Spanish Fashion Company Zara Withdraws Controversial Advertisements Following Public Backlash

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Spanish fashion giant Zara has recently withdrawn a series of advertising images that some have interpreted as an allusion to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Presented as part of a jacket collection, the campaign featured what Zara described as “incomplete sculptures in an artist’s workshop.” However, critics on social media argued that one particular image, showing a model cradling a wrapped mannequin, bore a disturbing resemblance to someone carrying a deceased body. Additional photographs in the series depicted a mannequin with absent limbs and another figure enshrouded in cloth or plastic, lying on the ground, as reported by various media outlets.

In response to the backlash, Zara issued an apology through an Instagram post on Tuesday. The company clarified that the campaign was initially conceived in July and shot in September. It was noted that Hamas launched attacks against Israeli civilians on October 7, which led to Israel’s military response in Gaza.

Zara emphasized that the campaign’s objective was purely to exhibit handcrafted clothing within an artistic setting. The company recognized the negative reactions to the imagery, stating that the offended parties perceived meanings in the campaign that were entirely unintended at the time of its creation.

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