Kenneth Cole in hot seat for Egypt tweet

American designer and businessman Kenneth Cole has come under fire on Twitter for making light of the protests in Egypt in his tweet, prompting him to issue an apology.

On Thursday, the designer tweeted: “Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo -KC The post, which remained on the designer’s account, @KennethCole, for a few hours was promptly reposted by a number of people.

But following an uproar, with many criticising the designer for his insensitivity, the tweet was later deleted, replaced by an apology.

"Re Egypt tweet: we weren't intending to make light of a serious situation. We understand the sensitivity of this historic moment –KC,” it said.

The same day, Cole, who co-owns a number of his self-branded stores in the UAE, issued an apology on Facebook: “I apologise to everyone who was offended by my insensitive tweet about the situation in Egypt,” he said.

“I’ve dedicated my life to raising awareness about serious social issues, and in hindsight my attempt at humor regarding a nation liberating themselves against oppression was poorly timed and absolutely inappropriate.”

The apology has however not calmed the nerves of many with some posting on the designer’s Facebook page calling him “pathetic”, “boneheaded”, an “idiot” and calling for a boycott of the brand.

A fake Twitter account, @KennethColePR, has also been set up to mock the designer, with tweets such as:  “People of Haiti, fall into our store for earth-shattering savings!” and “Our new looks are dropping faster than the World Trade Center.”

Kenneth Cole currently operates six outlets in the UAE at The Dubai Mall, BurJuman, Dubai Festival City, Mall of the Emirates, Wafi and Abu Dhabi Mall.