Esprit, the San Francisco-founded label which has found much love in Germany over the past two decades, seems to have accidentally crossed the one line (or pair of crooked lines) the Germans do not forgive – don’t mention the war.

Buttons used in Esprit’s autumn collection, as photographed in 200,000 (now pulped) catalogues, bore a striking resemblance to the Nazi swastika insignia, which has been banned in Germany since 1945.

Adding to the embarrassment caused by the buttons, the label may also be facing criminal charges – any representation of the war time motif in Germany is strictly verboten.

We’ve been arguing for years that Esprit’s designs were in bad taste, we just never expected (fashion-challenged) Germany to agree…

Fashion firm under investigation for swastika design [European Jewish Press via UnBeige]