Customers have started a boycott of Victoria’s Secret following what many took as a racist feature in their 2012 Fashion Show.
The 2012 Victoria’s Secret Fashion show, recorded in New York last weekend, is scheduled to air December 4 without model Karlie Kloss’ Native American headdress outfit.
The public outrage struck almost instantly. VS issued a statement apologizing and assuring the public the televised version of their show will NOT feature the headdress.
But, of course: people continue to cry “racist!”
In September, designer Paul Frank’s fashion night sparked similar controversy… only this time it was justified. Frank’s employees wore tribal warpaint and celebrity guests armed with plastic tomahawks wore feather headdresses.
VS was in the process of promoting their “Calendar girls” and 1 of 12 months was, unfortunately, a beautiful white woman in a Native American headdress.
Since when is a beautiful woman dressed in your ethnicity’s most respectful garments an insult? If anything, this is a powerful form of propaganda in our current day culture of sex, drugs, and video games.
Why not focus your energy towards the NFL’s Washington Redskins? They use cheerleaders to attract fans and I would bet [damn near] anything that their 2012-2013 Swimsuit calendar features some ode to Native American culture.
To say that a beautiful woman wearing walking in a straight line, smiling, and doing a 180 back to the dressing room is in any way a form of ethnic bullying or stealing a cultural identity… Please, let’s focus on ending alcoholism and diminishing poverty among Native Americans or amending legislation surrounding casinos and reserves.
“Another retort commonly expounded upon is that there are Natives who either voice approval for acts of Native appropriation, or claim not to care. I don’t know their hearts. Nonetheless, what happened to common courtesy, i.e. if someone doesn’t want to be made fun of, you cease the offensive behavior? Red face is just as offensive as black face.”
Ruth Hopkins, Jezebel.com
Ruth… The apology has been issued. The feature has been cut. Racism is still alive… As a fellow minority, I am appalled that something so trivial has any of our ethnically diverse peoples so up in arms. How about we unite to discuss the ideology behind prison reform/ending prison privatization and not what some model wore for 15 seconds?
P.S. If there is still time for ethnic groups to speak out: Karlie Kloss has leopard print lingerie on. Last I heard, leopards can only be found in one hemisphere, used heavily by its indigenous people and royalty. North America does not fall into this half of the world. Also, the turquoise jewelry can be linked to (but, probably not limited to) Indian, African, Native American, and Chinese cultures. Take away the headdress and Karlie Kloss still looks badd.
Sensei BJ 
“Since when is a beautiful woman dressed in your ethnicity’s most respectful garments an insult?”
The thing is, the headdress is sacred and this does not show any respect towards it whatsoever. Another thing: a headdress is worn by men-not half naked women in lingerie. I wouldn’t call this racist-just insensitive. Why is this OK? What if I painted stripes on my face, wore a loin cloth, and walked down the runway with a spear in my hand? That is very very offensive. I see where you’re coming from and I agree that this isn’t racism-but it is offensive. And how does anyone have a right to tell someone what they should be offended by?
Reblogged this on Ms. Raven Marie's Writing Block and commented:
Racist? Insensitive? Offensive? Or is this all merely harmless modeling.
Interesting piece — but it’s an opinion, thought piece. You have to talk to other people to do journalism.