Retail giant Zara has recently come under fire and is facing calls for a boycott after a designer for the Spanish clothing brand was caught spewing anti-Palestinian rhetoric.
Fashion brand Zara has expressed regret over the misunderstanding over an advertising campaign featuring mannequins with missing limbs and statues wrapped in white that triggered calls for a boycott by pro-Palestinian activists.
“Unfortunately, some customers felt offended by these images, which have now been removed, and saw in them something far from what was intended when they were created,” the company said in a post on its Instagram account.
That account had seen tens of thousands of comments posted about the photos, many with Palestinian flags, while “#BoycottZara” was trending on messaging platform X.Â
Zara said at the launch of the collection on Dec. 7 that it was inspired by men’s tailoring from past centuries.
The photos appeared to show an artist studio with ladders, packing materials, wooden crates and cranes, and assistants wearing overalls.
 Last year, French luxury group Kering set up a group level position to oversee brand safety after advertising images from its label Balenciaga featuring children sparked a backlash that dented sales.
