Tom Sachs Issues Statement Amidst Allegations of "Cult-Like" Atmosphere & Assault at Studio

Update 11/5/23 - Artist Tom Sachs has issued a statement in response to the allegations of abuse and inappropriate behaviour that reportedly took place at his studio. Earlier this year, former employees spoke to media publication Curbed, citing concerns over the studio's "cult-like" atmosphere, and incidents of bullying and sexual misconduct. Now, Sachs has broken his silence on the matter, after taking to Instagram to release a statement.

Within the statement, Sachs says that he "deeply regrets" that members of his studio felt "less than supported, safe or fullfilled" and went on to admit that the fast growth of the business had not allowed him time to "professionalise operations". In the same story series, the artist also penned an open letter to his team, where he openly admits to being aggressive, but denies any instances of harassment. This letter also sees Sachs address the naming of "The Rape Room."

The statement comes after the news that Nike has reportedly ended its partnership with the artist, dispelling rumours that the duo was gearing up to release a Tom Sachs x Nike Craft Mars Yard 3.0. You can read the full statement, plus our original article detailing the studio's atmosphere below.

Original Article - In March, media publication Curbed ran an exposé on the inner workings of artist and Nike collaborator Tom Sachs’ studio - as told by former employees. Within the article, allegations were made against Sachs that suggested his studio harboured a hostile environment, with incidents of bullying, sexual misconduct and a “cult-like” atmosphere within the studio’s walls.

The report, which was based on interviews with former workers, set out a number of serious incidents. Employees described having objects thrown at them, and being called “retarded” and “bitch”, while others warned of Sachs’ sexually inappropriate behaviour. One employee described how Sach had ‘a type’ once pointing to her and saying “this is what we call a ‘shiksa goddess.’ This is what we call Daddy’s type,” while another described a time when Sachs undertook a Zoom call with female Nike employees while wearing only his underwear. Employees also said that Sachs nicknamed a storage closet ‘The Rape Room’, before renaming it ‘The Consent Room’ in 2016.

Other accusations say that the studio’s first aid kit was taped to resemble a Swastika, which has since been removed. Sachs’ studio has said that this was “to subvert and reclaim this painful part of Jewish history” by Sachs - who has previously described himself as “proudly Jewish”.

Alongside this, the Studio was known for having ‘cult-like’ qualities. Employees were made to wear matching outfits, have strict diet regimes, and work out together, as well as operate within a series of strict studio guidelines - Sachs' infamous 10 Bullets.

Those who are less familiar with Sachs as an artist will no doubt know him for his Nike collaborations, as he’s been partnered with the Swoosh since 2012. The duo’s collaborative Mars Yard 2.0 sneaker currently resells for thousands of pounds.

Speaking to Complex about the situation, Nike responded:

“We’re deeply concerned by the very serious allegations. We’re in contact with Tom and his studio seeking to better understand this situation and how these issues are being addressed.”

Head to Curbed to read the full story, and let us know your thoughts on the situation. We’ll be keeping an eye on this as it develops, so stay locked to The Sole Supplier for all the latest sneaker news.

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