Dolce & Gabbana are once again under fire. The designers behind the Italian fashion brand, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, are no strangers to controversy, regularly sparking outcry across the internet for things like calling Selena Gomez “so ugly” and branding Chiara Ferragni’s wedding gown “cheap.”
But their latest behavior didn’t just cause outrage, it got their big runway show canceled.
The brand posted a video to Weibo, China’s top social media platform, and Instagram in advance of their 500-look #DGTheGreatShow runway presentation scheduled to take place in Shanghai.
In the short film, a Chinese model attempts to eat various Italian foods with chopsticks while a Chinese voice over narration makes sexual innuendos about the food being too big for her. The video was taken down less than 24 hours later after commenters accused the label of racism.
Gabbana has since claimed via his Instagram Stories that his account was hacked and he did not write any of those messages, subsequently deleting his account altogether. The brand’s official account seconded Gabbana’s story, writing “Our Instagram account has been hacked. So has the account of Stefano Gabbana. Our legal office is urgently investigating. We are very sorry for any distress caused by these unauthorized posts, comments, and direct messages. We have nothing but respect for China and the people of China. ”
Regardless, the runway show has been officially canceled by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Shanghai.
By Damilola Faustino
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