French fashion boss apologises over China gaffe
Company founder Thierry Gillier told fashion industry journal Women’s Wear Daily late last month: « We are going to select guests. It won’t be open to Chinese tourists, for example. »
The article has since been amended to remove the reference to Chinese tourists and instead refers to « busloads of tourists ».
But that did not stop outraged Internet users posting angry messages on social media and websites in China.
« This is obviously racial discrimination. Not every Chinese is uncultivated, there are many more who are cultured, » said one user on popular portal Sina.com.
« I think this pretentious brand will lose an important market if it really turns down Chinese. »
In a statement released on Thursday, Gillier said the remarks had been taken out of context and apologised for any offence caused.
« These reported words do not reflect either my line of thought or my ethics, » he said.
« My remarks were doubtless clumsy and, taken out of their context, I understand they might have hurt my friends from China, France or elsewhere, and I am deeply sorry for that. »
The hotel would be an « intimate address », the statement said, adding that Gillier « admits he expressed himself in an inappropriate way to explain that his hotel was not suited to mass tourism ».
