In August 2018, photos of a Versace T-shirt that described Hong Kong as its own country went viral on Chinese social media, prompting fury from patriotic citizens.
The shirt featured a list of cities and the countries they belong to, as such: "Paris — FRANCE," "New York — USA," and "Beijing — CHINA." But Hong Kong's entry said: "Hong Kong — HONG KONG."
Yang Mi, a Chinese actress and singer, stepped down as a brand ambassador amid the controversy, saying: "Disclaimer: At any time, China's territorial integrity and sovereignty are sacred and inviolable, and even more inseparable!"
Versace later tweeted an impassioned apology from chief creative officer Donatella Versace, published in both English and Chinese.
"I am deeply sorry for the unfortunate recent error that was made by our company," Versace said.
"Never have I wanted to disrespect China's national sovereignty and this is why I wanted to personally apologize for such inaccuracy and for any distress that it might have caused."
A leading Chinese brand ambassador has quit Versace, claiming that one of the brand's T-shirts broke Beijing's "one China" policy. https://t.co/2IfBrMs474 pic.twitter.com/9U8s9Xgleq
— CNN Style (@CNNStyle) August 12, 2019