up exposing his self ( God don’t like ugly), he tried to ruin my character by calling me all kind of liars and thieves just to later admit to doing the exact thing I said he did, later a screen shot of him slating racial slurs also went viral, Calling another young lady a “black nigger bitch” for defending me smh,
Today Michael Costello approached me at a local fabric store while I was sitting waiting on my fabric, walked up to me attacked me with all sorts of insults, Called me a “Nigger” to my face… Physically Snatched my phone out of my hand and threw it out the window leaving my phone shattered to pieces.
All in front of the owner of the store who I am so glad I have as my witness because at that point it would be my word against his smh , I’m honestly still shocked, and lost for words, at the end of it all he can justify himself “not being racist” all he wants to because “he dresses black ppl” when reality is he does that to please the public, he OBVIOUSLY does NOT like black ppl and it’s rather disgusting.
I did not deserve this treatment, I didn’t say a word to him he approached me, BUT I can admit due to the racial slurs I lost my cool and reacted in a way that I now regret. I should have never stooped to his level and allowed him to take me out of character. I just didn’t know any other way to respond to such disrespect. I hope that my voice is heard and some how this sort of behavior is put to a stop. As for you @MichaelCostello God will NEVER continue to bless a person with evil intentions like yours. Mark my word.
VIDEO: Designer Michael Costello Accused of Using Racial Slur (AGAIN) July 2015