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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/23/dolce-gabbana-vanishes-from-chinese-retail-sites-amid-racist-ad-backlash
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Dolce & Gabbana vanishes from Chinese retail sites amid racist ad backlash | Dolce & Gabbana vanishes from Chinese retail sites amid racist ad backlash |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Chinese e-commerce sites have removed Dolce & Gabbana products amid a growing backlash against an advertising campaign that was decried as racist by celebrities and on social media. | |
The ads featured a Chinese woman struggling to eat spaghetti and pizza with chopsticks, sparking criticism from consumers and forcing the Italian brand to cancel its Shanghai fashion show. | The ads featured a Chinese woman struggling to eat spaghetti and pizza with chopsticks, sparking criticism from consumers and forcing the Italian brand to cancel its Shanghai fashion show. |
The blunder was compounded when screenshots were circulated online of a private Instagram conversation, in which the designer Stefano Gabbana appeared to make a reference to “China Ignorant Dirty Smelling Mafia” and used the smiling poo emoji to describe the country. The brand said Gabbana’s account had been hacked. | |
Amid calls for a boycott, the furore threatened to grow into a big setback for one of Italy’s best-known fashion brands in a crucial market, where rivals from Louis Vuitton to Gucci are vying to expand. | Amid calls for a boycott, the furore threatened to grow into a big setback for one of Italy’s best-known fashion brands in a crucial market, where rivals from Louis Vuitton to Gucci are vying to expand. |
Chinese customers account for more than a third of spending on luxury products worldwide, and are increasingly shopping for these in their home market rather than on overseas trips. | Chinese customers account for more than a third of spending on luxury products worldwide, and are increasingly shopping for these in their home market rather than on overseas trips. |
China’s Kaola, an e-commerce platform belonging to China’s NetEase confirmed it had removed Dolce & Gabbana products while the luxury goods retailer Secoo said it had removed the brand’s listings on Wednesday evening. | |
On Yoox Net-a-Porter – owned by the Cartier parent Richemont and a leading online high-end retailer – said the label’s wares were no longer available on its platforms within China. | |
Checks done by Reuters on Thursday morning also showed pages that previously linked to Dolce & Gabbana items on the e-commerce sites hosted by Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com were no longer available and searches for the brand returned no products. | |
Alibaba and JD.com did not respond to requests for comment, and Dolce & Gabbana did not comment on the retailers’ moves. | Alibaba and JD.com did not respond to requests for comment, and Dolce & Gabbana did not comment on the retailers’ moves. |
Dolce & Gabbana apologised for the ad in a statement, saying: “We have nothing but respect for China and the people of China.” | |
Celebrities including the movie star Zhang Ziyi have criticised the brand, while the singer Wang Junkai said he had terminated an agreement to be its ambassador. | |
The Communist party’s youth league said on Weibo: “We welcome foreign companies to invest and develop in China ... companies working in the country should respect China and Chinese people.” | |
The gaffe is not the first by Dolce & Gabbana in China. It came under fire on social media last year for another series of ads showing the grungy side of Chinese life. | The gaffe is not the first by Dolce & Gabbana in China. It came under fire on social media last year for another series of ads showing the grungy side of Chinese life. |
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