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Adidas apologizes after describing ‘wayang kulit’ as Malaysian
Adidas Singapore has apologized for its Instagram caption that claimed wayang kulit was from Malaysia.
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Age-old debate: A shoe design by Malaysian artist Jaemy Choong for Adidas, which caused a backlash following the brand's claim that 'wayang kulit' was a part of Malaysian heritage. (Instagram/Courtesy of Adidas Singapore) (Instagram/Courtesy of Adidas Singapore)
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didas Singapore apologized for its Instagram caption that claimed wayang kulit (leather shadow puppetry) was from Malaysia. It has since edited the post’s caption and acknowledged that the original wayang kulit came from Indonesia.
Adidas released the UltraBOOST DNA City Pack collection on Nov. 11 as part of its collaboration with Southeast Asian artists. In its upload for Malaysian designer Jaemy Choong, the caption said that wayang kulit was part of Malaysia’s cultural identity and heritage.
The post received a backlash from thousands of Indonesian netizens, which prompted Adidas to put out an official statement regarding the matter on Tuesday.
"Thank you for reaching out to us. While Wayang Kulit is a significant part of Malaysia's cultural heritage, we should have highlighted its origins from Indonesia in our post,” Adidas Singapore wrote in an Instagram story on @adidassg.
“We sincerely apologize for any unintentional offense that may have been taken, and have now amended our post,” it added. Adidas Philippines, which posted the same City Pack shoes that caused the backlash, has also uploaded the apology on its Instagram page.
The sports brand further stated that neither it nor its artists “intended to claim the cultural artform from Indonesia.”
Adidas has since corrected the caption on Choong’s designed shoes.
"Originating from Indonesia, Wayang Kulit has inspired other parts of Southeast Asia," wrote @adidassg in its post.
UNESCO designated three variations of wayang theater, including the flat leather shadow puppet wayang kulit, as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity from Indonesia in 2003.
Adidas’ UltraBOOST DNA City Pack features designs from six Southeast Asian countries, consisting of Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. Design input for Indonesia came from designer Yeri Afriyani who showcased “various personalities” one would find on Indonesian streets.
The shoe collection is set to launch on Nov. 20.
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