A man walks past a store selling paper replicas of items used as offerings for deceased relatives and displaying paper luxury bags in Hong Kong. (Photo: AFP)
A man walks past a store selling paper replicas of items used as offerings for deceased relatives and displaying paper luxury bags in Hong Kong. (Photo: AFP)
Gucci and its parent company apologised on Friday after drawing heavy criticism for warning some Hong Kong shops not to sell paper offerings for the deceased that resembled the fashion brand’s luxury products.
The brand and its Paris-based owner, Kering, also said in a statement that they regretted any misunderstanding caused by the letters, which were sent to six shops in April.
After meeting with the shop owners, “Kering and Gucci would like to reiterate their utmost respect with regards to the funeral context,” the statement said.
The company had “utmost respect” for the funeral rites, it said. In Hong Kong and some other parts of Asia, people burn paper offerings at funerals and during grave-sweeping festivals for deceased relatives to “use” in the afterlife. Speciality shops near funeral parlours sell a diverse array of paper offerings, including bundles of “hell money,” mansions, iPhones, cars, cigarettes and designer handbags, cans of beer and soda, mahjong tables and dogs and cats. The letters, which were sent as part of the companies’ global intellectual property protection efforts, did not suggest legal action or compensation because they did not believe the shop owners intended to infringe on the Gucci trademark, the statement said. After the original warning letters were sent, some of the Hong Kong shops had removed their Gucci wares, but other brands, including Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Burberry and New Balance were still on sale.
