Kendall Jenner is in hot water with fans. As you probably know by now, the model is embarking on a new business venture: A tequila brand called 818 Tequila. And while some fans are looking forward to sipping the new line of alcohol, others are displeased with the announcement, claiming her tequila line is cultural appropriation.
Kendall made her big announcement on February 17, saying the company has been four years in the making.
Described as hand-crafted tequila from Jalisco, Mexico, Kendall Jenner said the pre-launch process included blind tasting sessions, trips to the distillery, and anonymously entering the drink into competitions worldwide.
However, after learning the brand’s name 818 was named after her hometown of Calabasas, California people are fuming at Kendall for giving the product a California-themed moniker. According to Yahoo! Life, many people have taken to Twitter to complain about the supermodel’s new business.
Kendall Jenner’s tequila brand is criticized
“Kendall Jenner starting a tequila brand, with zero knowledge on Mexican culture and calling it ‘818 tequila’ is GENTRIFICATION. The 818 does not claim Calabasas. What about those smaller, family owned Mexican tequila/mezcal brands? They deserve the hype & support,” one person tweeted after seeing Kendall’s post. You can see the post below.
Kendall Jenner starting a tequila brand, with zero knowledge on Mexican culture and calling it “818 tequila” is GENTRIFICATION. The 818 does not claim Calabasas. What about those smaller, family owned Mexican tequila/mezcal brands? They deserve the hype & support.
— princesa (@jenjocelyn) February 17, 2021
Tons of tweets poured in insisting the model’s new brand was an example of gentrification.
https://twitter.com/Izaguirre_Sam/status/1362062051502415876?s=20
Kendall Jenner has yet to respond to the backlash, but judging from her other posts, she’s letting the shade slide right off her shoulders. She also promoted her company on Twitter on February 16, sharing a clip from Keeping Up With the Kardashians where she got day drunk with her sisters.
“I’m a fun drunk,” she wrote, tagging her brand.
https://twitter.com/KendallJenner/status/1361769170770161664?s=20
Kendall’s sisters have also supported her latest business venture, posting photos with the bottle and shot glasses while vacationing in Mexico. Naturally, the trip elicited an onslaught of criticism as well.
No matter what moves the KarJenners make, they seem to get backlash, and as Kenny prepares for her official tequila launch, the shade is hitting her in full force.