Uproar over Italian Vogue article on 'slave earrings'

There has been an uproar this week on the social network Twitter after Italian Vogue published an online trend forecast suggesting that hoop earrings were coming back, calling their post "Slave Earrings".

''Jewellery has always flirted with circular shapes, especially for use in making earrings," read the fashion magazine's post.

"The most classic models are the slave and creole styles in gold hoops."

"If the name brings to the mind the decorative traditions of the women of colour who were brought to the southern United States during the slave trade, the latest interpretation is pure freedom. Coloured stones, symbolic pendants and multiple spheres. "

Responding to tweets of outrage, Italian Vogue removed the article from the site on Monday to "prove our good faith and to show it wasn't our intention to insult anyone".

According to The Guardian newspaper, Franca Sozzani, editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia, described the article as a "really bad translation".

"The Italian word, which defines those kinds of earrings, should instead be translated into ethnic-style earrings," Sozzani said.

But many fashion followers are not convinced.

Schiavo, the word used in the initial story translates directly to "slave", while the Italian word for ''ethnic" is etnico.

One tweet read: ''My Italian may be a bit rusty, but I don't remember 'slave' being anywhere even roughly translated to 'ethnic'. Please don't act like we're stupid. This is insulting."