Yup..i'm glad somebody remembers....
it wasn't Tommy Hillfiger nor Ralph Lauren ..but actually the HEAD OF TIMBERLAND BOOTS.....
you probally read that APOLOGETIC INTERVIEW that the timberland boss gave in the SOURCE MAGAZINE...back in like 96..the CEO of timberland at the time...Jeff Schwartz gave in regards to the statement he made in a business trade magazine saying..
"the boots were not meant for inner city thugs engaging in gurrella warfare"..
but KARMA IS A MUTHAPHUKA!!!
"
In his early years at the helm of Timberland, he could do no wrong. Embraced by hip-hop trendsetters, his boot company grew eightfold in market capitalization from 1992 to 2005, hitting $1.6 billion. He used the bully pulpit of his position to deploy social initiatives galore, instituting some of the toughest worker-protection standards in the manufacturing industry, planting 1 million trees, and sponsoring thousands of volunteer events in dozens of countries. He won accolades from Wall Street and social activists alike.
Then something happened on the way to the awards ceremonies: Timberland stalled. The young hip-hoppers moved on, costing the company $150 million in annual sales, which Swartz says "is not coming back." The company saw its first-ever full year of revenue declines in 2007 and was forced to cut product lines and close stores. Timberland stock is down more than 50% from its high.
The Prophet CEO | Fast Company