Professor Seo Kyung-deok Sends Protest Email to Fendi
"Korean, Chinese, and Japanese Knots Are Different"
"Korean Knots Feature Proportional Beauty and Rhythmic Aesthetics"
Italian luxury brand Fendi faced backlash from Chinese netizens and removed a bag collaborated with a Korean traditional knot artisan from its official website, while Professor Seokyung Deok of Sungshin Women's University revealed that he sent a protest email to Fendi.
A bag created through collaboration between Fendi and a Korean knot artisan. Photo by Sing Tao Daily, Hong Kong.
On the 4th, Professor Seo stated on Facebook, "I strongly criticized Fendi for succumbing to the unreasonable demands of Chinese netizens by deleting the collaboration bag and conveyed my hope that the post would be reinstated as soon as possible."
He explained, "Korean, Chinese, and Japanese knots are distinctly different," adding, "Chinese knots are diverse and colorful, whereas Korean traditional knots are characterized by using monochromatic cords to form shapes and attaching tassels below to pursue proportional beauty and rhythmic aesthetics."
Fendi unveiled a handbag enhanced by the hands of Kim Eun-young, holder of Seoul City Intangible Cultural Property No. 13 in knotting, at the end of last year. It was part of a project to reinterpret the so-called 'Baguette Bag,' designed in 1997, as an artwork by incorporating craft techniques from various countries.
However, Chinese netizens criticized Fendi for allegedly appropriating their cultural elements, referring to Fendi's promotional materials implying a connection to Korean craftsmanship. The hashtag '#FendiChineseKnot#' even ranked first among popular search terms on Weibo (China's version of X) for a time.
The Chinese state-run English newspaper Global Times supported the claims of Chinese netizens, stating, "Chinese knots originated as folk art during the Tang and Song dynasties and became popular decorative handicrafts during the Ming and Qing dynasties."
As the controversy grew, Fendi deleted related promotional content from Instagram and removed the product from its official website.
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