Dolce & Gabbana's New Chinese Ad Sparks Accusations of Racism

Dolce & Gabbana released a series of videos in which an Asian model is seen struggling to eat Italian food with chopsticks.

Dolce & Gabbana
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Dolce & Gabbana

Update 11/21/18 11:06 EST

Dolce & Gabbana and Stefano Gabbana claim their Instagram accounts were hacked and the racist clips were posted without their consent. 

Read the original post below...

Dolce & Gabbana keeps messing up.

The fashion house came under fire this week for a series of promotional videos shared on its social media accounts. Dubbed #DGLovesChina, the ads feature an Asian model who is seen struggling to eat Italian food with a pair of chopsticks, while a male narrator attempts to guide her along the way. Many have criticized the clips as being racist, sexist, and perpetuating Chinese stereotypes. At one point, the woman has a hard time picking up an oversized cannoli, which promotes the narrator to ask, "Is it too huge for you?"

 

 


According to Jing Daily, the online videos were initially posted Saturday on D&G's Weibo. Though the ads have since been removed from that platform, they're still available to watch on the label's official Instagram page. Critics have continued to express their outrage in the comments section and have called for a D&G boycott.

"This AD is sickly worrying because it's conveying a stereotype implicitly, and people might not find it offensive unless they are acknowledged with Chinese culture," one person wrote. 

"Well, why do you think you have the right to teach Chinese how to use chopsticks in the most rude and inappropriate way?" another commented. "Really chopsticks? You really wanna play that word?"

The videos were intended to promote its Wednesday fashion show in Shanghai. Representatives for the label have not publicly responded to the backlash.

This, of course, isn't the first time D&G has ignited controversy. Back in 2016, D&G was blasted on social media for releasing a footwear design that was named "Slave Sandal." Its designers, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, have also made plenty of politically incorrect statements in the media, like referring to children born through IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) as "synthetic" and expressing their opposition to gay adoptions.

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