Gucci is under fire again after selling a blue turban on Nordstrom for $790, one that was first shown at Gucci’s fall 2018 show.
Understandably so, the Gucci Indy Turban didn’t sit well with many people, including Twitter user, @SinghLions, who called out the brand for allowing white models to wear the traditional headpiece.
“Dear @gucci, the Sikh Turban is not a hot new accessory for white models but an article of faith for practising Sikhs,” he wrote in his caption. “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.”
Added the Sikh Coalition, a New York-based civil rights organization:
“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.”
Back in February, Gucci faced criticism for selling a black balaclava sweater that looked similar to blackface imagery and apologized for its mistake. The following month the brand launched the Gucci Changemakers program, an initiative designed to “support industry change and to foster unity through community action.” Said the brand at the time, “We are fully committed to increasing diversity throughout our organization and turning this incident into a powerful learning moment for the Gucci team and beyond.”
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