The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Hong Kong singer and actress Karen Mok has apologised in response to backlash over her new music video, in which she wears multiple Dolce & Gabbana pieces, SupChina reports.
In the video for Mok’s song, “Woman for All Seasons,” she wears a D&G robe, swimsuit and accessories; when the video was released, she changed her profile photo on social media platform Weibo to one of her donning the brand’s robe. Commentators quickly criticised her for supporting the brand, with some calling for a boycott. The backlash worsened after journalists pointed out that Mok was the first Chinese artist to sport the brand’s wares in public after its fall from grace several years ago.
During an interview conducted over the weekend, Mok said in Mandarin that though there was no ill will behind the styling choices, she and her team were “definitely in the wrong,” and promised to be more careful in the future. Many netizens have since accepted her apology, but the same can’t be said for the luxury brand, which remains in the doghouse.
In November 2018, the Italian luxury brand’s video campaign featuring a Chinese model attempting to eat pizza with chopsticks angered social media users, who called for a nationwide boycott after designer Stefano Gabbana responded to comments by referring to Chinese as “ignorant dirty smelling mafia.” A major runway show Dolce & Gabbana was planning to hold in Shanghai was swiftly cancelled as a result.
With consumers tightening their belts in China, the battle between global fast fashion brands and local high street giants has intensified.
Investors are bracing for a steep slowdown in luxury sales when luxury companies report their first quarter results, reflecting lacklustre Chinese demand.
The French beauty giant’s two latest deals are part of a wider M&A push by global players to capture a larger slice of the China market, targeting buzzy high-end brands that offer products with distinctive Chinese elements.
Post-Covid spend by US tourists in Europe has surged past 2019 levels. Chinese travellers, by contrast, have largely favoured domestic and regional destinations like Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan.