Lancome Distances Itself from Denise Ho

Pic by Amanda Calvo 

Pic by Kin Cheung/AP

Top French cosmetic brand Lancôme shuttered some of its stores for the day in Hong Kong in the face of protests against the decision to scrap a promotional concert featuring Denise Ho Wan-see who is known to be controversial. 

The singer (left) was active during the mass rallies in 2014 calling on Beijing to allow fully free elections. 

Lancôme promptly released a statement on Facebook stipulating that “Denise Ho is not a spokesperson of Lancôme. We are sorry for the confusion caused”. 

Ho countered on her own page, demanding a proper explanation. 

It is reported that a French petition is already circulating online with over 4,600 signatures demanding the cosmetic giant reverse their decision. The brand is also facing calls for a consumer boycott in Hong Kong. 

I was at No, 12, Jalan Sungai Besi in Kuala Lumpur – where I was both a speech evaluator as well as Table Topics Master. It was a small crowd that came to the Metro Toastmasters meeting; nonetheless, it was still a lively meeting!