Chinese model apologises for part in offensive Dolce & Gabbana ads
A Chinese model who was featured in Dolce & Gabbana promotional materials and was attacked for being culturally insensitive has apologised for her role in the production, more than two months after the firestorm erupted.
The controversy arose in November after the Italian fashion house posted clips on Instagram showing a woman eating pizza and spaghetti with chopsticks, which critics said was offensive to Chinese culture.
It escalated after screenshots emerged of an Instagram user's chat with the brand's co-founder Stefano Gabbana, who used poop emojis to describe China and launched insults at the country and its people.
Full-time model Zuo Ye wrote in a lengthy post put up on Monday on the Weibo social media platform: "For not properly interpreting the proper way of holding chopsticks, I express my deepest regret.
"I appreciate the fact that this isn't just my personal action, but that I am representing the image of our country, and of Chinese culture so I am racked with guilt, deeply apologetic, and will definitely improve my decorum in future."
Zuo said she was attacked after the video surfaced and received online threats.
Providing a chronological account of the Milan shoot in November, she said she had no idea the video would be edited the way it was.
Dolce & Gabbana was forced to cancel a Shanghai fashion show as a result of the incident, with the brand issuing an apology statement and claiming Gabbana's account had been hacked.
- AFP
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