UPDATE: Hi all, the Nazi swastika symbol is the same as the thousand year old symbol for peace despite those of you trying to defend this horrid bag. As for the readers accusing us of racism against Hindus and Buddhists, we are Chinese and our families are Buddhists! Like I said, this bag was made for sale in Western countries thus making it offensive and revolting. If it were for sale in a Hindu Buddhist Temple, it would be an altogether different story. Last I checked, Zara does not own boutiques in Hindu Buddhist Temples.
I have seen dozens of ugly bags in my time but none as offensive as the Zara bag with Swatsikas all over it. I don't know why the designers for the Spanish based retailer thought this would be appropriate to market to teenage girls, their main bread and butter. It was not that long ago in history that millions suffered and died under this symbol and now Zara is trying to legitimize this ultimate symbol of fascism and racism? Even more shocking is that it made its way to the 1,026 stores in 68 countries across the world! In certain Asian countries this symbol has altogether different meaning. But this bag was not made for sale at a Hindu Buddhist Temple, it was sent to shops across Europe and America, countries where this symbol does not represent peace and prosperity!
Author Linda Grant sent me the photo and article from The Daily Mail with this quote:
"Perhaps not the bag to take to the synagogue for the Day of Atonement. I do realise that the swastika predates the Nazi party as an ancient Hindu and Buddhist symbol of peace and prosperity, but in Europe and America it means fascism and genocide and it’s astonishing that nobody at Zara’s HQ in Madrid picked up on it. I hope this bag didn’t make it to Zara’s Tel Aviv store."
Wow, That is surprising. I had to re-red the title of this purse. Felt I was hooked on phonics for a sec. This is defiently shocking given what you stated already about the meaning to most of Europe and America.
On the other hand and on an extremely overly positive note, it could be a chance to bring back the original meaning to the symbol. Most people in this day and age most likely don't even realize the original meaning. I think it would be in the best interest for the company to put some sort of letter stating where they are coming from with the use of the symbol and maybe enlighten those who may not know.
Can you avoid screaming racism when you talk about swastikas. Yes the symbol was stolen from its rich heritage by the nazi's but isnt it racist to yell and scream about its use without considering that its such an important symbol still to Hindus and Buddhists.
The buddhist symbol goes the opposite way. Swastikas make an "S", buddhist symbols go the other way.
Yes, for the positive meaning it is reversed from the Swastika.
That being said, why take a chance. There are lots of symbols
and designs to choose from rather than take a chance of
being mis-understood.
This bag should be removed from every store! We as Americans have desensitized ourselves to accepting anything! I am a firm believer of knowing our history in order to avoid repeating the same mistakes and this bag is just WRONG..plus the design is hideous..thanks bag snob for sharing:)
Maybe they are trying to bring back the more positive meaning of the symbol, but unfortunately in Europe and North America the average individual thinks of the swatsika as a symbol nazism. I think 'rehabilitating' the symbol so that people understand its positive meaning is appropriate and necessary, but I do not believe that Western Society is at a point where we can emblazon swastikas across a bag and NOT insult people. There are still holocaust survivors living and having talked to some of them myself, I'm pretty sure they'd be insulted and hurt to see a symbol that caused them so much pain embroidered in green on a purse.
Update on this bag, Zara has pulled this bag saying they did not realize the purse had the symbol upon putting the bags on shelves, and they recieved thousands of complaints about the bag.
You can check out this link:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/19/wgermany219.xml
Which has an article about this issue.
Zara have apparently said that the prototype bag, the sample, did not have the swastikas on them, so they did not order this bag. However it remains the case that they were distributed to stores without anyone noticing. As for the reclaiming of the symbol to its original use, I think this must wait another generation or two until its horrific associations are part of history and not living memory.
That's a symbol for the sun, and either way, the negative connotation that was put on it during the 30's and 40's should be far gone.......
I don't think this is the right time to do it (and I don't think a bag is the right medium, either), but wouldn't it be nice if the swastika was one day robbed of its power as a symbol?
hilarious. zara probably outsourced the bag to india, where the symbol continues to carry the same meanings it did since ancient history. the idiots at zara responsible for this bag probably didn't look at the full length or pattern of the fabric. in any case, it's important to note that the swastika, while it carries a beautiful meaning to indians, it does carry a horrific meaning to jews.
the racist thing that i am seeing in this blog is the denial that while there are plenty of holocaust survivors living in europe and north america, there are also plenty of hindus and indians living in the same places.
i oculd be wrong, but i think that this is the buddhist symbol, and the swastika "spins" the other way, if you get what i'm saying...
yoko is correct, this is the buddhist symbol, NOT the swastika symbol. The buddhist sswastika is the one that makes an 's' and the other one is the mirror image of that. This symbol has nothing to do with the Nazi and the holocaust. It's ignorance to confuse the two, and ethnocentric to say you can't use the buddhist symbol for peace and prosperity which has predated Nazis by thousands of years just because the two symbols have some resemblance.
