Outrage over this Gucci-Adidas umbrella. PS: It’s not the price
Raindrops keep fallin’ on your head with this Rs 1.28-lakh umbrella by Gucci and Adidas
The umbrella, set to be released on 7 June in China, is part of a new collection by Gucci and Adidas. Image Courtesy: Gucci
What’s so “special” about an umbrella that costs Rs 1.28 lakh? For starters, it does not protect you from the rain.
The umbrellas set to be sold in China for 11,100 yuan by Gucci and Adidas have caused outrage because they are not waterproof.
A “sun umbrella”, if you please
The pricey parasol is called a “sun umbrella” on the Gucci website. It’s a piece from the upcoming Adidas x Gucci collection and comes with a warning: It is “not waterproof and is meant for sun protection or decorative use”.
“A useless fashion statement”
Social media users have mocked the accessory as it does not serve the basic function one might expect of an umbrella – to keep the rain away.
A hashtag on the Chinese social media platform Weibo – “the collaboration umbrella being sold for 11,100 yuan is not waterproof” – attracted more than 140 million views.
One user called the parasol “a very big but useless fashion statement”.
“As long as I’m poor, they won’t be able to trick me into paying for this,” another user said, reports BBC.
In no time, the umbrella went viral with Twitter users having a field day.
“Imagine buying a $1600 umbrella as a status symbol, discovering it doesn’t stop rain, then finding out it was never intended to work in the first place,” one user wrote.
Imagine buying a $1600 umbrella as a status symbol, discovering it doesn’t stop rain, then finding out it was never intended to work in the first place
I’d rather get publicly swindled out of $1600 in a low level ponzi scheme than be seen holding a gucci umbrella
— Nitin Raval (@nitinraval7) May 19, 2022
“One job,” joked BBC broadcaster Victoria Fritz.
Another user mocked the umbrella for being “leaky”.
The item was first classified as an umbrella but was changed to a more ambiguous term in mandarin, reports Bloomberg. It is set to be released on 7 June as part of the Gucci and Adidas’ new collection.
Gucci’s defence
Gucci spokesperson told Beijing-based magazine Caijing that the product was “not recommended for use as an everyday umbrella”, reports BBC.
They added that it had “good collector’s value and is suitable for use as a daily accessory”.
The umbrella is reportedly made in Italy and has drawn inspiration from the fashion of the ’80s and ’90s. On the design, the Gucci website says, “Emblematic House’s motifs mix with those of the historic sportswear brand Adidas resulting in a series of hybrid links.”
The accessory comes with three white stripes and the famous GG monogram.
A waiting list
Interestingly, not everyone thinks the umbrellas are useless.
On Gucci’s UK website, there is a waiting list for the umbrella, which is priced at £870.
China, where the parasols are slated to be sold, is a big market for leading luxury brands. Gucci is the fourth most popular luxury brand in the country after Chanel, Dior and Hermès.
Last year, sales of luxury goods rose by 36 per cent in the country, according to consultancy Bain & Company. China is likely to become the biggest luxury goods market within the next three years, reports BBC.
With inputs from agencies
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
