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Alexander Wang's controversial new ad: Fashion fans stunned by campaign that appears to feature A-list stars like Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift - but all is not what it seems
People love a dupe but Alexander Wang's latest campaign may have taken it too far.
A video posted by the brand shows a handful of what appears to be A-list celebrities admiring the the brand's famous Ricco bag - but viewers immediately spotted something was awry.
The campaign uses lookalike actors rather than the actual celebrities.
In the clip, the faux celebs unboxed the popular bag, pointing out its features.
The campaign included four social media stars known for their uncanny similarities to Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Kylie Jenner.
Rather than using the real celebrities, the brand instead cast stars known for their uncanny similarities to the A-listers including Paige Nieman who looks like Ariana Grande (pictured)
While imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, fans of the designer were perplexed by what they saw by the clip, which has had more than 2.3 million views on Instagram since it was posted on May 20.
'100% certified authentic,' the tongue-in-cheek caption read, noting the bag which comes in two sizes, priced at $850 and $1,050, would be restocked on May 22.
'Oh that's not - ' a user wrote on X, alongside the clip.
'Alexander Wang using celebrity lookalikes for their latest campaign is so… cheap,' another perplexed user wrote.
'Alexander Wang could have real A-list celebrities in his campaign if it weren't for the allegations…' another wrote, referencing the 2020 sexual assault allegations made against the designer.
Representatives for the brand told Business insider they 'wanted to play with the idea of deep fakes.'
They said it was birthed from the idea of 'exploring the multiple realities within the digital landscape.'
'Imitation is the best form of flattery, after all,' they added.
The tongue-in-caption read: '100% certified authentic.' Pictured is a Beyoncé lookalike who goes by SurB on Instagram
Social media star Ashley Leechin bears a resemblance to singing superstar Taylor Swift
Taylor Madison, as Kylie Jenner, shows off the Ricco bag in the campaign, which features doppelgangers of A-listers
The Ricco bag (pictured) is often copied, with the designer assuring followers this bag is '100 percent certified authentic.' The bag comes in two sizes, priced at $850 and $1,050
The 40-year-old designer was accused of sexual assault by 11 people in 2020, although he has maintained that he never touched anyone inappropriately
The representative reported the response to the campaign has been 'wild.'
'Our community is always very committed to what we do, and to see this video go viral is very special,' they said.
'We love to create content which resonates globally, and to have fun with celebrity culture.'
The celebrities lookalikes featured in the video includes Paige Nieman, who has 10.3 million followers on TikTok and whose doppelganger is Adriana Grande, and Ashley Leechin, who found fame on TikTok, gaining 1.9 million followers for her resemblance to Taylor Swift.
Also featured was Kylie Jenner lookalike Taylor Madison, who has 855,000 TikTok followers and Instagram user SurB, who has 69,000 followers and strikes an uncanny resemblance to Beyoncé.
The 40-year-old designer was accused of sexual assault by 11 people in 2020, although he has maintained that he never touched anyone inappropriately.
The slew of allegations began with model and graphic designer Owen Mooney who took to TikTok to share his encounter with Wang in 2017, describing how he 'froze' when Wang allegedly groped his crotch during a concert in New York City.
In February 2021, fashion design student Keaton Bullen alleged that he was sexually assaulted by Wang at the Fishbowl club in Midtown Manhattan on August 24, 2019.
Some of the accusers, which included transgender men and women and cisgender men, told stories resembling Mooney's. Others claimed that Wang drugged their drinks with MDMA without their knowledge.
In March 2021, Wang released a statement after meeting with his accusers and apologized to them, saying: 'A number of individuals have come forward recently to raise claims against me regarding my past personal behavior.
'I support their right to come forward, and I've listened carefully to what they had to say. It was not easy for them to share their stories, and I regret acting in a way that caused them pain.
'While we disagree on some of the details of these personal interactions, I will set a better example and use my visibility and influence to encourage others to recognize harmful behaviors.
'Life is about learning and growth, and now that I know better, I will do better.'