Fashion brand Unique Vintage drops Harry Potter collab after backlash
Actors, Daniel Radcliffe, (L) Emma Watson (M) and Rupert Grant (R) on the set of the film, ‘Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire’, London, England, 2005 (Photo by Murray Close/ Getty Images)
Retro fashion company Unique Vintage has dropped a planned Harry Potter collaboration – with a portion of proceeds going to an LGBTQ+ charity – after backlash from customers.
The brand, which releases an annual Pride collection and represents itself as a queer-friendly vendor, received negative feedback online after announcing the new Harry Potter-inspired products.
In an ad showcasing the products, Unique Vintage shared: “Each purchase unlocks a 5% donation to GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ media advocacy organisation.”
Following the backlash, Unique Vintage emailed customers and shared a statement on their social media pages announcing that they will stop promoting the collaboration.
“Unique Vintage has always been a welcoming and inclusive place for people who don’t fit the mold,” the statement reads.
“We’ve listened to your feedback and have decided to move on from the Harry Potter partnership. As a small business, we plan to sell through our remaining pieces but will focus on promoting other collections.”
It continued: “We’re grateful you trust us and we will keep showing up for our community the way you’ve always shown up for us.”
The collab is still available to shop on the company’s website, with the GLAAD donation also included.
Harry Potter collab backlash
Unique Vintage is far from the first brand to receive criticism for offering a Harry Potter collaboration.
Tim Hortons also faced widespread criticism after announcing a new Harry Potter collaboration on 27 July, with LGBTQ+ advocates and customers arguing that the promotion indirectly supports author JK Rowling, whose years of public statements about transgender people have made her a controversial figure in popular culture.
The campaign, launching on 12 August, celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first Harry Potter film with themed drinks, merchandise, collectable packaging, trivia nights, and the chance to win a trip to London.
Tim Hortons described the partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products as a celebration of an iconic story that would “sprinkle some magic” into customers’ daily routines. But for many, the announcement begged criticism.
In August last year, board game company Czech Games Edition (CGE) came under fire for releasing a Codenames: Harry Potter game.
A CGE spokesperson said they were “devastated” that the partnership had “caused harm instead of joy” because of Rowling’s “views” on trans people.
In an attempt to right the wrongs, CGE pledged to donate all the profits from the game to trans charities.
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