Hugo Boss: Chinese celebrities lambaste the luxury fashion brand over Xinjiang

Hugo Boss is the latest fashion luxury brand that has come under fire in China. Chinese celebrities reportedly lambasted the label and called for its boycott due to its stance on the Xinjiang issue.

Hugo Boss slammed by the Chinese

The Chinese are canceling companies that have declared they will not be using the cotton from Xinjiang province due to its supposed connection to the region’s forced labor. There were claims that workers in the said region in China were people who were forced to work. They were identified as the Uyghurs, and human rights activists have compared the human rights violations and abuse in Xinjiang to “genocide.”

Following these reports, many fashion and apparel companies have declared they are not using cotton from Xinjiang. This declaration apparently irked the Chinese, and they have boycotted some companies, including H&M, Nike, and Adidas. It was recently reported that H&M stores are being pulled out by landlords as well.

Now, Burberry was the first luxury brand to be criticized after the casual wear labels, and it seems that Hugo Boss was next. The German company suffered more as more celebrities are bashing the brand for its Xinjiang stance.

How the company earned the ire of the celebrities

As per Bloomberg, Hugo Boss was dragged after the United States accused China of using state-run social media outlets to campaign against companies that refuse to buy Xinjiang’s cotton. China denied forcing the Uyghurs to go to camps in Xinjiang to make them work. This prompted the company to release a statement.

In its statement, Hugo Boss reiterated it does not tolerate forced labor and said that its suppliers around the world also have this same stance. It then said that the company has not sourced any goods from Xinjiang.

“We are committed to protecting human rights and recognize the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Core Conventions of the International Labour Organisation,” the company wrote. “HUGO BOSS does not tolerate forced labor, coercive labor or any type of modern slavery, and insists that its suppliers and partners worldwide follow suit.”

Meanwhile, of the dozens of celebrities that have canceled Hugo Boss, Li Yifeng, Chinese actor and singer, severed its ties with the brand. Wang Linkai and Zhu Zhengting have also dissolved their relationship with the German luxury label.