Dior accused of racism for ‘Sauvage,’ a Native American-themed cologne - Global News

Luxury fashion house Dior has come under fire for its new “Sauvage” cologne and advertising campaign, which features Native American imagery and Johnny Depp as its celebrity face.The French brand ignited fury on social media Friday morning after tweeting a teaser video about the new cologne.“An authentic journey deep into the Native American soul in a sacred, founding and secular territory,” the tweet reads. “More to come. September 1st.”The video features an enrolled Mdewakanton Dakota man in traditional Native American regalia dancing against a desert background.
Story continues belowAn authentic journey deep into the Native American soul in a sacred, founding and secular territory.
More to come. September 1st.
Learn more https://t.co/XW1ZveuOjA#diorsauvage #diorparfums pic.twitter.com/TT4N9Z0Iaz— Dior (@Dior) August 30, 2019Angry Twitter users immediately flooded the brand with accusations of racism, insensitivity and cultural appropriation.One Twitter user responded: “So all the proceeds are going to Native American tribes?”Others took issue with the word “Sauvage” — a French word meaning “wild” — and suggested that it was one letter away from a racist slur for Indigenous peoples.“It’s still a slur if you add a ‘u’ to it,” one person pointed out.“This marketing blunder will be studied in business schools for a long time,” another tweeted.READ MORE: Seattle man goes on racist rant, tries to run man over, is beaten with hammer: policeAnother commented: “Being racist in French does not make it classier.”Dior had deleted the ads from its social media accounts by Friday afternoon.The company has not responded to an email from the Associated Press seeking comment on the ads or their deletion. One of the deleted posts had promised more details about the fragrance and campaign on Monday.Global News had reached out to Dior for comment but did not hear back by publication.Actor Johnny Depp also faced strong backlash for participating in the campaign. The fate of a film he recorded to promote it is unclear.WATCH BELOW: Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren apologizes at Native American forum

from Entertainment - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2ZAUVAZ
via IFTTT
September 01, 2019 at 02:33AM