In the face of growing calls for a boycott, Spanish fashion brand Zara launches an ad campaign featuring controversial body bags after sparking outrage online over similarities to war-torn Gaza was withdrawn.
In response to the controversy, Zara, owned by Spain’s Inditex, the world’s largest fashion retailer, denied the claims but nevertheless removed the controversial images from its website.
“Unfortunately, some customers found these images disturbing and saw them far from what was intended when they were created,” said a statement posted online.
Why are people boycotting fashion giant ZARA? pic.twitter.com/CYruw8q79E
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In one image, a model carries what appears to be a body wrapped in plastic over one shoulder, while in another, a model stands atop a set with chunks of rubble, broken walls and other signs of destruction. A wrapped corpse lies at her feet. .
The campaign sparked a fierce backlash on social media, with many saying it was deliberately poking fun at the dire situation in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has waged a major campaign since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
In response, Zara said the ad campaign was “conceived in July and shot in September.” According to the magazine, the idea was to “present a series of images of unfinished sculptures in the sculptor’s studio, created with the sole purpose of showcasing handcrafted garments in an artistic context.” ”.