Dior faces criticisms over new skirt resembling ancient Chinese clothing

French fashion brand Dior has triggered public outcry in China after introducing a mid-length pleated skirt, which is said to resemble an ancient Chinese horse-face skirt. Also known as "ma mian qun", the ancient skirt dates back to the 10th century Song dynasty and was commonly worn by women during the Ming and Qing  dynasties. An opinion piece on People.cn has accused that the Dior skirt is similar to the Chinese horse-face skirt, “When many details are the same, why is it shamelessly called a ‘new design’ and ‘hallmark Dior silhouette’?” questioned the commentary published by People.cn on 16 July 2022.  

The commentary also explained that China has left many cultural heritages over the past 5,000 years of history, “Many designers who use Chinese elements will admit that their design inspiration comes from classic works in traditional Chinese culture. Chinese culture belongs to China as well as the world. We support learning from Chinese culture to enrich human life,” said the commentary.   “Dior is a big brand. To cherish its feathers, it should be more rigorous in both clothing design and marketing, and it should not do things that go against the law and reason,” the commentary read.

The author of the article also urged for Dior to clarify and respond to the concerns. “This is not only the responsibility of an internationally renowned company for its own corporate culture, but also a tribute to world history and cultural heritage. Dior needs to understand that consumers around the world are not only watching, but also voting on Dior's performance.”

The skirt is described as “a hallmark Dior silhouette, the mid-length skirt is updated with a new elegant and modern variation. Crafted in black wool and mohair, the pleated style is enhanced by a tonal belt with metal buckle at the waist. The flared skirt can be worn with a printed T-shirt to complete a bold look.”

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Dior for a statement.  The criticism come not long after Dior faced backlash in China after an image of a Chinese model with dark skin dressed in traditional attire holding a Dior bag made its rounds in the market. The image polarised netizens with some saying the brand was “smearing” the image of Chinese women, while others speaking up for the photo depicting a different type of beauty from the usual fair skin and large eyes attributes. Despite the image being taken by famous Chinese fashion photographer, Chen Man, Dior decided to removed the image on social media.

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