Dolce & Gabbana Strike Out

Chinese model in D&G dress struggles to eat pizza and pasta with chopsticks

The Italian fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana was supposed to hold its star-studded fashion show tonight in Shanghai, but it was cancelled following racist remarks by one of its co-founders, Stefano Gabbana.

He apparently had an online conversation with an Instagram user named "diet prada", where Gabbana described China as "a country of s***."

Stefano Gabbana's thoughts on China...

The texted conversation on Gabbana's Instagram account was in response to complaints about the fashion label's latest campaign "DG Loves China", where a Chinese model in a red D&G dress is seen struggling with chopsticks, trying to eat Italian foods like pizza, spaghetti and a cannoli, or cylindrical pastry filled with cream.

In the cannoli video, a male voice can be heard asking the model, "Is it too big for you?"

Others complain about how cliched the ad looked, with Chinese lanterns and couplets that were deemed "outdated and stereotypical".

As for Gabbana's outburst on social media, he claimed his account was hacked, and his legal office is working on the security breach.

Meanwhile reaction was swift in China -- when word got round about the spat, a number of celebrities who were invited to the show, including movie star Chen Kun and actress Dilireba, who was named D&G's brand ambassador in February said she would not attend, while fellow actress Zhang Ziyi said the brand was "inviting humiliation".

Indeed.

Domenico Dolce (left) and Stefano Gabbana (right)

Even a number of models who were booked for the show refused to turn up before the event was cancelled. Modeling agency Dongfang Binli said all of its 24 models had pulled out of the show and put a "Not Me" tag on their online profile photos in protest.

Supermodel Jin Dachuan said he would not take part in any show or any event staged by the brand in the future.

The brand has incensed Hongkongers in the past. In January 2012, at a Dolce & Gabbana's store in Harbour City on Canton Road, a security guard reportedly told locals that only mainlanders and foreigners were allowed to take pictures in the store. He apparently threatened to smash a local resident's camera if they continued to take photographs.

Remember these protests at Harbour City in 2012?

A series of protests at the store ensured until Dolce & Gabbana eventually apologized days later, though it wasn't enough to assuage people's anger.

The Italian design duo seems to love to court controversy, and some believe the latest ad campaign and subsequent online spat were deliberately done to stir up reaction -- but at the risk of being shunned?

It's a huge gamble, and perhaps this time the Chinese will protest the brand with their wallets and shop elsewhere.

Surely this is not a risk worth taking?

Having just visited Italy, it's obvious the government is taking tourism very seriously by having security personnel at major landmarks, while fashion brands are very keen on serving Chinese customers.

But it seems that Dolce & Gabbana really don't care about the consequences of fanning the flames of Chinese nationalist anger. 

Maybe the massive drop in sales will persuade them to keep their mouths shut?

Zhang Ziyi Says Yes

Fiancee Wang Feng gets down on one knee as he proposes to Zhang Ziyi

The big entertainment news today is that actress Zhang Ziyi is finally getting hitched.

Her rocker boyfriend Wang Feng threw a birthday party for her on the weekend to celebrate turning 36 today.

To top off the festivities, a white drone carrying a basket flew into the room to Wang, 43, where he picked up a small box from it, got down on one knee and proposed to Zhang with a whopping 9.15-carat diamond ring apparently from London's Moussaieff Jewellery and a ruby-diamond bracelet.

What girl who was keen to get married wouldn't say no to that?

Zhang is in complete shock as Wang gets a ring from the drone

The handout picture to the media shows Wang taking the box from the drone and Zhang looking completely surprised, covering her face with her hands and wearing a one-shoulder red dress. It's wonderful to see her unscripted.

The actress and star of such hits as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Memoirs of a Geisha and The Grandmaster has had a string of relationships, and from 2008-2010 was engaged to Israeli American billionaire Vivi Nevo where she tried to learn English.

She later dated Chinese TV host Sa Beining in 2011 before moving on to Wang, who was twice married before, divorcing his second wife in 2013. He has two daughters, one from each wife.

Maybe three times lucky for Wang?

On Zhang's Weibo account, she posted a picture of fireworks with "Yes, I will [marry you]".

Wang reposted the picture and added: "Thanks for completing my life. All the hardship is past. From now we are together till we're old.

"We have experienced happy times and bitter times. I hope Ziyi will always have happy times. If we grow old, I will still be able to look after you," he tearfully proposed.

So maybe money isn't what Zhang wants -- according to gossips, she makes 20 times more than Wang.

We wish all the best for the couple -- Zhang has looked a long time for love and hopefully this is it.