- South Carolina couple Paul Chelmis and Jing Wen were criticized for selling
jewelry pieces named after police brutality victims. - They created the pieces with shattered glass that they had collected from the site of a
Black Lives Matter protest. - The line, launched under their brand Shan Shui, was called "Wear Their Names" and ranged in price from $45 to $480.
- Chelmis and Wen shut down their online store following criticism and have since apologized for the line.
A South Carolina couple who were criticized for selling jewelry pieces named after the victims of police brutality have shut down their store and issued an apology.
Paul Chelmis and Jing Wen faced backlash on
Their jewelry — named after Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, and other police brutality victims — ranged in price from $45 to $480. The line was called "Wear Their Names," a spin on
—sophie the cat lady (@sophieming_) September 8, 2020
—Denmark Vesey Co-Conspirator (@mikagadsden) September 4, 2020
Chelmis and Wen told The Post and Courier that they planned to donate 100% of the profits to From Privilege To Progress, which describes itself as "a national movement to desegregate the public conversation about race."
But some critics on Twitter said that it didn't matter that the jewelry brand intended to donate to charity, as the line could still gain exposure from selling the items.
—sophie the cat lady (@sophieming_) September 8, 2020
—Kendriana (@futurefemmetext) September 9, 2020
Some people were also uncomfortable with the fact that the pieces featured a wide variety of prices, with one Twitter user saying it gave them "slave auction-ey vibes."
—sophie the cat lady (@sophieming_) September 8, 2020
Shan Shui first caught people's attention online after Paul Chelmis and Jing Wen gave an interview about their brand
The couple spoke at length about their inspiration for the jewelry pieces with The Post and Courier, telling the paper that they wanted to "make something beautiful out of the rubble."
Chelmis and Wen said they first got the idea for Shan Shui while they were at home watching a nearby George Floyd protest that was being streamed on Facebook Live.
"My camera is my greatest weapon of making a difference in the world, and it was killing me I couldn't be there to document that moment," Chelmis told the paper.
The couple came up with their idea for the jewelry line that night, and went to the protest site the next morning to collect shattered glass for their pieces.
Chelmis remarked during the interview that he wished he had gathered "10 times as much glass" for the line.
The couple said they then reached out to their friend Kanika Moore, a prominent soul and R&B artist in Charleston, for advice.
"When Paul came to me with the idea, he really wanted to make sure that it would be perceived the right way," Moore told the paper. "He was cautious about it and the way it would be viewed. He wanted it to be a positive influence."
Erin Glaze Natherson, the director of contemporary initiatives and public engagement at The Gibbes Museum of Art, also put her early support behind the line and offered to sell it in the museum's gift shop.
"At the Gibbes, we strive to serve as a space for people to come in and see our entire history — everything that encompasses what people should know about Charleston," she told the Post and Courier. "Introducing this line into our store is another way we can do that while showing support to the community."
After Shan Shui was criticized online, both Kanika Moore and the Gibbes Museum stepped back from the project
Moore took to Instagram to apologize "for any insensitivity or lack of knowledge," writing that she had agreed to be part of the jewelry line because she "saw it as a dedication to the lives lost and a spotlight on the recent killings of innocent black lives."
"That was not what others saw or felt from this," she added. "The project has been perceived as insensitive. It raised energy and attention in a way we and I did not anticipate. The true and positive intention behind this project is why I got involved. But the intention has been viewed as something terrible."
A spokesman for The Gibbes Museum of Art told Insider that it had halted the upcoming sale of Shan Shui's "Wear Their Name" jewelry line.
"The feedback we received from our community was enlightening and appreciated," the statement read. "It has also deepened our perspective in regards to future store merchandise. We apologize to anyone who was hurt by this and will continue to listen and learn from our community."
Chelmis and Wen have since shut down Shan Shui, briefly posting an apology on the brand's site before clearing it all together
"We've heard the feedback from the community loud and clear and are taking it seriously," read their statement, which was obtained by Complex. "So sorry to those we offended or harmed."
Chelmis and Wen said their intentions "were pure," but that they now understood there were "issues with the approach we took."
"Though we only wanted to honor the victims' names and retell their story, we see now that using those names was inappropriate and in poor taste," they added. "The two of us started this project from a place of creativity and in good faith, with a sense of duty to do our part and help the movement by bringing funds and awareness — and through all the backlash we want to keep sight of that duty and move forward on the best path."
Chelmis and Wen said they still plan to fulfill any orders that were placed before they shut down the brand, and will also honor any returns or refunds.
Moore did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Chelmis and Wen could not be reached for comment.
- Read more:
- A Black man was stopped by sheriff's deputies while jogging in a predominately white neighborhood. The sheriff later asked him to teach deputies about biases.
- Police were called on a Black man in Ohio after someone thought he had a gun but it turned out he just talking on his cellphone
- Stories of racist jokes, microaggressions, and tokenism from YouTubers highlight a widespread problem within the influencer industry
- A Black woman who was harassed on a Delta flight by a white passenger was given an upgrade