The model who was featured in the heavily criticized Dolce & Gabbana video ad that showed a Chinese woman desperately trying to eat Western food using chopsticks has spoken up and said that it almost ruined her career.
Chinese model Zuo Ye clarified in a lengthy statement that she had naively followed the director's instructions to use chopsticks to try different Italian dishes, down to the facial expressions, gestures, and reactions. She said that she the shoot would be about trying out food but noted that she didn't see how the final cut looked before it was released, writes the BBC. Dolce & Gabbana was accused of racism for this video, which quickly made the rounds in social media and gained flak worldwide.
Zuo Ye also said that she received backlash for her participation in the videos, which were part of the DG Loves China campaign to celebrate the brand's entry into the increasingly wealthy Chinese market. D&G was then supposed to hold a massive runway show in Shanghai at the same time it was released, but it was canceled and boycotted by different personalities and brands in response to the video.
The model also added that it was only the director who spoke to her in English throughout the entire shoot, so she didn't really understand anything else that was going on around. She noted feeling awkward and hesitant by the instructions to pick up the cannoli using chopsticks, among many others, but like a dutiful model, she just did her job without any complaints.
In the same statement, the model said that she treasures her country and would never do anything that would harm its reputation. She ended by apologizing for everything that happened.
This situation highlights the plight of models in this cutthroat industry, where they are compelled to simply follow instructions regardless if it clashes with their beliefs and orientations. Often, models begrudgingly take orders just to keep a job, especially when it's from a brand as high profile as Dolce & Gabbana.
This is not the first time that D&G took a jab at Chinese culture. Co-founder Stefano Gabbana also drew fire after screenshots of his social media post that called China a "country of sh*t" made the rounds online. In the end, the both Gabbana and partner Domenico Dolce had to release an apology video addressed to the Chinese -- but the damage had already been done.
