Canadian exercise apparel brand Lululemon issued statements on Tuesday apologizing for, and distancing itself from, a T-shirt design promoted by one of its art directors that triggered outrage and accusations of racism online.
The hashtag “Lululemon insults China” was viewed 204 million times on China’s Weibo — a social media platform used by millions in the country — by Tuesday afternoon, with some commenters demanding a boycott of the brand.
The furor started on Sunday with an Instagram link posted by a Lululemon official, Trevor Fleming, that promoted the sale of a T-shirt on the website of California artist Jess Sluder, under the name “bat fried rice.” The long-sleeved T-shirt, bearing an image of a pair of chopsticks with bat wings on