Fashion Scandals That Rocked The Fashion World

Boris Dzhingarov

fashion scandals

The ever-changing fashion world and the need for fashion houses to be at the top are unavoidable. To be at the top, fashion houses make sure that their brands are trending and stay at the top, in this process, many fashion brands, designers, photographers & models have taken the wrong path other than following morals and values.

Here is the list of some of the fashion scandals that rocked the world:

1. Dolce & Gabbana’s – a fashion house from China

After a controversial advertisement that was published on their social media accounts and their Weibo account, the fashion world boycotted their show citing racism. Around 120 million people including media professionals and celebrities posted their disagreement against the fashion house through the hashtag #BoycottDolce. Eventually, the Dolce & Gabbana’s called off their show hours before it was to begin.

2. Louis Vuitton Dupes

In 2018, in the month of January, a store in Mumbai, India got busted for selling fake products of famous fashion houses. They were selling duplicate Louis Vuitton merchandise. The duped customers reported to the police and the store was raided and sealed. The police found 62 bags of fake Louis Vuitton products that were sold by the Mumbai store illegally. Eventually, the store was sealed and the people involved were arrested by the police. This incident rocked the fashion world and made the fashion houses to be more alert on the fake merchandise of their brands.

3. Zahia Dehar

A complaint against French designer Zahia Dehar shocked the fashion world with her involvement in an underage prostitution scandal. She was linked with a sex for money scandal that rocked the fashion world and spoiled the life of French soccer star Franck Ribery. The French soccer star was allegedly paid for sex with Zahia Dehar at the time when she was under 18 years old. Another French soccer Karim Benzema was also involved in this case for buying her services while she was underage. Both soccer stars lost their fame due to this underage prostitution scandal. Zahia Dehar was also boycotted by many fashion houses.

4. Anand Jon Alexander

The Beverly Hills fashion designer who was once was a part of ‘America’s Next Top Model’ allegedly used forcible power and was faced with rape charges, and eventually sentenced to jail for 59 years. He was convicted on 14 counts that included forcible rape. This incident rocked the entire fashion world in 2008.

5. Super Model Kate Moss

She was in the papers for the wrong reason. Her cocaine-snorting photos were published in 2005. The Daily Mirror published her photos and that rocked the fashion world. Eventually, she was acquitted without being charged because the evidence was weak. But the event spoiled her fashion life.

6. John Galliano

The famous designer for Dior was once caught on camera making remarks that are anti-Semitic. His Anti-Semitic remarks in the video were audible clearly. The fashion world and media popularized his remarks and eventually, he was fired from Dior and he retreated from publicity. This spoiled the fashion life of John Galliano once a famous fashion designer.

7. Chip Wilson

Chip Wilson – co-founder of Lululemon was in hot water when he said that the women’s thighs are the reason for the defects in his brand’s new yoga pants. The yoga pants were costing $98 and Lululemon recalled the pants as pants were too sheer and pilling very soon after few years.

In an interview, Wilson said that “The pants don’t work for some women’s fatty bodies. The pants pilling very soon because of the rubbing through the fatty thighs.” The fashion world went against his comments and eventually, Wilson asked to step down as Lululemon’s chairman.

8. Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment complaints in the fashion industry are the oldest and all-time complaints. No fashion house is free from sexual abuse or harassment complaints. As the models enter the industry in teenage are unable to resist the powerful and famous photographers. So the underaged models are abused or harassed by some designers and photographers. The sexual harassment complaints came to light when a reporter Matthew Schneier of the New York Times broke a story of a sexual harassment complaint. The story is about five male models claiming that they were sexually exploited by Bruce Weber, a famed photographer from a famous fashion house. After this news spread in the industry, a series of sexual harassment complaints started to come out in public. Another famous photographer Mario Testino was also similarly accused of sexual harassment charges.

Eventually, the long-time allegations against Terry Richardson – a sexual predator were taken seriously after a long time and this rocked the fashion world. Eventually, the fashion industry boycotted the sexual predator Terry Richardson from international brands and publications. This shocked the fashion designers, photographers, and leading fashion houses and made them make sure that their fashion houses are free from sexual harassment complaints. But new sexual abuse and harassment complaints continue to rock the fashion world to date.

9. H&M‘s Racist Advertisement on kidswear

An advertisement by the fashion brand H&M showcased two kids, one is African American and the other is an American kid. The sweatshirt of African American carried the sentence “Coolest Monkey In The Jungle” and the sweatshirt of American carried the sentence “Mangrove Jungle Survival Expert”.  After seeing this, the fashion world lost its cool and bombarded social media with their angry tweets and posts. Also ‘The Weekend’ made a promise to stop working with H&M again. Eventually, H&M lost its prime position in the fashion world.

10. Fashion Diva Naomi Campbell

The ultimate fashion diva with the shortest fuse, Naomi Campbell was sued for beating her assistant. In another incident in 2003, Naomi Campbell was sued for hitting her assistant by throwing a cellphone. In 2006, she was sued with a charge for hitting her housekeeper’s head with a phone. It made serious injuries to the housekeeper that needed stitches.

Recently, the short-tempered Supermodel Campbell was arrested at Heathrow Airport for assaulting an Airport police officer, after one bag of her was missing.

Featured image from: Flickr