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New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS): A Chinese fashion photographer has apologised for her "ignorance" after a picture she shot for French luxury brand Dior sparked outrage, the BBC reported.
Chen Man's photo showed a woman who some Chinese netizens said perpetuated Western stereotypes of Asian faces.
"I blame myself for my immaturity and ignorance [in my past works]," Chen, 41, wrote on social platform Weibo, the report said.
Dior said the photo, which was recently displayed at a Shanghai exhibition, has since been removed.
"Dior, as always, respects the sentiments of the Chinese people... If any errors happen, [Dior] must be open to receiving feedback and correct them in time," the fashion house wrote on its Weibo account on Wednesday evening, adding that the work was an artwork and not a commercial advertisement.
The photo first went on display on November 12, immediately sparking a backlash from some netizens and then local media outlets, the report said.
In contrast, an editorial by the Beijing Daily described the model in the Dior photo as having a "gloomy face" and "sinister eyes".
"For years, Asian women have always appeared with small eyes and freckles from the Western perspective. The photographer is playing up to the brands, or the aesthetic tastes of the western world," said the editorial.
Chinese social media users echoed this and said Chen's photos were an "insulting" portrayal of what those in the West believed Chinese women looked like, the report said.
"This is how Western people think we look," said one user on Weibo, adding that Chen had played up to this. Many added that they would boycott the luxury brand.