Sephora to shut all branches for staff diversity training following SZA complaint
The beauty company will be closed for business on Wednesday.
Beauty chain Sephora will close all of its U.S. stores, distribution centers, and corporate offices on June 5 as employees undergo diversity training. The move comes a month after SZA tweeted about an incident in which she was racially profiled while shopping at a Sephora in Calabasas, California.
A spokesperson for the company told Reuters that they were aware of the SZA incident, but stated that the diversity training was not “a response to any one event.”
On May 1 SZA said a Sephora employee called security to make sure the singer was not stealing from the store. “We had a long talk. U have a blessed day Sandy,” SZA said on Twitter shortly after the incident.
Described as “inclusivity workshops,” the Sephora training has been in progress for several months, the spokesperson added. It comes shortly after the launch of a new “We Belong to Something Beautiful” campaign.
Sephora is owned by LVMH, who recently went into business with Rihanna. The creation of her Fenty brand makes Rihanna the first black woman in history to run a major luxury fashion house.
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