Why Rick Owens was turned away at the Forbidden City in China

In the midst of the digital age, news doesn’t always travel at lightning speed. For instance, it was only revealed yesterday that on October 15, Rick Owens and Michèle Lamy along with the co-founders of Fecal Matter, Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran, found themselves at the center of a cultural controversy in China. The designer, who was in Beijing for a Moncler event, was denied entry to the Forbidden City, the historic imperial palace in Beijing, due to the outfits worn by him, his wife, and the two co-founders of Fecal Matter, who were also wearing makeup. According to a statement by Fecal Matter on Instagram, security personnel asked them to «remove their makeup and change into normal clothes» before they could enter the historical site. After refusing to remove their makeup and change, the group left, and shortly after, the Fecal Matter duo aired their grievances on social media. «What we take away from this experience is more determination to keep doing what we do, fighting for more acceptance and tolerance for diversity around the world», Fecal Matter declared, adding that their mission is to challenge social norms and promote freedom of expression. 

The incident quickly gained visibility on Chinese social media, sparking heated debates on cultural sensitivity, personal expression, and respect for local traditions. Chinese media, including the newspaper The Beijing Daily, supported the security staff’s decision, writing: «It’s not that these people’s freedom to dress isn’t respected, but rather that they don’t respect Chinese history and culture». Social media users on Chinese platforms Weibo and Xiaohongshu also weighed in on the issue. As reported by Jing Daily, a Xiaohongshu user, @sonsoflibertygram, wrote: «When you visit a country, you are expected to follow local customs, especially when visiting places of historical, cultural, or religious significance. If you can’t respect that, just stay in your country». According to the publication, the incident has resonated and set a negative precedent for Owens’ reputation in China, where the designer is nonetheless highly regarded: as Jing Daily explains, the hashtag #RickOwens has garnered over 130 million views on Xiaohongshu and 75 million on Weibo. 

This controversy emerges a year after the Chinese government proposed a law regulating «offensive attire», vaguely defined as clothing that «harms the spirit of the Chinese nation or hurts the feelings of the Chinese nation». The proposal was met with dissatisfaction by many citizens and was scaled back in June to clothing that «glorifies aggression», another vague definition. The proposed amendment, known as Article 34, stipulates that anyone wearing such attire could be fined up to 5,000 RMB ($681) or detained for up to 15 days, though it’s unclear which types of clothing would be considered offensive, generating concern among Chinese citizens and legal experts, as without a clear and precise policy, the judgment would be left to the discretion of individual law enforcement officers. In recent years, as Jing Daily recounts, several incidents have fueled the debate: in 2022, a Chinese anime fan was arrested for wearing a kimono, and sportswear brand Li-Ning was criticized for showcasing runway outfits reminiscent of Japanese military uniforms from World War II; earlier this March, even a mineral water brand came under scrutiny for packaging designs too reminiscent of Japan. In general, the issue is quite sensitive and divisive – and if Article 34 does indeed become law, Western fashion brands will need to be very cautious. 

From a business perspective, if the law passes, fashion brands in China will need to carefully curate their offerings in case a certain article or product is deemed to have a «negative social impact», as stated in the article. While the law has not yet been implemented, incidents like Rick Owens’ suggest the growing tension between personal expression and cultural values in the country – gaining entry to the Forbidden City today could turn into being shut out of the market tomorrow. But perhaps it’s precisely this delicate balance that foreign designers and influencers must maintain with Chinese consumers, which has led the latter (beyond economic issues) to favor nationalist brands in recent years and, in fact, to organize their own Shanghai Fashion Week asserting the nation's autonomy in the fashion field as well.