On 21 November 2018, Instagram messages attributed to Stefano Gabbana circulated publicly and contained racist and insulting descriptions of China, including the phrases 'China ignorant dirty smelling mafia' and 'a shitty country.' The incident erupted just as Dolce & Gabbana was preparing its Shanghai Great Show, a high-profile attempt to deepen the house's presence in one of luxury fashion's most important markets. Chinese models and celebrities withdrew, and the event was cancelled amid a wave of online anger and calls to boycott the brand.
Dolce & Gabbana claimed that Gabbana's account had been hacked and issued statements saying that the company loved China and its culture. The damage was nevertheless immediate: Chinese e-commerce platforms and retailers removed or restricted the label, while the controversy became a case study in the vulnerability of luxury brands that depend on global cultural fluency but remain controlled by outspoken founders. The attempted apology video was later deleted from Weibo, prolonging the crisis and leaving the house's explanation contested even as the cancellation and commercial backlash were firmly documented.
