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$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&amp;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&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VirtualWorld</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/REALITY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#REALITY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Blockchain?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Blockchain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CryptocurrencyNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CryptocurrencyNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Metaverse?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Metaverse</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFTCommunity?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFTCommunity</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFTcollectibles?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFTcollectibles</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFTartist?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NFTartist</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nftcollector?src=hash&amp;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&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#adidasxGucci</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/umbrella?src=hash&amp;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> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c22d24e5-7fff-a321-d536-95f479441dae"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Gucci</em></p>

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The House of Gucci has a cast of Hollywood stars

<p><em>The House of Gucci </em>is one of those movies many of us will want to see. It has a cast list that reads like a who’s who of Hollywood with all of our favourites including Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons and Jack Huston. Read more:</p> <p>But that’s not all. The movie also has Lady Gaga and Adam Driver in the lead roles, along with Jared Leto and Salma Hayek. Plus, it’s directed by esteemed director, Ridley Scott, so we know it's going to be good.</p> <p><em>The House of Gucci</em> won’t be streaming or showing in cinemas until the 25<sup>th</sup> November but we do have the first trailer to show you and it looks amazing. The movie is inspired by the shocking true story about the Gucci family empire behind the infamous Italian fashion house.</p> <p>Based on the book titled <em>The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed </em>by Sara Gay Forden, <em>The House of Gucci </em>tells us what happened behind the scenes and if the trailer is anything to go by, it’s going to be sensational.</p> <p>The story spans three decades of love, betrayal, decadence, revenge - and ultimately murder. We get to see what the name means, what it’s worth, and how far a family will go for control of it.</p> <p>The song called <em>Heart of Glass</em> from Blondie provides the soundtrack for the trailer. We see the Gucci fashion shows, the couple's wedding and wild nights at the disco which are all part of the drama leading up to the murder.</p> <p>Lady Gaga plays socialite, Patrizia Reggiani, Maurizio's ex-wife who was tried and convicted of orchestrating his murder after he left her for a younger woman.</p> <p>She served 18 years in prison, where she gained the nickname Black Widow, before being released in 2016.</p> <p>"I don't consider myself to be a particularly ethical person," says Gaga as Patrizia, "but I am fair."</p>

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