FACT CHECK: X Video Shows Fashion Waste Campaign Not Boycott
A video shared on X, formerly Twitter, purports to show clothes thrown in front of a Zara store in protest over a recent advertisement the fashion brand made believed to be about the current Israel-Hamas conflict.
🇵🇸#boycottZaraProduct🇵🇸
After Zara made an insulting advertisement about the Gaza War, the American people threw all Zara clothes in front of the company.#FreePalestine #Hamas #GazaWar #Yemen Afghan #PakistanArmy #PSL9Draft #PAKvAUS #fcklive #QaziFaezIsa #Gazze Russians pic.twitter.com/vUujUqjCWh— Palestine News (@palestineNews34) December 13, 2023
Verdict: False
The video does not show a boycott of Zara but rather a campaign from the Vestiaire Collective highlighting fashion waste. A spokesperson for the Vestiaire Collective confirmed the video showed a fashion waste campaign in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Zara has apologized for its recent campaign that customers perceived to be about the current Israel-Hamas conflict, according to The Hill. In a statement released by the fashion brand, they said they “regretted [the] misunderstanding” and “reaffirm[ed] [their] deep respect toward everyone,” the outlet reported.
The X video, viewed over 3,000 times, purports to show clothes thrown in front of a Zara store in protest over a recent advertisement the fashion brand made that is believed to be about the current Israel-Hamas conflict. “After Zara made an insulting advertisement about the Gaza War, the American people threw all Zara clothes in front of the company,” the video’s caption reads.
The claim is false, however. Digital billboards featured in the video feature the following phrase, “What if fast fashion waste was on your doorstep? Vestiaire Collective.” Using this phrase, Check Your Fact found the same video posted on the Vestiaire Collective’s verified Instagram account on Nov. 16. According to the video’s caption, the collective has launched a “fast fashion ban” campaign urging consumers to “be more thoughtful about their purchases.”
“With 92 million tons of textiles sent to landfill every year, now’s the time to act. That’s why, from today, we’re banning another 30 fast fashion brands from Vestiaire Collective, including Zara, H&M, Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch, Mango, Urban Outfitters, and Uniqlo,” the video’s caption reads in part.
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Likewise, Check Your Fact did not find the video referenced in any credible news reports about a boycott of the fashion brand. Zara also has not publicly commented on the claim. (RELATED: No, Video Does Not Show Israeli Sniper Captured By Hamas)
Although the claim made via the X video is false, Zara sparked controversy over a recent ad campaign. According to Reuters, complaints were made about the campaign, which customers perceived to be about the current Israel-Hamas conflict and featured mannequins that appeared to be wrapped in white shrouds and missing limbs. Following pro-Palestinian protests outside the Zara store in Tunisia as well as calls for a boycott, the brand withdrew the ad, the outlet indicated.
A spokesperson for the Vestiaire Collective confirmed the video showed a fashion waste campaign in an email to Check Your Fact.
“This video was created and launched on November 16th, nearly a month before the Zara Campaign as part of our ‘Fast Fashion Ban’ campaign. Vestiaire Collective is a fashion second-hand platform which encourages consumers to be more thoughtful about their purchases and refrain from buying brands like Zara, Uniqlo, Mango and to ‘Think First, Buy Second,’ which is the tagline of our initiative,” the spokesperson said.
“The Fast Fashion Ban, now in its second year, is part of our mission to transform the fashion industry for a more sustainable future. The clip has been created by a French agency leveraging AI,” the spokesperson added.
