Fashion

Lululemon's cut ties with one of its art directors for promoting a "Bat Fried Rice" shirt many feel is racist and designed to push anti-Asian sentiment amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The popular exercise apparel brand apologized Tuesday for its involvement in the controversy, which ignited Sunday after Lululemon employee Trevor Fleming shared a link to the shirt for sale by California artist Jess Sluder.

As you can see, the white and red long-sleeve t-shirt features chopsticks with bat wings on the front and a Chinese takeout box with bat wings on the back ... along with the words "No Thank You" on the box and down the sleeves.

Sluder was selling the shirt for $60 and thanked buyers for their support and sense of humor in a now-deleted post, adding ... "Where did COVID-19 come from? Nothing is certain, but we know a bat was involved."

Though the COVID-19 virus is believed to have come from bats, reports of violence against Asians have increased since the start of the pandemic due to its apparent origin of China.

Lululemon responded to the outrage over its affiliation with the "Bat Fried Rice" shirt by firing Fleming and rebuking the shirt's message as inappropriate and inexcusable.

The company says, "We acted immediately, and the person involved is no longer an employee of Lululemon." It added that the shirt design is not a Lululemon product and it opposes "any discriminatory behaviours."

It's been a while -- for real, how long's it been? -- but the eerie scene of silent NYC streets is still hard to get used to ... particularly the boarded-up stores at one of its most popular shopping spots.

Check it out ... a month into the coronavirus pandemic, and the once-thriving designer and luxury boutiques of SoHo are all still shuttered.

The Louis Vuitton and Polo Ralph Lauren shops chose to go with a more branded look for their lockdowns -- with inspirational quotes to boot -- but the end result is the same as Jimmy Choo, Dior and Chanel ... closed for business, and hopefully protected from theft.

Of course, many of these stores went dark in mid-March, when pandemic panic was in full swing and the City ordered non-essential businesses to close.

Shop owners were initially encouraged to keep their lights on or hire additional security to protect valuables instead of boarding up -- to maintain a semblance of normalcy -- but stay-at-home orders quickly followed ... so they battened down the hatches.

As we told you ... law enforcement in NYC was concerned the new ghost town environment would result in break-ins and burglaries, particularly in the night hours, but so far it seems the boards have done their job.

Cardi B and Fashion Nova's cash cavalry is still finding families in need of financial help during the coronavirus pandemic ... but early winners are already feeling the relief.

Since announcing the Fashion Nova Cares $1 million giveaway on April 8, more than 200 recipients have scored a $1,000 boost ... and it's continuing every HOUR until May 20.

TMZ chatted up a few of the lucky winners about the surprise of getting the good news and how it's helped them out ... here's what they had to say.

Elvine, a nurse's assistant from Massachusetts, tells us ... besides loading up on groceries and essentials for her kids, she's also going to pay $100 of her winnings forward to her neighbor, a mom who recently lost her hotel job.

Kizzy from Tennessee says she’s been unable to work as a cosmetologist since March, which is why she entered for a chance at the Fashion Nova money. She admittedly never expected to win, though ... until she got a wonderful text.

She says she's going to use the cash to get ahead on payments for her SUV, which she uses to drive around her 3 daughters.

Kizzy's incredibly thankful she got picked, and also believes God gave her an assist. She says ... "I’m just truly honored and blessed that they chose me."

Finally, Gala -- a single mother from South Carolina -- tells us the financial boost will help pay off mounting bills, especially since her Army earnings are the sole income for her family, which includes her father.

Gala says it's been overwhelming at times, but this pleasant surprise will certainly help out big time.

No doubt, the promise of more funds to come from Cardi B and Fashion Nova are giving needy families a glimmer of hope.

One of the best parts of the NFL Draft is the CRAZY FASHION -- but don't expect to see too many crazy suits this year, thanks to COVID-19.

With the Draft going virtual -- and everyone from players to coaches to execs staying home -- the market for those dope tailored suits has basically dried out.

There's no way for the players to get to their tailors for measurements -- and we're told several players plan on going casual as a result.

One top celebrity tailor put it this way -- "Since it’s a virtual draft this year, there will sadly be no need for suits."

Another huge tailor said, "At this time none of the draftees I would normally have dressed for the occasion have committed to wearing a custom piece this year due to circumstances."

We reached out to the NFL to see if there is a dress code that would require players to dress up for the occasion, but we were told there is no policy regarding clothing.

"It’s up to the individual players," an NFL spokesperson tells us ... but hinted we most likely won't see draftees getting selected while wearing sweatpants.

"In previous years, players who did not attend the Draft but appeared in interviews with NFL Network or ESPN generally wore suits."

A Fashion Nova employee has contracted the coronavirus, setting off a massive cleaning process and resulting in several employees being sent home.

According to a spokesperson for FN Logistics ... the employee who recently tested positive for COVID-19 worked at the warehouse in Sante Fe, CA. Their most recent day on the job was April 15.

