Nike caught in social media storm over model’s mistaken identity

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Nike faced social media backlash on Sunday after a case of mistaken identity triggered backlash over its collaboration with Indian fashion label NorBlack NorWhite. The outrage stemmed from an Instagram post that wrongly identified a Bangladeshi model as part of the campaign, leading to criticism against the sportswear giant.

The controversy began when Instagram account @CuratedCultureSociety claimed that Nike’s NorBlack NorWhite campaign featured a Bangladeshi model who was previously critical of India. The post quickly became viral, sparking criticism of the brand’s alleged choice.

On X, political commentator Rishi Bagree questioned Nike’s choice of featuring a model who allegedly held anti-India views for its first major Indian brand collaboration. The post resonated with his followers, who expressed concerns about the brand’s cultural sensitivity while pursuing the Indian market.

Why did @Nike pick a Bangladeshi woman who spews venom against Indian interests for its first Indian brand collaboration?Does Nike disregard our sensitivities while chasing our money?pic.twitter.com/zkiHnaguLd
Rishi Bagree (@rishibagree) June 15, 2025

Later, Curated Culture Society apologised on its Instagram account, acknowledging its mistake in the original post. The handle clarified that the individual in question had appeared in an older, unrelated Nike campaign and was not associated with the NorBlack NorWhite collaboration. It expressed regret for any confusion caused and emphasised that its intention had been to showcase the campaign’s visual elements rather than make any political statements.

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After this, Curated Culture Society deleted their original post. Curated Culture Society wrote: “We’re truly sorry if our recent post caused hurt or offence. We were not aware that the individual featured in the first slide had previously made any statements related to recent events in India. Our intention was solely to highlight the bold colour language of NorBlack NorWhite and not to associate them with any unrelated narratives. We sincerely apologise to @norblacknorwhite, as the individual shown had no connection to this historic collaboration with Nike. We’ve removed the post out of respect, and we’ll continue striving to represent creators and brands with the care and integrity they deserve. @curatedculturesociety”

Grok fact-check reveals the truth

When X users questioned the AI-powered fact-checking handle ‘Grok’ for verification, it debunked the claims. Several users fact-checked Bagree’s tweet, and Grok confirmed that Nike’s 2025 Indian campaign exclusively featured the Indian fashion label NorBlack NorWhite.

When people asked Grok to fact-check if the model was indeed part of Nike’s recent campaign, in one of the responses, Grok said: “Nike’s 2025 India campaign is with NorBlack NorWhite, an Indian label, not a Bangladeshi individual. It celebrates Indian culture with bandhani designs and features Indian athletes. No evidence supports claims of a Bangladeshi woman involved or anti-India statements. The claim likely confuses this with a 2023 Nike collaboration with Saeedah Haque, a British Bengali designer, unrelated to India. Nike’s goal seems to be cultural engagement, not market risk. The linked video on Kashmir tensions appears unrelated.”

The confusion appeared to be emanating from certain social media handles connecting Nike’s current Indian partnership with an unrelated 2023 collaboration involving a British-Bangladeshi designer, which had no connection to the Indian market or recent events.