$2,300 “useless” umbrella sparks outrage
<p dir="ltr">An umbrella created by two of the biggest names in fashion has gone viral online - but not for the reason you might expect.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Chinese customers were surprised to discover that an upcoming collaboration between Adidas and Gucci includes an umbrella that isn’t designed to be waterproof despite costing 11,100 yuan ($AU 2314 or $NZ 2539).</p>
<p dir="ltr">According to the <a href="https://www.gucci.com/uk/en_gb/pr/women/adidas-x-gucci/adidas-x-gucci-sun-umbrella-p-701872F12ZT4770" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gucci website</a>, the parasol does come with a disclaimer that reads: “This item is not waterproof and is meant for sun protection or decorative use”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As a result, the item has gone viral on Chinese social media platform Weibo, with a hashtag that translates to “the collaboration umbrella being sold for 11,100 yuan is not waterproof” being viewed 140 million times according to <em><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-18/gucci-adidas-s-leaky-1-644-parasol-faces-backlash-in-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bloomberg</a></em>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The <em><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61503469" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a> </em>has also reported that people have responded with outrage, with one person calling it “a very big but useless fashion statement”.</p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8d805d5a-7fff-6996-e314-048b09d11a72"></span></p>
<p dir="ltr">“As long as I’m poor, they won’t be able to trick me into paying for this,” another person said.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">⚠️warning！🤣⛽️<br />☔️Umbrellas are not waterproof！<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/adidasxGucci?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#adidasxGucci</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/adidasoriginals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@adidasoriginals</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/gucci?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gucci</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VirtualWorld?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VirtualWorld</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/REALITY?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#REALITY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Blockchain?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Blockchain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CryptocurrencyNews?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CryptocurrencyNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Metaverse?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Metaverse</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFTCommunity?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFTCommunity</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFTcollectibles?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFTcollectibles</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFTartist?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFTartist</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nftcollector?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nftcollector</a> <a href="https://t.co/xmudzHHxrW">pic.twitter.com/xmudzHHxrW</a></p>
<p>— cubist👽🐼🧛♂️🧟♂️🧚♀️🤖 (@cubist_pg) <a href="https://twitter.com/cubist_pg/status/1525057625976877056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">Others noted that the product may still be appealing to those who would use it as a fashion statement or to “show what they are worth”.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Those who are willing to pay to use luxury goods to show what they are worth,” one user wrote. “They don’t care about practicality.”</p>
<p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4d0e0d0a-7fff-89d3-ce22-5e061ea46fa0"></span></p>
<p dir="ltr">A Gucci spokesperson told Beijing-based magazine <em>Caijing </em>that the umbrella was “not recommended for use as an everyday umbrella”, adding that it had “good collector’s value and is suitable for use as a daily accessory”.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I do relate to that umbrella. I am pricey and useless. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/adidasxGucci?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#adidasxGucci</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/umbrella?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#umbrella</a></p>
<p>— Nishit Rangwala (@nishit_rangwala) <a href="https://twitter.com/nishit_rangwala/status/1527262762501480448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">The item has been promoted online ahead of its release on June 7, as part of the two brands’ new shared collection.</p>
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<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Gucci</em></p>
