Gucci has again sparked controversy for using the turban as an accessory and monetizing for $790 which was first shown at Gucci’s fall 2018 show.
The Gucci Indy Turban did not impress people including people objecting them for using white models for wearing the headpiece.
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
He wrote, “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.”
A New York-based civil rights organization, the Sikh Coalition also raised concerns about using the traditional headpiece as an accessory to make money off. They said in a statement that the turban is a religious article and millions of Sikhs find it sacred.
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“Many find this cultural appropriation inappropriate since those wearing the turban just for fashion will not appreciate its deep religious significance.”
Gucci earlier faced backlash for selling a black balaclava sweater that looked similar to blackface imagery. They later apologized for it.
The brand had mentioned 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.”