Diet Prada Rebuffs Dolce & Gabbana in Defamation Lawsuit

The Italian brand is reportedly asking for approximately $4.8 million USD in damages to the brand and Stefano Gabbana.

Fashion
16,994 Hypes 15 Comments

Diet Prada, a fashion commentary account run by Tony Liu and Lindsey Schuyler, has filed a defense in a 2019 defamation lawsuit leveled by Dolce & Gabbana. According to a post on Diet Prada’s account, Dolce & Gabbana is seeking damages for “serious and repeated defamatory conduct” related to Diet Prada’s coverage of its November 2018 #DGLovesChina marketing campaign. Although Diet Prada publicized aspects of its communication with Dolce & Gabbana, this post marks the first time the lawsuit has come to light publicly.

“With so much anti-Asian hate spreading in the U.S., it feels wrong to continue to remain silent about a lawsuit that threatens our freedom of speech. We are a small company co-founded by a person of color, trying to speak out against racism in our own community,” Diet Prada said in its statement.

Dolce & Gabbana’s controversy began with backlash against the #DGLovesChina campaign video, which sparked criticism citing racist and sexist characterizations of the Chinese model. The video was later removed, but the controversy continued as a series of offensive comments attributed to Stefano Gabbana in conversation with a follower were posted to Diet Prada; Dolce & Gabbana claimed that the account was hacked. Gabbana and Domenico Dolce released a joint apology video for the incident, but not before Dolce & Gabbana cancelled its Shanghai show amidst the outcry. Ecommerce group Secoo Holding and Yoox Net-A-Porter also pulled the brand’s products from its web stores.

Diet Prada says it received the lawsuit in early 2019 and that it asks for €3 million EUR (approximately $3.6 million USD) in damages for Dolce & Gabbana and €1 million EUR ($1.2 million USD) for Stefano Gabbana individually. Diet Prada says its defense is handled pro-bono, thanks to an agreement coordinated by the Fashion Law Institute with Italian lawfirm AMSL Avvocati, which will represent Liu and Schuyler for a reduced rate.

“Having cultivated Diet Prada as a platform where we can denounce racism, amplify stories from the larger BIPOC community, and hold the fashion industry to a higher ethical standard, has been one of the most rewarding experiences thus far and our only hope is to protect that,” Diet Prada’s statement concludes.

HYPEBEAST has reached out to Dolce & Gabbana for comment.

The 2018 controversy sparked discussion as to how and whether the brand might attempt to recover its reputation with consumers. HYPEBEAST spoke with several red carpet stylists in February 2019 to get their takes the state of the brand.

Read Full Article

What to Read Next

Prada Is the World's Hottest Brand Again, Balenciaga Falls Dramatically, and Versace Rises
Fashion

Prada Is the World's Hottest Brand Again, Balenciaga Falls Dramatically, and Versace Rises

The Lyst Index Q1 2023 report is here, and the revelations are big: Gucci drops seven places, JW Anderson enters the top 20, and Miu Miu is hotter than ever.

Prada's Caffè Principe Basks In the Florence Summer Sun
Fashion

Prada's Caffè Principe Basks In the Florence Summer Sun

Contrasting its London Harrods location with 1950s touches.

Prada's FW23 "In Conversation With a Flower" Campaign Is In Full Bloom
Fashion

Prada's FW23 "In Conversation With a Flower" Campaign Is In Full Bloom

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Hunter Schafer, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Letitia Wright, and Li Xian.


Prada Group Fetches Revenues of €2.23 Billion EUR in First Half of 2023
Fashion

Prada Group Fetches Revenues of €2.23 Billion EUR in First Half of 2023

The company’s net profit saw a 62% increase from the same period last year.

Dave White Unleashes Expressive Oil Portraits of Dinosaurs in 'Extinct' Collection
Art

Dave White Unleashes Expressive Oil Portraits of Dinosaurs in 'Extinct' Collection

Some works are over seven feet tall.

Amazon Opens Its First Cashier-less Grocery Store in London
Tech 

Amazon Opens Its First Cashier-less Grocery Store in London

Shoppers can enter the store by scanning a QR code in the Amazon app at the gate.

ASICS Delivers Duo of GEL-Lyte III Colorways for New "Back Streets of Japan" Pack
Footwear

ASICS Delivers Duo of GEL-Lyte III Colorways for New "Back Streets of Japan" Pack

The iconic lifestyle runner adopts “Ivory/Black” and “Aqua Angel/Mako Blue” color schemes.

Jack Dorsey’s Square Buys Majority Stake in JAY-Z’s TIDAL
Tech 

Jack Dorsey’s Square Buys Majority Stake in JAY-Z’s TIDAL

Square expects to pay a mix of cash and stock of $297 million USD.

New Balance Continues CNY Celebrations with Two Festive 574s
Footwear

New Balance Continues CNY Celebrations with Two Festive 574s

Both feature rich red, black and gold color schemes.


JULIUS' SS21 Permanent Collection Revives Archival Military Styles
Fashion

JULIUS' SS21 Permanent Collection Revives Archival Military Styles

The Japanese label revives fan-favorite outerwear, cargo pants and more.

Stüssy's Latest Spring Delivery Encompasses Cozy Fleece and Dynamic Dyes
Fashion

Stüssy's Latest Spring Delivery Encompasses Cozy Fleece and Dynamic Dyes

Colorful transitional season staples.

'Justice League: The Snyder Cut' Will Be Broken into 6 Chapters
Entertainment

'Justice League: The Snyder Cut' Will Be Broken into 6 Chapters

Their titles were released Wednesday, after several indications from Snyder about a chaptered structure to the film.

Nike is Frying Up the Air Max 90 "Bacon" Again To Celebrate Air Max Day
Footwear

Nike is Frying Up the Air Max 90 "Bacon" Again To Celebrate Air Max Day

The Swoosh has announced that Dave Ortiz’s 2004 classic will re-release for Air Max Day 2021.

CP Company Honors Lucio Dalla's Friendship With Massimo Osti in New Capsule
Fashion

CP Company Honors Lucio Dalla's Friendship With Massimo Osti in New Capsule

Beginning its 50th anniversary celebrations.

More ▾
 
Subscribe to our Newsletter

Gain access to exclusive interviews with industry creatives, think pieces, trend forecasts, guides and more.

By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Looks like you’re using an ad-blocker

We charge advertisers instead of our readers. Support us by whitelisting our site.

Whitelist Us

How to Whitelist Us

screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlock icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Under “Pause on this site” click “Always”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlock Plus icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Block ads on – This website” switch off the toggle to turn it from blue to gray.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the AdBlocker Ultimate icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Switch off the toggle to turn it from “Enabled on this site” to “Disabled on this site”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the Ghostery icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Click on the “Ad-Blocking” button at the bottom. It will turn gray and the text above will go from “ON” to “OFF”.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the UBlock Origin icon in the browser extension area in the upper right-hand corner.
  2. Click on the large blue power icon at the top.
  3. When it turns gray, click the refresh icon that has appeared next to it or click the button below to continue.
screenshot
  1. Click the icon of the ad-blocker extension installed on your browser.You’ll usually find this icon in the upper right-hand corner of your screen. You may have more than one ad-blocker installed.
  2. Follow the instructions for disabling the ad blocker on the site you’re viewing.You may have to select a menu option or click a button.
  3. Refresh the page or click the button below to continue.