Leaky £1,320 Gucci and Adidas ‘sun umbrellas’ that do not keep out the rain cause outcry in China
‘As long as I’m poor, they won’t be able to trick me into paying for this’
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Your support makes all the difference.Luxury label Gucci and sportswear firm Adidas are being mocked on social media in China for selling a parasol for $1,644 (£1,322).
Users on Weibo were flabbergasted that the uber-expensive “sun umbrella” is not suitable for rain. Gucci’s website notes: “This item is not waterproof and is meant for sun protection or decorative use.”
The green and red sun umbrella is a part of the joint Adidas x Gucci collection, and is currently being promoted ahead of its online release next month.
A Gucci spokesperson said the parasol was not recommended for use as an everyday umbrella, according to Beijing-based magazine Caijing.
A hashtag that roughly translates into “the collaboration umbrella being sold for 11,100 yuan is not waterproof” has attracted more than 140 million views on Weibo so far, Bloomberg reported.
One user called the un umbrella “a very big but useless fashion statement”.
Another said: “As long as I’m poor, they won’t be able to trick me into paying for this.”
The parasol has a G-shaped handle which is carved out of birch wood and has eight ribs, Gucci said on its website.
One Weibo user named Laotan Dianshang said such luxury products were not supposed to be for “the common folk”.
“Those who are willing to pay use luxury goods to show what they are worth,” another user said, according to BBC News. “They don’t care about practicality.”
Sales of luxury goods rose by 36 per cent in China last year, according to consultancy firm Bain & Company.
In January this year, Gucci had faced criticism for its campaign celebrating Chinese Year of the Tiger. Social media users called out the company for its insensitivity for using real tigers.
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