To the person who posted "the negative connotation that was put on it during the 30's and 40's should be far gone" don't you dare say that to those of us whose parents and grandparents lost dozens of relatives - parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins - due to the Nazi genocide. How dare you say it should be "far gone" when we are just one generation removed from it! That has to be the most thoughtless and inconsiderate thing I have ever read on this site and it disgusts me as much as seeing this hideous bag.
So now that we've pretty much spit out all the venom about the swastika on the bag, I want to note a couple of things. Firstly, because I work in marketing and product procurement, I find it extremely hard to believe that as many quality controls as product must go through, Zara "didn't realize" they had made this hideous bag with something that would create such a backlash. They had intent; they went through and completed the project; they created containers full of these bags; they distributed, merchandised, and sold these bags. Now watch ebay for some lovely
And secondly, Linda Grant, you shouldn't be carrying anything on the Day of Atonement, whether it's this atrocity or a Chanel clutch, because that would be against the prohibition to carry on a Holy Day. Sorry, couldn't resist.
Most Western designers have no clue about any symbology when they use images on their products. Forget the Swastika,how many times haven't we seen images of Hindu gods and goddesses, and Chinese and Arabic scripts, just plastered onto bags, shoes, toilet seats even. All because the people sitting in design studios think they are "retro", "kitsch" or just plain "exotic". Everything doesn't have to be seen from the Western perspective only- there are other cultures that have existed long before, you know! Yes, the swastika was hijacked for the most reprehensible use but you can't just dismiss a whole people and say, to hell with your symbols and their meanings.
You guys are wrong. The hindu version was in the opposite direction. Read further down on wikipedia under "geometry and symbolism"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika
Did they have a public announcement in their ignorant mistake? Because this definitely deters me from zara now.
for any of you defending this bag shame on you! maybe it wasnt put there for the same reasons as the nazis but it is there none the less! i am outraged but some of these responses. 6 million jews were killed in the holocaust 2 million of those were children!!! to defend the sign on the bag is to defend hitler (may his name be erased from the face of the earth). my grandparents whole family were killed in the holocaust - more than 20 people! and my grandfather on my dads side faught in the army during world war 2! while the genoside placed on the jews was the most significant in terms of numbers and tortures we must not forget the countless amount of blacks, gypsies, and homosexuals that were also murdered during this time period. whats even worse is that so many jews shop at zara because a lot of there clothes adhere to the laws of modesty. a lot more shld be done on zaras part to make up for the horrible design mistake.
The Buddhist symbol for peace has the angles in the opposite direction so Zara should have done their homework. The world is still filled with White Supremacists/Nazis. Most are disaffected young men and women who need to deal wtih anger and trouble in their lives and get sucked up into the miasma of facist Nazism. It is still a driving force for racism against all groups not white and Aryan. The plan was to rid the world of Jews, Gypsies, Blacks, Gays, the mentally ill-anyone who did not fill the Teutonic ideal. Maybe Zara should make bags with the good old peace sign from the 60's. It is nice they pulled it off their shelves but if they are not more careful, the letters "kkk" could be woven into their next design. "Mistakes" happen.
The swattika is actually a hindu symbol and does not necessarily mean that the display should be associated with the nazi's:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika
Anon above.. please don't be so stupid. When most people see the swastika, they don't think.. oh what a lovely hindu symbol.
Zara is racist. No more. No less.
there's nothing offensive in swastika and if Hitler stolen it why rest of the world have to be misled? those who get offended just lack education.
yOU PEOPLE ARE SMALL MINDED AND CLOSED MINDED, MILLIONS HAVE DIED UNDER THE SIGH OF THE CHRISTIAN CROSS, REMEMBER THE CRUSADES? O BUT WAIT A CROSS IS OK? GROW UP REALIZE THAT OUR CULTURE IS THE ONE THAT HAS FUCKED UP THE WORLD MAYBE ONE DAY THE AMERICAN FLAG A SYMBOL THAT IS 100% OURS WILL BE BANNED ON THIS PLANET DUE TO THE AWFUL THINGS WE HAVE DONE. lOOK BEYOND YOUR OWN NOSE TO SEE THAT WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS MAY NOT BE WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD THINKS....