Italian fashion brand Fendi has come under fire for alleged cultural appropriation after promoting a handbag that appears to draw inspiration from the traditional Chinese Knot. The brand stated on its Instagram account that "In Korea, Fendi collaborated with local artisan Kim Eun-Young, who has specialized in Maedeup - a traditional craft of tying and fastening a single long string to form multiple shapes in the form of ornamental knots - since 1965."
The backlash from Chinese netizens led to the hashtag "#FendiChineseKnot" trending as the top topic on Weibo, with many accusing the brand of failing to respect Chinese culture.
As of around 1:00 p.m. on Feb. 27, promotional posts and videos related to the controversial design were still visible on Fendi's official accounts on international social media platforms. However, by 4:30 p.m. the same day, the content had been removed, with the platform indicating that it was either deleted by the owner or hidden due to privacy settings.
Netizens have drawn comparisons to a similar controversy in 2022 when a Dior fall collection skirt, allegedly inspired by the traditional Chinese "Mamianqun" (horse-face skirt), was criticized for being credited to a Korean designer.
In response to the current controversy, Fendi's customer service center in China stated that the matter had been reported to the relevant departments for verification and resolution but that no further updates were available at the time.
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