Dolce & Gabbana’s Public Relations Disaster
When the three-part series “Eating With Chopsticks” was published on the official Instagram account of Dolce & Gabbana, the digital community lost no time in calling out the cultural insensitivity of the Italian brand. The ad campaign consisted of three episodes showing a Chinese model struggling to consume Italian food with chopsticks, overlayed with the voice of a Mandarin man instructing her on how to eat with the Asian utensils.
Dolce & Gabbana released the video series on Instagram as a precursor to the “Great Show” in Shanghai, a tribute apparently dedicated to China. However, the 500-look runway show inevitably fell apart as the new ad campaign was received with public backlash on it being racist and culturally insensitive. With foreign models signed to walk the runway leaving the show hours before its opening to boycott the Italian brand and the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Shanghai officially announcing the cancellation of the show shortly after, havoc ensued behind-the-scenes.
To heighten the controversy, Instagram account Diet Prada posted captures of a comment exchange between Stefano Gabbana, using his personal account, and a customer. The screenshots reveal Gabbana calling China a country of “ignorant dirty smelling mafia,” followed by five poop emojis. The high-end brand has refused to take responsibility of the alleged direct messages (DMs) and has instead offered the weak reason of being hacked. This is not the first time the Italian designers have faced backlash on Instagram. They have previously left inappropriate commentary on posts, including calling Selena Gomez “so ugly” and calling competitor brand Dior’s dresses “cheap”.
The Italian designers’ reckless behavior on social media has unraveled a public relations disaster. As individuals and as a company, they have faced criticism all around but the audience that was most offended is, of course, China. Following the real-time media updates, D&G products were wiped from the Chinese Internet as well as from stores. This comes as unfortunate news because the rising nation is the biggest player in the economic market. The controversy is a major setback for the luxury brand as they have now lost their presence in a critical market for global luxury brands.
In this age of social media, there is an overwhelming influx of exchanges between members in the digital community. As it has led to more and more people finding ways to connect online, it has consequently become easier for news to spread, trends to rise, and issues to advocate.
In the particular Dolce & Gabbana controversy, Diet Prada captures of the racist video series and alleged DMs propelled the scandal deeper. Additionally, customers used different forms of media to parody the ad campaign, publishing the burning of their D&G products and throwing them out with chopsticks. At the end of the day, the role social media played was critical in furthering the damaging implications of the public relations disaster.
In a broader context, the continued cultural insensitivity of fashion companies, including D&G, must be addressed. It is more pressing than ever to be educated and understand the diverse array of cultures that exist around the globe. In catering to a global market of customers, companies must embrace an agenda of inclusion and diversity, in alignment with our society cultural revolution.
The rehearsal stage of Dolce & Gabbana’s “Great Show” in Shanghai, before its demise. // Source: Dazed Digital
Dolce & Gabbana have denied responsibility and have instead claimed their Instagram account had been hacked.
Source: Dolce & Gabbana’s official Instagram
Stefano Gabbana’s alleged direct messages (DMs) regarding the Instagram controversy.
Source: @diet_prada on Instagram
