Christian Dior has apologized and removed a controversial image created by a Korean artist as part of a promotional exhibition. This after the luxury brand came under harsh criticism claiming that the image suggested Korean women are willing to sell sex to purchase a luxury bag.
The composite image, called “Korean Female,” was created by artist Lee Wan as part of the “Lady Dior as Seen by” exhibition held at House of Dior, a flagship store opened in southern Seoul. The exhibition is part of a global campaign that invites artists to create works that display how they view Dior luxury bags.
Lee Wan’s “Korean Female,” features a woman holding a Lady Dior while standing on a street filled with signs for room salons and hostess bars –places associated with prostitution in South Korea.
According to Korean culture critic Jae-keun Ha, The contrasting image of the Korean woman with Dior’s signature bag in the dark alley implies that she sells herself in bars to possess the luxury good, reports the Korea Herald.
Ha wrote on her blog that the image represented a “reflection of the misogyny that dominates in Korean society.”
“We sincerely apologize for the controversy surrounding Lee Wan’s piece in the ‘Lady Dior As Seen By’ exhibition,” Dior said in a press release.
Lee Wan, in an interview before the controversy, said of his image: “I thought about the value there and what the meaning of consuming Christian Dior was in Korea.”
The work of other Korean artists were also featured:
