There is surprisingly no exact scientific method to getting canceled in the fashion industry. Whether they are up and coming or well established, any brand is fair game for cancelation. Brands often receive “hate” for rolling out fast fashion, overhyped quick fad trends, or just plain tasteless products. However, the difference with cancelation is that it leaves a stain, as if the brand’s garments themselves were all to be permanently marked with a scarlet letter of shame. Why do we love to hate so many brands out there and are we too quick to cancel them?
Consumers and fashion enthusiasts alike pay attention close attention when brands are ushering in new looks and people are quick to pick up on copying.Covering all the lawsuits in the fashion industry would take a novel to explain, but what you need to know is that fashion design is an intellectual property that deserves protection. Copy rite can be hard to obtain for fashion designs because many law makers are concerned with the fact that the stricter a country has intellectual property laws, the higher the countries GDP. They are correct, there is an overall benefit to society and as imitation promotes innovation, but is copying worth the full cancelation of a brand? No one seemed to bat an eye when Balenciaga was being sued for creating key rings that strongly resembled the popular in-car air fresheners “Little Tree”. For some those who care deeply about the sacredness of original art, copying can be worth canceling and boycotting a brand. Overall, the views differ as even Picasso allegedly once said “Good artist copy, great artists steal.” Meaning it takes a good artist to be able to duplicate of course, but stealing is to take something from someone and make it your own. The truth is many consumers are only concerned with seeing which fashion brands did it better, not necessarily first.
Little Tree Vs Balenciaga
Fashion brands can also commit creative thievery through culturally appropriative garments, as well as unintended mocking of cultures. Is it always cancelable? Well, just look at Dolce & Gabbana in 2018 when they launched their loves china campaign where debuting a now infamous ad featuring a Chinese model attempting to eat pizza with chopsticks… The luxury brand was dragged through the mud by the Chinese media. However it’s important to note that this incident just scathed by the American and European markets as they remain largely unaffected. This raises the question of if D&G deserved the same treatment worldwide?
A still from Dolce & Gabbana's 2018 advertisements, starring model Zuo Ye.
With D&G shops closing all around Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu even after an apology video, and being kicked out of the Shanghai fashion show, it’s embarrassing to be caught wearing DG even years later. In 2021 the Hong Kong pop singer Karen Mok was under fire on social media for wearing a D&G cloak in her music video “A Woman for All Seasons”. Even she had to make an apology statement just for WEARING the brand! While the market for D&G in 2024 is doing well in America, It really makes one wonder, why no such repercussions for the campaign was faced in their other markets around the world?
Karen Mok wearing D&G in her music video "A Woman for All Seasons."
Canceling has been around a long time, like ostracism in ancient Greece and banishment of citizens. In this century however, we have see greater rise of cancelation notably increasing after the 2017 Me Too movement. As meant to punish a person or brand that has done regrettable things. As I stated earlier, no one was about to cancel Balenciaga for being sued for the air fresheners duplication. People did care however when Balenciaga was in their child exploitation scandal, but that too was soon forgotten. All of these red flags, yet perhaps the desirability and prestige of luxury brands allows some to gloss over scandals.
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