It only makes sense that a city as cosmopoitan as Beijing serve as a backdrop for today's latest fashion. However, Chinese netizens are reacting with anger to a series of Dolce & Gabbana photographs that showcase Beijing locales and its residents.
The famous Italian fashion designer released the photos this past week as part of its "DG Loves China" campaign. Besides featuring such notable Beijing landmarks as Tian'anmen Square and Nanluogu Xiang, the Morelli Brothers-shot photographs also prominently show many of the city's residents just as they are seen in real-life – doing things like drive three-wheeled carts and taking selfies.
Unfortunately, the spontaneous and informal style of the smiling photographs may have clashed with the Chinese concept of "face,“ especially since foreigners are involved. By "exposing" a side of China that doesn't feature its postive traits as seen in big international events like the Beijing Olympics, Dolce & Gabbana may have inadvertently embarrassed its hosts.
Although some internet comments praise Dolce & Gabbana for featuring Beijing in their photographs, the majority of netizens have reacted negatively.
Some netizens took the photographs as an insult. One person wrote: "Isn't this an insult to China? Why don't they go to places like Sanlitun and Guomao instead? Why do they go find an old uncle that collects garbage to be part of their photo shoot?" Another person wrote: "Boring! Ugly! I personally feel that there is no goodwill on display here, and even shows a slight contempt for us. "
Other Beijing natives asserted that these photos don't represent them. One person wrote: "Why have I never seen Beijingers dress like this?" while another simply said: "This is not Beijing." One person even wrote: "In no way is this the way Beijingers view themselves. The rest of you can fantasize about an 'old, romanticized Beijing' ... "
Others found the photographs unrealistic. "It's as though they used virtual reality to 'screenshot' people into these environments," wrote one netizen. Another person said: "I'd even believe it if you had told me they cut out the models and stuck them into these photographs," before adding "Not only are these photos not fashionable or beautiful, but are low class."
And then there are those people who simply didn't like the impromptu fashion shots. "This style is really awkward. I don't like it, it's ill-advised," wrote one person. Another person said: "I don't like it, there is no culture on display," while yet another said: "The clothes don't look good. It's just that the models are young, that's all."
Some comments took the opportunity to generalize all of China as being a homogenous whole. "Chinese people don't like this kind of clothing that show many different colors on it at once," wrote one person, who then goes on in the next sentence to say the Dolce & Gabbana clothes resemble the folk fashions of China's northeast (examples shown below).
During their tour of Asia, Dolce & Gabbana made a stop in Japan where they also took candid fashion photographs on the streets of Tokyo (as seen in the following two photographs):
Chinese netizens couldn't help but notice the remarkable difference between the two countries.
"The modern and traditional elements of Japanese streets go together well and are very beautiful; that's why it's not such an abrupt change. I like it a lot," admitted one Chinese netizen while another explained: "It's because Japanese are so trendy in foreign styles."
Dolce & Gabbana currently operate four boutiques in Beijing where locals may purchase clothes from the high-end fashion designer. Some Beijingers may have already done just that.
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Twitter: @Sinopath
Images: Dolce & Gabbana (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), Buro 247 (1, 2, 3, 4), 92to