French fashion label Lemaire (勒梅尔) has been accused of cultural insensitivity in China after what is undeniably a questionable design decision for the market. As part of its Objets Senteur collection, the brand released what looks like a long braid of hair.
Lemaire says this is a tresse, a sort of French fragrance fixture. Chinese consumers said it looked too much like a queue, a humiliating hairstyle enforced during the Qing Dynasty. It didn’t help that the tresse was paired with traditional Chinese clothing and a pair of scissors – the tool used to cut the queue as a sign of emancipation at the dynasty’s collapse.
China’s online hordes didn’t hold back. Users laid into the imagery as inappropriate, with some questioning whether the symbolism was actually intentional. Others said the campaign reflected a broader pattern of international brands drawing on Chinese cultural elements without fully understanding their historical context.
Lemaire has followed standard procedure here. It issued an apology in two languages. Tone was generic: ‘We sincerely apologise for any concern, discomfort, or distress caused by its depiction,’ adding that they had ‘not sufficiently considered differences in perception and sensitivity across cultural contexts.’
And unsurprisingly, this wasn’t enough to cool the jets of Chinese netizens. Many described the apology as lacking sincerity, arguing that framing the issue as a difference in cultural interpretation risked deflecting responsibility. Some users called for boycotts, while others dismissed the statement as a superficial attempt to contain reputational damage.
Founded in Paris in 1991, Lemaire has been expanding its footprint in China, recently opening a flagship store in Shanghai and a boutique in Beijing. Their China expansion began on Tmall back in 2022, and turned brick-and-mortar with a Chengdu launch in November 2024. The cost of Lemaire’s slip-up isn’t yet clear. But it is a reminder that operating in requires a deft hand, and a knowledge of the countries long and complex history.
