Gucci’s been making headlines for all the wrong reasons; after being heavily criticised for their blackface sweater, the Italian luxury brand has ruffled the feathers of the global Sikh community with its $790-priced turban. The turban, an integral part of Sikh cultural attire, is adorned by Sikhs around the world as a tribute to their religion.
Dear @gucci, the Sikh Turban is not a hot new accessory for white models but an article of faith for practising Sikhs. Your models have used Turbans as ‘hats’ whereas practising Sikhs tie them neatly fold-by-fold. Using fake Sikhs/Turbans is worse than selling fake Gucci products pic.twitter.com/sOaKgNmgwR
— Harjinder Singh Kukreja (@SinghLions) May 16, 2019
A cultural bout of chaos has been created by Gucci’s “Indy Full Turban”, a blue turban designed by the brand. Sikhs globally are rather agitated with the brand’s latest accessory, claiming that the designer turban is an insult to the Sikh community. The turban found its way to Gucci and Nordstrom stores; fortunately, the latter has taken action and removed the turban from its stores followed by an apology.
The turban is not just an accessory to monetize; it's a religious article of faith that millions of Sikhs view as sacred. Many find this cultural appropriation inappropriate, since those wearing the turban just for fashion will not appreciate its deep religious significance. pic.twitter.com/fldmxa3Wvr
— Sikh Coalition (@sikh_coalition) May 14, 2019
“We have decided to stop carrying this product and have removed it from the site,” the retailer wrote in response to a complaint on Twitter. “It was never our intent to disrespect this religious and cultural symbol. We sincerely apologize to anyone who may have been offended by this.”
Sikhs pointed out that the turban is not a fashion accessory, and cannot be sold with such a hefty price tag. Every man adorning a turban undertakes a painstaking process to wear the religious headgear, and this marketing move by Gucci has hurt their sentiments.
[Via:CNN]
