Fashion designer Jeremy Scott has a knack for finding inspiration in the mundane corners of the modern world.

His previous collections have seen the use of fast food, cigarettes (above), and cleaning supplies.

But his latest inspiration hasn’t been taken all that lightly, although neither was his cigarette-inspired merch to be frank.

Scott’s fashion house, Moschino’s, Spring 2017 ready-to-wear line took blatant inspiration from capsule pills:

The brand’s collection was immediately available in stores, and activists weren’t happy. They immediately started a campaign against big department stores like Nordstrom and Saks, as well as to Moschino, for stocking the items.

Although the pills didn’t reference any specific type of pill, a big problem was that it was also debuted with Moschino’s paper doll theme.

W Magazine explains:

Pills, marvels of modern medicine that they are, can be used to do everything from stifling a cough to treat depression or cure or treat illnesses that might have been death sentences just decades ago. The Moschino collection didn’t really identify what type of medicine it was inspired by, other than they were capsules, not tablets. Though the fact the line debuted with Moschino’s main paper doll-themed show lead many to assume the inspiration was Valley of the Dolls, a cult classic novel about woman hooked on stimulants, barbiturates, and sleeping pills.

Some, however, felt the collection glamorised one particular type of pill: opioids.

Many parts of America are in the midst of a worsening opioid epidemic. People who originally found themselves hooked on prescription painkillers are now increasingly turning to heroin to get their fix. 29,467 Americans died in 2014 due to overdoses of either heroin or painkillers.

Randy Anderson, an alcohol and drug councillor from Minneapolis, headed the campaign through a Change.org petition, explaining:

These accessory items you are choosing to market and sell to the public for profit, which include the Chain-Strap Prescription Bottle Bag and Printed Backpack, will most likely promote more drug use.

Do you have any idea of the message your company is sending to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one due to a drug overdose? Have you not seen the countless number of media reports on overdose deaths from prescription pain medication, including the rock and roll icon Prince?

Ring any bells? Like South Africa’s addiction to cough syrup perhaps?

After feeling the pressure, Nordstrom removed the clothing, releasing a statement:

We appreciate all the constructive feedback we received from concerned customers and ultimately decided to remove the collection from our site and the three stores where we offered it.

Either way, I doubt Jeremy Scott will really care, even if his products look hella dumb – because they always do:

[source:jezebel&vmagazine&vogue]