Spanish high street fashion brand Zara came under heavy backlash over the weekend for a series of Instagram posts users saw as allegedly depicting the situation in Gaza, with some visuals showing bodies wrapped in white shrouds drawing severer criticism.
The images, part of Zara’s Atelier series called ‘The Jacket’, featured model Kristen McMenamy carrying a mannequin covered in white cloth, while other mannequins appear decapitated and with limbs missing.
The brand, which has over 60 million followers on the platform, described the campaign as its “commitment to craftsmanship and passion for artistic expression”.
All images on the set have been shot within rubble.
Social media users are comparing the depiction with images of the bodies of those killed in the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza.
McMenamy herself has been shown with minimal make-up as well as a pale expression, implying a life-less existence – a stark contrast to other posts on Zara’s Instagram page.
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Netizens were quick to point out that the images of destruction, rubble and figures wrapped in shrouds were disrespectful to the plight of Palestinians and also trivialising their suffering.
They called the brand “tone deaf” and “deliberate in celebrating a genocide”. Users also called for a “boycott” and that “Zara should be ashamed of itself”.
One image that especially stood out for its alleged insensitivity was removed from Zara’s Instagram page, while others still remain as of Monday evening.
The company has not yet commented on the allegations or the backlash.
Zara’s head womenswear designer, Vanessa Perilman, also came under fire for an inflammatory Instagram message she sent to a male Palestinian model back in 2021, which has since then become viral.
Zara was founded in Spain in 1975 and operates over 2,000 stores worldwide.
Situation in Gaza
On Monday, Israeli tanks were trying to push further west in and around Khan Younis, as they met resistance in its aggression that has now entered its third month and with no end in sight.
According to Gaza health authorities, around 18,000 people have already been killed by Israeli attacks, with 49,500 injured.
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