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Victoria’s Secret Pulls Costume From Broadcast After Receiving Complaints About Insensitivity

Nov 13, 2012  •  Post A Comment

After several groups complained about cultural insensitivity over a costume in the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, the footage of the model wearing the outfit has been pulled from the broadcast, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The costume includes a Native American headdress, which caused the blog Native Appropriations to write that Victoria’s Secret was guilty of "egregious cultural appropriation, stereotyping and marginalizing of Native peoples."

The fashion show, which was held Nov. 7 and will air Dec. 4, featured model Karlie Kloss modeling a leopard-print lingerie set while wearing a war bonnet. She also had on turquoise jewelry.

Indian Country columnist Ruth Hopkins wrote that costume trivialized her Native ancestry. "For one, Ms. Kloss has no business wearing a war bonnet at all," she wrote. "Not only is she not Native, she hasn’t earned the honor. Among my people, the Oceti Sakowin (Sioux), war bonnets are exclusively worn by men, and each feather within a war bonnet is symbolic of a brave act of valor accomplished by that man."

Both Victoria’s Secret and Kloss apologized, with the model saying she supports the company’s decision to remove the outfit from the broadcast.

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