Following criticism of their model selection at Milan Fashion Week, Bella Hadid has publicly criticized Dolce and Gabbana, accusing the brand of a history of racism, sexism, prejudice, and discrimination against foreigners.
The 29-year-old fashion icon spoke out about the brand following criticism it received for featuring only white models in its most recent show on Saturday.
As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been following the drama around Dolce & Gabbana, and it’s really playing out on social media. Recently, Bella Hadid publicly expressed her surprise – and honestly, a little disappointment – to see some celebrities still backing the brand, leaving a comment on a post by fashion influencer Lyas. It’s a clear statement about where she stands and a reminder that celebrities’ choices have an impact.
This isn’t the first time the brand has faced problems. Back in 2013, its founders, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, were found guilty of tax evasion, and more recently, they’ve been criticized for their views on IVF.
A video of Bella’s reaction captured Lyas’s anger when he noticed that Dolce & Gabbana’s fashion show didn’t feature any Asian or dark-skinned models.
He shared photos of the models and commented to his followers that he noticed a complete lack of diversity, with no Asian, dark-skinned, Arab, or blond models included.
They actually said, in the show’s promo video, that it’s ‘the portrait of man – the unique identity of every man.’ I mean, really?
Bella Hadid, who has never modeled in a Dolce & Gabbana runway show, publicly expressed her disapproval in the comments, calling it ’embarrassing’ and criticizing the company’s models, stylists, and casting choices.
She continued, stating that Bella Hadid was facing widespread criticism due to a history of racist, sexist, and prejudiced behavior, and expressed surprise that people were only just noticing.
Her views stand out when compared to popular figures like Kylie Jenner, who promoted D&G in 2023, and Hailey Bieber, who was recently photographed with Bella wearing the brand’s clothing.
Daily Mail has contacted a representative for Dolce and Gabbana for comment.
Since starting their well-known fashion brand in 1985, designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have faced several controversies.
The company’s history of mistakes started with a controversial ad showing models fighting with knives. It got worse when Dolce made an offensive comment about children conceived through IVF, and reached its peak with his hurtful remark about actress Selena Gomez’s appearance.
After receiving 160 complaints, the Advertising Standards Authority prohibited an ad campaign in 2007 that featured male models with knives and a man appearing to have been shot in the head.
I was really disappointed back in 2012 when Dolce & Gabbana showcased earrings in their fashion show that many, including myself, found deeply offensive. They featured imagery referencing colonial times and depicted Black women in a way that felt incredibly insensitive and problematic. It caused a huge backlash, and rightly so.
Following Elton John’s strong reaction, Dolce offered an apology, explaining that his traditionally Catholic background influenced his ‘thoughtless’ comments. Elton accepted the apology and said he was happy to wear their clothes again.
In 2013, Stefano and Domeneco each received an 18-month suspended jail sentence for not reporting millions of euros in company profits earned from a Luxembourg-based subsidy.
But the following year, when the highest court reviewed the case, it found the two people not guilty, stating there wasn’t enough evidence to convict them.
Despite this, the brand – with Gabbana believed to own 40% and Dolce and his family the remaining share – made another mistake in 2016 by advertising ‘slave sandals’ for £1,740, which sparked public outrage.
In 2015, Domenico Dolce, who was born in Sicily, expressed criticism of fertility treatments and same-sex parenting, referring to babies conceived through IVF as ‘synthetic’.
He said: ‘You are born and you have a father and a mother. At least it should be like that.
‘That’s why I’m not convinced by what I call chemical children, synthetic babies.
These women are paid to carry babies, and prospective parents even select sperm from a list. It then becomes necessary to explain to the resulting children who their birth mother is.
The remarks sparked intense criticism, including from Sir Elton John, who started a #BoycottDolceGabbana campaign online. He publicly denounced the designer for criticizing IVF, calling it judgmental.
Facing criticism on social media, the designers released a statement clarifying that their previous comments about families with a mother and father weren’t meant to criticize different family structures.
In 2018, Dolce & Gabbana faced widespread criticism and calls for a boycott after releasing an ad campaign featuring a Chinese model attempting to eat Italian food with chopsticks. Many people found the ad to be disrespectful of Chinese culture.
When China started removing their products from stores, Stefano and Domeneco apologized and asked for the country’s understanding.
Oh my god, you won’t BELIEVE what happened! Back in 2018, my absolute heroes, Tony Liu and Lindsey Schuyler from Diet Prada – seriously, they always call out the BS in fashion – they exposed some truly awful, racist messages that were supposedly coming from Stefano Gabbana’s own Instagram! It was insane, and just proved everything Diet Prada has been saying all along.
According to reports, Gabbana reportedly messaged that if Chinese people are upset by someone using chopsticks to spell out ‘pizza’ or ‘pasta,’ it suggests they feel insecure – and that isn’t something he considers his responsibility.
It’s commonly known that people in China traditionally use chopsticks, while those in Western countries typically use forks and knives. Questioning whether simply observing this difference constitutes racism is a bit of a stretch, and the comment about someone’s ‘brain’ is unnecessary and dismissive.
During the conversation with Tranova, Gabbana reportedly asked, “Are you racist because you eat dogs?”
Domenico Gabbana reportedly said, “Everyone knows your problematic behavior, like how you treat dogs! At this point, you’re even more prejudiced than we are. We cherish dogs – we don’t eat them, but we love and live with them.”
I was absolutely horrified to see some of the messages circulating. One of them shockingly claimed ‘[five poop emojis] is China,’ and another unbelievably called China ‘Ignorant Dirty Smelling Mafia.’ It’s just deeply offensive and unacceptable language, and I’m disgusted by it.
Bella Hadid has publicly spoken out against Israel’s occupation of Gaza, a stance influenced by her father, Mohamed Hadid, who was born in Palestine.
I’ve been following her journey, and I really admire her willingness to stand up for what she believes in. She’s even said she’s okay with potentially losing modeling work because of her views, which is incredibly brave. But honestly, I was surprised to see her walk in the Victoria’s Secret show, considering its connections to Israel, and a lot of her fans – myself included – felt like it contradicted her previous statements. It just felt a bit hypocritical, and sparked a lot of discussion online.
While not officially part of the Palestinian-led BDS movement, some groups are calling for a full boycott of the brand.
Delta Galil, a company valued at over $1 billion, was named in a 2023 UN report detailing Israeli businesses operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
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2026-01-19 11:51