Luxury fashion brand Christian Dior is facing backlash and calls for a boycott after reports surfaced that it had replaced Palestinian model Bella Hadid with Israeli model May Tager in its latest ad campaign. The switch was first reported in Turkish publication Türkiye’s Yeni Safak and an Israeli blog called Fashion Forward, but neither Hadid nor Dior have commented on the matter. Social media users quickly took to platforms, calling for a boycott of the brand using the hashtag #BoycottDior.
In the supposed new holiday campaign ad, Tager can be seen as the star according to posts on her Instagram last week. This alleged replacement comes after Hadid, who is of Palestinian descent, became the first Dior brand ambassador of Palestinian origin in 2016. She has used her platform to advocate for Palestinian rights, however, she remained silent for several weeks following the October 7 attack by Hamas and the subsequent bombardment of Gaza by Israel. Hadid only broke her silence on October 26, revealing that she had received death threats every day after her phone number was leaked online.
Hadid expressed her determination not to be intimidated and highlighted the suffering of both Israeli families who lost loved ones and the residents of Gaza during the recent crisis. She emphasized the importance of understanding the hardship faced by Palestinians and their ongoing struggle for justice. Hadid also shared her family’s personal experiences during the Nakba, the forced expulsion of Palestinians from their land in 1948.
Interestingly, this is not the first time there have been calls to drop Hadid as a Dior ambassador due to her pro-Palestinian stance. However, in the past, the brand stood by her and did not give in to the pressure. It remains to be seen how Dior will respond to the current controversy.
The news of Dior allegedly replacing Bella Hadid with May Tager in its ad campaign has generated significant attention on social media, leading to calls for a boycott of the luxury fashion brand. The situation raises questions about the veracity of the reports, but regardless of the outcome, it highlights the ongoing tension and sensitivities surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
