The lawsuit
MILAN — The Milan based fashion house Dolce & Gabbana is suing two American fashion bloggers for defamation claiming $ 600 million in losses. The bloggers in question are Tony Liu and Lindsey Schuyler, founders of the fashion Instagram account Diet Prada. Diet Prada is a fashion watchdog Instagram account that has over 2.5 million followers and is extensively followed in the fashion world for his sharp remarks on social issues and unoriginality of designs by fashion houses.
The lawsuit was filed by Dolce & Gabanna in an Italian civil court in Milan back in 2019.However , it became public news only this week after the bloggers posted about on the Instagram account ,Diet Prada ,
The incident happened in November 2018, when Dolce & Gabbana was boycotted in Asia following extensive criticism on social media accusing the brand racism in its #DGLovesChina ad campaign. The provocative ad campaign featured a video where a Chinese woman fails to use chopsticks while eating Italian food. Diet Prada also posted screenshots of racist remarks from Stafano Gabana’s Instagram account.Consequently the brand annulled its Shangai Fashion show, in addition to Dolce & Gabanna being boycotted by famous Asian personalities .Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana said that Gabbana’s account had been hacked, and they made an apology to the Chinese people in a video.
Both Liu and Schuyler issued statements. Liu said:
“This whole case is a way of trying to silence Diet Prada and to personally silence Tony (Liu) and Lindsay (Schuyler),” said Susan Scafidi, director of the Fashion Law Institute at Fordham Law School, who coordinates the defense of bloggers.
As an Asian-American, I’m part of a community that is often misrepresented. Like many people of color in the United States, there’s pain that stems from seeing ourselves depicted through inaccurate, harmful stereotypes. Often, it leads to racism and violence.
Growing up as a queer person of color in a predominantly white town, I’ve often found myself intimidated and at a loss for words when confronted with racism and bigotry. Having cultivated Diet Prada as a platform where stereotypes are laid bare and stories from the larger BIPOC community are brought to the fore, is one of the things I’m most proud of.
For two years, I’ve stayed silent and carried the burden of this lawsuit on my shoulders. During this time, the world was forced to reckon with the systemic racism in the U.S. that led to the murder of George Floyd and countless other Black lives, as well as the xenophobia that further
fueled Trump’s anti-Asian rhetoric in the age of COVID-19. In the outpouring of support for these communities being targeted, we all continue to see the power of solidarity and speaking truth to power. Diet Prada will continue to be a platform to elevate these crucial issues.
Schuyler added:
Diet Prada has made a point to be actively anti-racist for years. As an ally to my Asian friends and the community at large, I was offended not only at the caricatures of China and Chinese people, but also by the misogynistic images associated with them.
As a woman, I believe it is important that media outlets speak out against misogyny as well as racism and are not silenced by legal threats. Discrediting and denouncing the press, charges of “fake news,” and a general threatening attitude towards journalists are a breeding ground for danger and a slippery slope toward extremism.
Now is the time for public figures and brands to respond to public opinion and media critiques with progressive action, not lawsuits.
Dolce & Gabbana attorneys contacted by The Associated Press declined to comment on the case.
