The Weeknd has announced he will no longer work with H&M, saying he was "deeply offended" the fashion chain had used a black boy to model a jumper that read "coolest monkey in the jungle".
woke up this morning shocked and embarrassed by this photo. i’m deeply offended and will not be working with @hm an… https://t.co/684367Ox9k
Several customers tweeted to say the company had "missed the mark" and called the choice "racist" and "irresponsible".
Others called for a boycott, while some asked who had signed off on the idea, pointing out that comparing black people to monkeys has long been used as a racial slur.
H&M has since apologised and removed the image from its website.
Last year, the Weeknd launched a high-profile collaboration with H&M.
.@hm ⚡️
People have praised the Weeknd for his tweet.
In a statement, an H&M spokesperson told BuzzFeed News they plan to speak to the Weeknd and his team about the matter.
They said: "We completely understand and agree with his reaction to the image. We are deeply sorry that the picture was taken, and we also regret the actual print.
"We have removed the image from all our channels and the sweater is no longer for sale in our stores.
"We will also look into our internal routines to avoid such situations in the future. We will continue the discussion with the Weeknd and his team separately."