The luxury brand Fendi collaborated with a Korean knot artisan to create a handbag product, which, according to reports from the state-run English newspaper Global Times and other media in the Chinese-speaking world, has been met with backlash from Chinese netizens claiming it is "cultural appropriation."
According to the reports, Fendi unveiled a handbag enhanced by the craftsmanship of Kim Eun-young, the 13th intangible cultural asset of Seoul, at the end of last year.
This product is part of a project that reinterprets the bag designed in 1997, commonly known as the "baguette bag," by incorporating various countries' crafting techniques to create art pieces.
However, Chinese netizens expressed their displeasure over Fendi's promotional materials, which suggest a connection to Korean craftsmanship, claiming it appropriates Chinese cultural elements.
One Chinese netizen posted on social media, stating, "This is a Chinese knot technique, and to say it originates from Korean craftsmanship is inappropriate," adding that "Fendi should respect Chinese culture."
There were also reactions such as "They're stealing again" and "We could sue for copyright infringement."
The hashtag "#FendiChineseKnot#" had also risen to the top of the trending search terms on Weibo (the Chinese version of X) the day before.
Global Times noted that "Chinese knots began as folk art during the Tang and Song dynasties and became popular decorative handicrafts during the Ming and Qing dynasties."
Fendi's institutional sector for customer service in China revealed to Global Times that they have received numerous calls regarding this issue.
Fendi reportedly deleted related promotional content from Instagram, and the product has disappeared from its official website, according to Chinese media.