Fashion brand Merrachi sparks French backlash with hijab-clad Eiffel Tower

French political leaders condemned the ad as a 'deliberate provocation,' while social media was ablaze with divided opinions

Dutch fashion brand Merrachi has sparked controversy in France with its latest advertisement depicting the Eiffel Tower draped in a hijab. Intended as a creative expression, the ad has instead ignited fierce backlash, with critics labeling it an affront to French culture.

 

French politicians have condemned the advertisement as a "deliberate provocation," while social media buzzes with divided opinions—some expressing outrage, others praising it as a bold statement on inclusivity and expression.

 

Merrachi shared the ad on their official Instagram page, showcasing the Eiffel Tower enveloped in a hijab. 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by MERRACHI (@merrachi)

 

  National Rally party MP Lisette Pollet reacted on X, stating, "This is an insult to the Eiffel Tower. By wrapping it in an Islamic hijab, Merrachi has deliberately tried to provoke us."

???????? INACCEPTABLE !  La Tour Eiffel, symbole de la France, détournée par la marque Merrachi qui la couvre d’un voile islamique dans une publicité provocatrice.  ???? Une instrumentalisation idéologique et commerciale qui heurte nos valeurs républicaines et notre patrimoine. pic.twitter.com/A6GgVkWRPU

— Lisette Pollet ????????️Ⓜ️ ???????? (@LisettePollet) March 11, 2025

 

Fellow party leader Jérôme Buisson also criticised the ad on X, calling it a "dangerous political move." French economist and co-founder of the Citizens Political Movement, Philippe Murer, went further, suggesting that all Merrachi stores in France should be closed and its website blocked.

La marque islamique #Merrachi se paye une publicité qui voile.. la #TourEiffel.  Quel programme !  C’est un projet politique terrifiant, une provocation inadmissible !  Demandez des comptes à  documentation@toureiffel.paris#TourEiffel #Islamisme pic.twitter.com/SW2KtmUyo1

— Jérôme Buisson (@jerome_buisson) March 11, 2025

 

However, some social media users have defended Merrachi, arguing that the advertisement is creative and sparks discussion about Muslim women's right to wear the hijab.

 

Commenting on Merrachi's post, one user wrote, "From Eiffel Tower to Hijabi Power! The Eiffel Tower says: 'My tower, my choice.'" 

Comments from Merrachi's post on instagram. | Image: Instagram @merrachi

 

Another added, "Genius! The Eiffel Tower has finally received the modesty it always needed."

 

France has long grappled with debates over Islamic attire. The country banned hijabs in schools in 2004, followed by a 2010 prohibition on burqas, niqabs, and face-covering masks and helmets in public spaces. More recently, in August 2023, Education Minister Gabriel Attal announced a ban on abayas—loose-fitting robes worn by some Muslim women—in state schools, asserting that such garments violate France's strict secular laws in education.