It’s been a week for Dolce & Gabbana. After creating a series of (now-deleted) videos to promote its upcoming show in Shanghai – featuring an Asian model struggling to eat Italian food with chopsticks – the Italian label was branded ‘racist’ by its Chinese followers. 

Following the shitstorm around the videos, DMs from Stefano Gabbana in conversation with a follower were posted online, showing the designer calling Chinese people “Ignorant Dirty Smelling Mafia” and saying they eat dogs. The brand claims that both Gabbana and its official Instagram account were hacked. Then, the show was cancelled by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Shanghai, according to Diet Prada. 

Now, the label has been dropped from a number of retailers, most notably Net-a-Porter and Yoox who have promised to remove any products from its Chinese platforms shortly. According to WWD, a number of Chinese retailers – including Alibaba, JD, Secoo, VIPshop, and Netease – have also dropped the house from its site. 

The pair (sort of) apologised, but only to the people who worked on the show or were set to attend. “Our dream was to bring to Shanghai a tribute event dedicated to China which tells our history and vision,” a statement read on Instagram. “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.” Well, OK. 

Later on, they apologised specifically to their Chinese followers on the brand’s Weibo channel. “We would like to apologise to all the Chinese (people) around the world because there are many, and we take this apology and this message very seriously,” Gabbana says. They end the video saying ‘sorry’ in Mandarin. 

Stay tuned for more on the Dolce and Gabbana Chinese show scandal later on Dazed.