Zara's 'Gaza destruction-inspired' campaign stirs outrage, people call for boycott of fashion label

The world is horrified by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza. Amongst the rising tension, fast fashion giant Zara is being scrutinised after it released its latest ad campaign. Netizens are calling the campaign insensitive and provocative and it has triggered a wave of hate on social media. The pictures from the campaign are being directly compared to some widely reported photographs from the Hamas-Israel conflict.

What is the controversial ad campaign?

The ad campaign features model Kristen McMenamy with a mannequin that is draped in white cloth. It is this picture that social media users accuse bears a striking resemblance to several photographs that show the aftermath of the conflict in Israel and Palestine. Other pictures in the campaign have wrapped bodies, Kristen in a wooden boxes and white plastered mannequins.

The main idea behind sharing the campaign was the jacket worn by the model, but it caught the attention of netizens due to its resemblance to disturbing images coming from Gaza. Coffins, wrapped bodies, and ghastly white silhouettes in the photoshoot are being pointed out as deliberate attempts to resemble the aftermath of destruction in Gaza.

Boycott Zara trends on Twitter

Instagram and X users left a barrage of angry comments and tweets, following the ad campaign. Some are calling for a total boycott of the Zara brand, while others are very critical of the photoshoot and calling out the model as well.

Some have dug up Zara's Head designer Vanessa Perilman's 2021 message to Palestinian model Qaher Harhash on Instagram, where she was critical of Palestine. The message read, “Maybe if your people were educated, then they wouldn't blow up hospitals and schools that Israel helped to pay for in Gaza. Israelis don't teach children to hate nor throw stones at soldiers as your people do.”

The controversial campaign has elicited extreme reactions from social media. One user wrote, “Thank you. But no more Zara after this. BOYCOTT!” while another user commented, “How disgusting will you be to support the massacre under the title of 'art’ ? ”. The hashtag “Boycott Zara” has been trending non-stop on X, with people claiming the brand is unapologetically insensitive.