Italian fashion house Dolce and Gabbana said on Tuesday it would stop all its advertising in Spain after it was forced to withdraw an advert for "justifying" violence against women.

Also on Tuesday another Italian fashion icon, Giorgio Armani, expressed surprise over similar criticism in Spain for one of its advertisements.

"Following the harsh criticism levelled by the Spanish authorities against an image in (one of our) publicity campaigns .. Dolce and Gabbanna announces the withdrawal from Spain of all its advertising campaigns to protect the creative freedom that has always characterised the brand," the company said in a statement.

"Recently, Spain, with its climate of censorship, has shown itself willing to negatively interpret all messages even when there is no reason to do so," the Dolce and Gabbanna statement said.

"Even though it goes against the interests of Dolce and Gabbana, the decision to halt brand advertising in this country has become unavoidable," it added

The offending advert showed a woman pinned to the ground by a bare-chested man holding her wrists, with other men in the background looking on impassively.

In February D and G was forced to pull the advert after the Women's Institute of Spain, a government agency, and a consumer association said it glorified "chauvinist violence".

It was also banned in Italy in March and subsequently pulled from the world market.

The spanish women's institute said the advert allowed people to think it was "justified to use force against women."

In a reference to similar criticism in Spain of an advert by Giorgio Armani, D and G said it "hoped other stylists ... will take measures against Spain, which is not only the first country to make illegitimate accusations, but which has also helped spark controversy in other countries."

A local Madrid official said last week that an Armani advertisement showing two young girls wearing lipstick was "borderline," indicating that he would seek to have it banned.

"I do not consider it normal that two girls so young should appear with make-up on their lips," Arturo Canalda told Spanish media, claiming the advert could promote "sexual tourism."

Armani said on Tuesday: "We would never have thought that anyone could see malice in this image", adding that it was "very surprised and very disappointed" in the interpretation of the ad.


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