Just days before the highly anticipated VOGUE Fashion Power Gala 2025, controversy has galloped onto Chinese social media and it’s not about outfits or celebrity drama, but… the venue’s backstage area.
Set to take place on October 23 in Shanghai, the annual VOGUE Gala is one of the most prestigious events in the Chinese fashion scene. It draws a dazzling array of A-list celebrities from timeless icons like Yang Mi, Liu Yifei, and Dilraba Dilmurat, to rising stars such as Zhang Linghe, Zhao Lusi, and Tian Xiwei.
But this year, before the first step hits the red carpet, what fans are calling the “horse stable scandal” has stolen the spotlight.
It began on October 11, when the official VOGUEGarden account announced that the number of invited guests would increase from 45 to 52. The identities remained a mystery until a Weibo user on October 21 shared photos of what appeared to be the makeup preparation area for the stars.
The images showed dressing rooms set in renovated horse stables, still featuring original doors and walls. Within hours, “Makeup in a Horse Stable” began trending across Weibo with hundreds of thousands of shares and heated comments.
“Isn’t it going to smell?!” one user asked. Another quipped, “From red carpet to horse carpet Vogue really went bold this year.” Humorous takes aside, many fans expressed genuine concern about hygiene, comfort, and the optics of putting China’s most glamorous stars in a repurposed stable.
In response to the backlash, VOGUEGarden’s official Weibo quickly issued a clarification:
“The makeup area shown in viral images is a newly renovated space that was never previously used. It has been thoroughly cleaned and deodorized. The atmosphere is elegant and the scent is pleasant — nothing to worry about.”
They also emphasized that the choice of location was aesthetic and symbolic, aimed at preserving the architectural charm of the original site while giving it a stylish makeover. VOGUE framed the space as a “classic European-style dressing room with character.”
Despite the explanation, netizens remain skeptical. Comments flooded social platforms with mixed opinions:
“Even if it’s cleaned, just the thought of it kills the luxury vibe.”
“I wouldn’t eat anything in a place like that, no matter how sanitized it looks.”
“Let’s hope the only smell on the red carpet is Chanel No.5, not horse!”
With the Gala just around the corner, fans are still excited to witness the grand appearance of Cbiz’s fashion queens though many are hoping next year’s VOGUE Gala skips the stable aesthetics.
For now, the fashion world watches closely, waiting to see whether the biggest scent at VOGUE’s biggest night will be high-end perfume… or the lingering whiff of controversy.
Sources: K14
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