French brand Dior’s “aesthetic” debacle: Art can be unfashionable, but it needn’t be grotesque

French luxury brand Dior has come under fire on Chinese social media over a recent photo accused of smearing the image of Asian women.

Photo: Screenshot of Xiaohongshu

The photo, taken by famous Chinese fashion photographer Chen Man, is on display at an ongoing fashion exhibition for the brand in Shanghai. It shows an Asian woman with spooky eyes, a gloomy face, smokey eyeshadow and Qing Dynasty-style nail armor.

Many Chinese netizens criticized the image for pandering to Western stereotypes of Asian women and demanded an explanation from the French company as well as the photographer.

Dior’s ghoulish photo has made the public feel uncomfortable. The vast majority of people now living in the 21st century would be unable to understand this foolish decision by Dior. The photo was just too far off the mark from reality and in no way revealed the true image of real, confident, and beautiful Chinese women.

Some Internet users called it “art” and claimed that standards of beauty are always going to be diverse. However, such attempts at so-called art need not be deployed to perpetuate racial stereotypes.

An Internet user discovered that a previous collection of 12 cover shots by Chen for the British fashion magazine i-D contained similar elements to the photo on display in Shanghai. Chen enjoys the freedom of artistic expression, but it seems that she is being used to shoot photos that cater to the aesthetic tastes of Westerners, which is rather unflattering and unbecoming.

Some art workers in China are pampering to Western tastes and stereotypes, which is obviously an inappropriate approach to their profession.

Now what meets the eye across China is a sense of dynamism and promise for the future. Art workers bear a responsibility in relaying a comprehensive and accurate image of China, showing the world the real China and presenting a positive image of the Chinese people.

Dior and art workers like Chen should reflect on their inappropriate actions. However, Dior has to date not made any public comment regarding the ghastly photo. As an influential multinational enterprise, the French company needs to explain its actions and respond to the public’s criticisms.