Clothing brand faces controversy after public outcry

People who made allegations connecting fashion brand Boy London with mafia-style gang members could face legal consequences, a lawyer has warned.

The brand said it firmly resists violence after it was linked to a high-profile attack on women in Tangshan, Hebei province and became mired in online controversy.

On June 10, nine men attacked three women in a barbecue restaurant in Tangshan after a woman refused to be molested by a man. One of the attackers wore a T-shirt from Boy London.

Although the nine male attackers had been quickly arrested after the case occurred on June 10, the brand, from the United Kingdom, is still being affected as online public opinion about the incident continues to develop.

After the incident, an image with the name "Stay away from people with the following outfit" that featured several items of clothing including a Boy London T-shirt was widely circulated on China's social platforms.

Some consumers asked the customer service of the brand to return the goods and some netizens commented on the brand's livestreaming channel the clothing was the same style as the perpetrator.

A staff member at a Boy clothing store in Tangshan said the incident had a limited impact on its sales and some customers went to the store and made jokes about the attention the brand had received.

The brand's customer service has set an automatic response for keywords involving the Tangshan incident, saying "we firmly reject violence and thank you for your continued support of Boy London."

The comments made by some netizens such as "people who wear Boy London are mafia group members" will reduce the social standing of the brand and damage its reputation, which could be an act of civil infringement according to Chai Xin, a lawyer from the Dentons (Wuhan) law firm.

The brand side was not involved in the Tangshan case, nor did it make inappropriate comments supporting the violent attack. Netizens should not associate violence with the brand, Chai said.

"The brand can sue those suspected of infringement, asking them to stop, restore its reputation, eliminate the impact, make an apology, compensate for the loss and so on," he said.