Dolce & Gabbana cancels Shanghai show after 'racist' chopsticks ad sparks controversy
Dolce & Gabbana is facing backlash after circulating an ad campaign circulating on social media that many are calling “racist.”
As a result, the fashion house canceled its Wednesday show in Shanghai, releasing a statement on its Twitter account in an attempt to clear the air.
— Dolce & Gabbana (@dolcegabbana) November 21, 2018
Instagram account @diet_prada, which acts as an unofficial watchdog for the fashion industry, shared a post with its 843,000 followers confirming the news.
A post shared by Diet Prada ? (@diet_prada) on Nov 20, 2018 at 11:01pm PST
The same Instagram account shared the fashion house’s video advertisement on Tuesday, which features a Chinese woman trying to eat a giant cannoli with a pair of chopsticks.
In the so-called instructional video, the woman fails to pick up the pastry and looks confused by the pastry on her plate. The voiceover in the video also mispronounces Dolce & Gabbana.
The account called the video “hella offensive” — and it wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
A post shared by Diet Prada ? (@diet_prada) on Nov 19, 2018 at 6:39am PST
One person commented: “This is racist as f*** and D&G belong in the bin.”
Another person wrote: “It has clearly touched a nerve. This video offends me.”
Others weighed in on Twitter to express their disbelief and disgust with the fashion house.
Wow, sh*t's truly going down for @dolcegabbana … Reckon Instagram account was really hacked, or is this damage control? #StefanoGabbana #Shanghai https://t.co/0uAoOhnaxc
— Rachel McArthur 🖋? (@raychdigitalink) November 21, 2018
This is one of the 'racist' Dolce and Gabbana ad campaigns that have caused a huge backlash on Chinese social media. A number of Chinese models and celebrities have pulled out of their upcoming fashion show in Shanghai: https://t.co/Kr1d7qThyM
— Laurie Chen (@lauriechenwords) November 21, 2018
Sorry. I’m afraid this won’t work. It’s probably a goodbye to China market for you. Should always take responsibility for what you say. #DolceGabbana #DolceandGabbana https://t.co/NMPMun2wxM
— Humphiprion (@humphreywang) November 21, 2018
To make matters worse, Stefano Gabbana, co-founder of the brand, allegedly sent messages to @diet_prada’s Michaela Tranova, slamming the “China Ignorant Dirty Smelling Mafia.”
A post shared by Diet Prada ? (@diet_prada) on Nov 20, 2018 at 7:05pm PST
He has since denied he wrote the messages, claiming he was “hacked” in an Instagram post on his personal account.
A post shared by stefanogabbana (@stefanogabbana) on Nov 20, 2018 at 9:00pm PST
It is likely Gabbana will work to repair his relationship with consumers in China, where Dolce & Gabbana has outlets in 25 different cities, according to store listings. Chinese consumers constitute almost a third of the global luxury market, making up 500 billion yuan (roughly $72 billion) in annual spending, according to a 2017 McKinsey report.
This is not the first time the brand has sparked controversy. Most recently, Gabbana called Italian blogger Chiara Ferragni’s Dior wedding gown “cheap.” He also called Selena Gomez “ugly” and reportedly spoke out against gay parents adopting, which prompted a response from Elton John.
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