The rep says the worker is now home under quarantine for 14 days. The company also told anyone who came in contact with this person to stay home in quarantine for the next 2 weeks ... with pay.

We're told, all Fashion Nova employees have been instructed to stay home if they are experiencing any of the common symptoms of coronavirus -- coughing, fever, trouble breathing -- and contact HR.

In addition ... the FN rep says the area where the infected employee worked was immediately shut down and disinfected. The entire distribution facility was closed Thursday night, so a cleaning company could complete a deep clean ... using only CDC-approved products.

We're told other precautionary measures are being taken, such as temperature checks for those entering the building and ensuring social distancing guidelines are maintained by limiting the daily headcount.

As we reported ... Fashion Nova, along with brand ambassador Cardi B, is giving away $1,000 per hour right now to people needing financial relief due to the pandemic.

Dogs sporting medical-grade snout masks would have turned heads 2 months ago -- now it's becoming a common sight amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

These shots aren't just from pet-crazed USA ... the gallery shows dog owners all around the world -- countries in Asia, South and North America -- want to make sure their pets do NOT have a nose for COVID-19.

There is reason for some concern. As we reported, researchers at the National Institutes of Health have seen evidence of humans transmitting the virus to their pets -- cats and dogs.

So far, there have been 2 known cases of dogs testing positive ... both in Hong Kong. The masks on dogs couldn't hurt ... plus, most of 'em look kinda cute. Think Doggie Howser, M.D.

The Cleveland Browns have hopped in a time machine and taken their jerseys back a few years ... debuting a new, yet familiar, look ... and the sales will help coronavirus relief!!!

The Brownies decided to scrap their attempt at modernizing their look -- and thank GOD they did -- ditching the big letters and awkward stripes from their 2015 redesign for a much more traditional feel.

Seriously, the new jerseys give major Tom Couch vibes ... and we're here for it.

Browns EVP made a statement on the change on Wednesday, saying "We wanted to get back to the roots of who the Browns are."

"We've heard it from our fans and from our players. We needed to get back to our roots."

Not only did the Browns get the threads right, the team is using the big reveal to help those fighting the COVID-19 pandemic ... by donating all net proceeds on the jersey sales to the team's "Hats Off To Our Heroes" Fund, which will aid healthcare professionals and first responders.

Cardi B and Fashion Nova are stepping up with a stimulus package of their own -- giving away $1,000 PER HOUR to families struggling through the pandemic.

Cardi announced Wednesday she and the fashion line she reps will give away a total of $1 million beginning today and continuing through May 20. The Fashion Nova Cares initiative will put the money directly in the hands of people desperately needing relief.

Richard Saghian, founder and CEO of Fashion Nova, says, "People are struggling to pay rent, buy food, medicine and other essentials for themselves and their families. We all feel compassion and concern for those affected by the Coronavirus."

He added, "Fashion Nova Cares with Cardi B will provide people with necessary relief to help them get through this crisis. As a community-driven brand, we are inspired by the kindness and generosity of others and we wanted to do our part to help those in need.”

To qualify for the dough, people will need to visit fashionnova.com/cares to share their stories and information. The group will then choose 24 people each day for the duration of the program.

As we've seen around the country, there are MASSIVE lines just to file for unemployment benefits or get food ... like what we saw in Florida and Texas.

It's gonna take more than the government to pull us through, so kudos to Cardi and Fashion Nova. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

When Nike was handed the opportunity to get involved in the country's fight against coronavirus, there was only one way to respond -- just do it.

The Swoosh announced its factories are pivoting to make full-face shields and powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) lenses to help healthcare workers in need.

Nike explained it's repurposing collar-padding from shoes, cords from apparel, like bags, and the plastic used to make the brand's signature Air soles to make the face shields.

... and we gotta admit, they look kinda cool, too.

“The full-face shields help protect healthcare workers’ faces and also help to prolong the length we can safely use a surgical or N95 mask," said Dr. Miko Enomoto, associate professor at the Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine.

"Nike’s generous response to the COVID-19 crisis helps to instill an added layer of confidence and support for healthcare workers, that we can safely carry out the jobs we were born to do.”

As we previously reported ... New Balance also got into the mask-making production last week -- with hopes of making 100,000 a week.

"Made shoes yesterday. Making masks today."

New Balance is turning its focus from shoes to protective masks during the coronavirus pandemic ... using its stateside facilities to help out with the huge demand.

The U.S.-based shoe company -- which also recently donated $2 million to COVID-19 relief -- debuted its prototype mask this week ... saying the goal is to make 100,000 masks-per-week to send to medical facilities.

"This is not a commercial opportunity," the company said in a statement. "NB is pursuing break-even pricing and/or donations for the face mask."

On top of the masks, New Balance is hoping to whip up other equipment like hospital gowns, foot coverings and other helpful items needed in hospitals.