Users on social media denounced the design of the skirt bearing the slogan of the Islamic faith as part of the Saudi flag, and described it as disrespectful.
The skirt displays the phrase “There is no god but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God” in Arabic.
Other miniskirts worn by models on the runway bore flags of other countries, but many said the Saudi flag should not be used because of the sacred writing on it.
“The whole situation around that miniskirt is not about defending that awful country…Saudi Arabia, it’s about the Holy Bible that is sacred to billions of people. How hard is that to understand?” One social media user Posted on X, Formerly known as Twitter.
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Many others shared the sentiment online.
“I’m not religious by any means, but this is extremely disrespectful. Knowing that the Saudi flag has the word God written on it and that they are using it as a provocative miniskirt, shows how rude the fashion industry is regarding religions. Of all kinds.” Another said the social media user.
Others also questioned the designer’s intentions, called on her to remove the skirt from her collection, and accused her of ignorance.
The designer initially tried to defend her choice, but the backlash continued.
“There is a reason why Saudi Arabia does not fly its flag throughout the country. It has the certificate on it. Saudi Arabia has a whole set of laws just for the flag. It has to be printed on both sides, folded and cleaned.” And everything was destroyed in a specific way. “Putting it up a skirt is disrespectful,” one social media user wrote. Answer.
The designer later apologized for the skirts seen on the runway in a series of posts published on X on Saturday, and also promised to remove the design from the collection.
“One of my main sources of inspiration for SS24 was the use of national flags of different countries. After the show, I found that one of these flags – Saudi Arabia – contained sacred words, and its use caused great offense. Now that I have learned this topic, “I sincerely apologize.” I wrote.
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She continued, “I will make sure this design is removed from the group. I am deeply sorry for any hurt or offense my oversight may have caused. Thank you for holding me accountable, and I appreciate your understanding as I learn from this experience.”
The designer of the brand is Nigerian-born and London-based Mwalula Ogunlesi.
The designer and singer is known for using a wide range of textures and materials in her designs, which she uses to create unconventional looks inspired by youth culture.
Ogunlesi has amassed more than 300,000 followers on Instagram, where she shares upskirt photos on her Stories.
This is not the first time a brand has been criticized for displaying religious text on its clothing.
Earlier this year, the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival issued an apology after an Eritrean-Australian Instagram model criticized a fashion brand for the “disgraceful display” of religious texts on her clothing at the event.
Mona Khalifa, a Melbourne-based model and influencer who was in attendance at the event, took to social media to condemn fashion brand Not A Man’s Dream over the see-through outfit that had the phrase “God walk with me” printed in Arabic.