Gucci lands in soup for offending Sikh community by making white models wear ‘Turbans’

Gucci faces severe backlash from Sikh community for using turbans on white models

Luxury fashion brand Gucci lands in soup on social media after it featured white models wearing traditional Sikh turbans in their brand’s Fall 2018 fashion week. This recent antic by Gucci has raised many eyebrows especially of Sikh community, who took to social media to condemn the use of turbans for fashion. They dubbed this recent act by Gucci as ‘offensive’ and ‘irresponsible’.

Canadian actor and model Avan Jogia began the backlash, in a series of tweets.

"could you not find a brown model?", Jogia wrote on Twitter, along with an image of a white male model wearing a blue turban

Yo.. @gucci ... I mess with you guys... but this isn't a good look for you... could you not find a brown model?

"and please, other people of colour, this happens to ALL of us, say something even if it doesn't apply to you personally. I got you, if you got me. Peace and love. ????", he wrote in his second tweet.

Prominent Sikh social activist Harjinder Singh Kukreja wrote on Twitter, "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."

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 

Maybe it was meant to be more of a headwrap? I wear head wraps like this often in a non-religious way as do many cultures.

In a picture posted by a Twitterer above, models' hair could be seen tumbling out of the turbans at the Gucci fashion show.

In Sikhism, a turban is worn by both men and women as a symbol of honour and spirituality. Almost all of a person's hair is typically concealed within the headgear.