BEIJING — “It’s a landslide of colossal dimensions, and the speed of it all is frightening,” said Alessandro Maria Ferreri, chief executive officer and owner of The Style Gate consulting firm, referring to the media and business storm that has hit Dolce & Gabbana.
Ferreri echoed what many are thinking, as the brand’s intended tribute to China last week backfired, setting off an intense backlash from celebrities, consumers and retailers alike. How and when will this stop, and will the Italian house be able to put its troubles behind?
Related: Dolce & Gabbana Cancels Shanghai Show, Chinese Celebs Flee Furor >>
Aside from the losses of the canceled event itself — not your ordinary runway show, but an event in Shanghai involving some 500 looks — harm to Dolce & Gabbana’s sales is definitely on the cards. As it stands, the brand’s products had been scrubbed from the sites of major Chinese e-commerce players, including Tmall, JD.com and Secoo. Certain global retailers also distanced themselves: Luisa Via Roma pulled the brand’s products, as did the Chinese platforms of Yoox Net-a-porter Group.
Lane Crawford dropped Dolce & Gabbana products from its 10 stores and e-commerce platform, and in the immediate aftermath, police and guards were stationed at brick-and-mortar Dolce & Gabbana stores across
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