Gucci Accused of Cultural Appropriation Over ‘Indy Turban’
Gucci is under fire once again for cultural appropriation.
The Italian fashion house is being criticized for selling a headscarf for $790 called “Indy Full Turban,” with many on social media claiming the accessory and its name are insensitive toward the Sikh culture.
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The headscarf was previously available for purchase on Nordstrom’s web site, but has since been marked as “sold out.” The name has also been changed on the retailer’s web site to appear as “Indy Full Head Wrap” instead of “Indy Full Turban.” The product doesn’t appear to be listed on any other retailers or Gucci’s own e-commerce site.
The product itself made its debut on multiple white models during Gucci’s fall 2018 runway, the same runway show that featured the brand’s balaclavas, which also came under fire earlier this year because of its claims of resembling blackface. Gucci quickly removed the product from its stores and retailers in February and issued an apology, stating: “We consider diversity to be a fundamental value to be fully upheld, respected and at the forefront of every decision we make.”
Following the incident, Gucci’s chief executive officer, Marco Bizzarri, traveled to Harlem to meet with Gucci collaborator, Dapper Dan, to meet community members and industry leaders to learn more about inclusivity and accountability. After the trip, Gucci set up a number of initiatives within the company to foster cultural diversity and awareness.
On Wednesday, the Sikh Coalition tweeted its disappointment toward Gucci and Nordstrom for the product, stating: “The Sikh turban is not a fashion accessory, but it’s also a sacred religious article of faith. We hope more can be done to recognize this critical context. #appropriation.”
.@gucci @Nordstrom The Sikh turban is not just a fashion accessory, but it’s also a sacred religious article of faith. We hope more can be done to recognize this critical context. #appropriation https://t.co/p1z3CYq0NT
— Sikh Coalition (@sikh_coalition) May 15, 2019
Others have followed suit in expressing their frustration over the product, like restauranteur Harjinder Singh Kukreja, who tweeted Wednesday: “Dear @gucci, the Sikh Turban is not a hot new accessory for white models but an article of faith for practicing Sikhs. Your models have used Turbans as ‘hats’ whereas practicing Sikhs tie them neatly fold-by-fold. Using fake Sikhs/Turbans is worse than selling fake Gucci products.
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
Gucci has not yet released a statement on the issue and could not be reached for comment.
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