Dior Slammed Over Racist Photos

Filed Under: Ad Campaigns Christian Dior

The internet has been buzzing about new images featuring Christian Dior models and not in a good way.

The photos in question were taken by Chinese photographer Quentin Shih, who did this as a personal project to celebrate the reopening of Dior's Shanghai boutique.

While the images are not part of an official campaign, critics are still calling the photographs racist because it suggests the idea that "all Chinese people look the same".

Shih says that wasn't what he was going for at all. He explains:

"I wanted to show the power of Chinese people standing together and a kind of socialism in Chinese history (only in Chinese history not China now). The Chinese models are not people. They are symbols of Chinese history between the 1960s and 1980s."

So why didn't Quentin use an Asian model rather than the models shown in the photos? Because he didn't have that option.

The photographer adds:

"Dior provided me an opportunity to photograph the models they used for their haute couture show in Paris. I selected eight models according to how their wardrobes matched my uniform color palettes."

Shih also mentioned that Dior had no creative input with his project and he had 100% freedom when it came to the photos.

Hmm, inneresting.

What do U think? Are the photos, which were taken by a Chinese photographer, racist or not???

[Images courtesy of Quentin Shih.]

Tags: all chinese look the same, chinese, dior, quentin shih, racism, racist