Victoria’s shameful Secret? Lingerie company to cut offensive ‘Indian’ costume …
November 16, 2012 by admin
Filed under Latest Lingerie News
Victoria’s Secret is admitting that it danced with poor judgment by allowing a model to saunter down the runway in sexy ‘Indian’ garb at its annual runway show this week.
PHOTOS: VICTORIA’S SECRET FASHION SHOW 2012
Footage of supermodel Karlie Kloss wearing a feathered Native American-style headdress, skimpy fringed bikini and turquoise-studded belt will be axed from the Dec. 9 televised broadcast.
The lingerie giant issued an apology after receiving a flood of criticism on Facebook and Twitter from appalled consumers and Native American women.
Victoria’s Secret will cut model in Native American garb from TV broadcast after outrage over outfit.
Sasha Houston Brown, an academic and member of the Santee Sioux tribe of Nebraska told Indian Country said she was “angered and outraged” and yet “not shocked” by what she saw on the runway.
“I don’t know about you, but I usually spend this time of year parading around in my Navajo Hipster panties feather headdress (on loan from Karlie Kloss and Gwen Stefani) Manifest Destiny T-Shirt and knee high fringed moccasins made in Taiwan while watching a Redskins game, smoking a pack of American Spirits and eating genetically modified Butter Ball turkey, because I’m just that traditional,” she wrote.
Brown was alluding to Gwen Stefani and her band No Doubt’s most recent video, “Looking Hot,” which the band pulled off line after critics lambasted it.
via YouTube.com
Gwen Stefani in No Doubt’s Looking Hot video.
Victoria’s Secret offered an apology, via its Facebook page, saying they meant no harm.
“We are sorry that the Native American headdress replica used in our recent fashion show has upset individuals. We sincerely apologize as we absolutely had no intention to offend anyone,” the statement read. “Out of respect, we will not be including the outfit in any broadcast, marketing materials nor in any other way.”
Even Karlie Kloss, the model who flaunted the faux-Native costume admitted the outfit was in bad taste.
“I am deeply sorry if what I wore during the VS Show offended anyone,” she tweeted. “I support VS’s decision to remove the outfit from the broadcast.”
Members of the Native American community are constantly shaking their heads at the lunkheaded and insensitive use of their iconography by non-Natives as a means to make money.
In October, Gap was raked over the coals for its “Manifest Destiny” t-shirts – a 19th century policy that resulted in the genocide of millions of Native Americans. After Change.org launched a petition, the company agreed to stop selling the t-shirts.
In 2011, Urban Outfitters sparked fury with its Navajo line, which featured patterned socks, underwear and a flask.
