Writer accuses 'Victoria's Secret' of cultural appropriation

Washington D.C. [USA], Dec. 3 (ANI): Luxury lingerie brand 'Victoria's Secret', which recently held its annual mega fashion show, has been accused of cultural appropriation. In an essay that has been deleted, a writer from 'Cosmopolitan' claims some of the outfits showcased during the lingerie giant's extravaganza were racist, reports E! Online. Helin Jung criticized the Asian and Mexican influences that inspired some of the Angels' luxurious looks and claimed the company held a condescending attitude toward its Asian customers. "Stripping of cultures aside, the emblems that stood out most were the ones that came from Asia-specifically China," she wrote. "The dragon that Elsa Hosk wore wrapped around her body, the embroidered stiletto boots seen on Adriana Lima, the tail made of flames worn by Kendall Jenner. There's a lot of talk of China as a dominant world power of the 21st century, and the U.S. government, Hollywood, and now Victoria's Secret, it seems, are pivoting to face a new reality," she continued. "The brand and its creative leads shamelessly cherry-picked imagery, breaking apart aesthetic references from wherever they wanted and stitching them back together again. They're telling us its worldliness. It's not, it's a hack job," Jung sneered in the essay. This is not the first time the brand has come under fire for cultural appropriation. In 2012, when Karlie Kloss donned Native American-style headdresses, the company ended up pulling the footage from broadcast and apologized on Twitter, "We are sorry that the Native American headdress in our fashion show has upset individuals." Kloss also apologized, "I am deeply sorry if what I wore during the VS Show offended anyone," she tweeted. "I support VS's decision to remove the outfit from the broadcast," she tweeted. The 2016 'Victoria's Secret Fashion Show' was graced by Gigi Hadid, Maria Borges, Megan Williams, Bella Hadid, Alessandra Ambrosio and many more. (ANI)