Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce have released a statement following the cancellation of their show in Shanghai yesterday. The designer pair were forced to abruptly pull the plug on their multi-million pound hour-long extravaganza, #DGTheGreatShow – expected to have been one of the biggest fashion shows in history – after claims that their Instagram accounts were hacked following accusations of racism.
“Our dream was to bring to Shanghai a tribute event dedicated to China which tells our history and vision,” they said in a joint statement. “It was not simply a fashion show, but something that we created especially with love and passion for China and all the people around the world who love Dolce & Gabbana.
“What happened today was very unfortunate not only for us, but also for all the people who worked day and night to bring this event to life. From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to express our gratitude to our friends and guests.”
The brand found itself in the centre of a racism row after messages featuring derogatory comments about the Chinese appeared on the brand’s official social media accounts and were sent as direct messages to Instagram users.
Gabbana shared a screenshot of some of the offending messages, obscured by ‘NOT ME’ in large red lettering, on his personal Instagram account.
“My Instagram account has been hacked,” the designer wrote. “My legal office is working on this. I love China and the Chinese Culture. I’m so sorry for what happened.”
A similar message was shared on the official Dolce & Gabbana Instagram account, stating that the accounts had been hacked and that their legal team was investigating.
The social media storm was originally sparked by a series of videos featuring a Chinese model attempting to eat a variety of Italian foods – pizza, a cannoli and spaghetti – with chopsticks, which were released in the run up to the show, and which some users interpreted as offensive. The videos were removed from Chinese social network Weibo after receiving backlash, but remain on the brand’s Instagram account.
From Harper’s Bazaar UK
