”
17-11-2023 (SINGAPORE) Beyond The Vines (BTV), a prominent fashion brand in Singapore, has issued an apology in response to widespread criticism on social media regarding its stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict. The controversy arose after netizens accused the brand’s founder, Daniel Chew, of supporting Israel.
The statement, posted on BTV’s Instagram page just before 10 am on Thursday, expresses regret and acknowledges that the brand’s words and manner were “insensitive and inappropriate.” The founders, Daniel Chew and Rebecca Ting, take full responsibility for mishandling the situation and emphasize their commitment to learning from the incident.
The controversy began when netizens claimed that Chew was following a pro-Israel Christian account called Firm on Instagram. Social media users criticized the brand for supporting what they perceived as the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza.
BTV’s initial response focused on promoting its new Super Panelled collection, further fueling anger among followers who demanded clarity on the brand’s stance. Allegations of deleted comments and blocked users supporting Palestine added to the growing discontent.
In response, Chew posted Instagram Stories to clarify his position, stating that he does not support any form of violence against civilians, especially children, and explaining that he had unfollowed the Firm account. However, followers remained unsatisfied, accusing the brand of complicity.
A livestream on BTV’s Instagram page by Rebecca Ting attempted to address the situation, but it appeared to exacerbate the backlash. Viewers criticized Ting’s use of the term “conflict” to describe what they deemed a “genocide” and expressed disappointment in the brand.
Despite launching its new collection as planned, BTV faced a surge of negativity from customers expressing regret, disappointment, and plans to boycott the brand. Some suggested that the founders take concrete actions, such as donations or creating a product with proceeds supporting Gaza victims.
In the Thursday morning apology, Chew and Ting admitted to making “hurtful mistakes” and pledged to learn from the incident. While some customers appreciated the apology as a “good first step,” others criticized it as a “ChatGPT apology,” calling for tangible actions to demonstrate genuine remorse.
The controversy has left many customers disillusioned, with some indicating a decision to move on from supporting the brand.
