Gucci is being criticized for selling Sikh turbans on Nordstrom as a luxury item for 790 dollars.
Last year, Gucci was called out for using turbans as a ‘fashion accessory’ during the Milan Fashion Week.
Netizens are calling out the brand for appropriating the Sikh religion and its culture by selling pagdi as a luxury commodity.
This is beyond aggravating. Did someone at @gucci even bother to figure out what a dastaar (turban) means to Sikhs? Did it cross your minds to consider the history behind our identity? My people are discriminated against, even killed, for wearing a turban. pic.twitter.com/G62edSmjhf
— Aasees Kaur (@SouthernSikh) May 14, 2019
@gucci @Nordstrom Dastar/“Sikh turban” comes w/ great responsibility. Sikhs were boiled alive & cut limb by limb for tying it. Post 9/11- bullied & murdered. Sikhi is accessible not luxurious. $5 for the cloth we die(d) for. #culturalappropriation at the expense of #Sikhgenocide pic.twitter.com/NbPXvWlEEt
— Jasjit Singh (@JasjitSDhanoa) May 14, 2019
Ravinder Singh, the Founder of Khalsa Aid, also took to Twitter to instead give free lessons to people who want to wear a turban.
Dear NON-SIKHS …. don’t waste $750 buying a fake n fancy @gucci turban from @Nordstrom !! You can inbox me your location and I can arrange FREE lessons in Turban tying in most places and provide cloth material..FREE ! Any colour ..@cnni @AJEnglish @jonsnowC4 pic.twitter.com/olrE5z1JYR
— ravinder singh (@RaviSinghKA) May 14, 2019
What @gucci needs is to understand what a turban for us means and what it signifies to us..how important it is. Then maybe they will remove it…maybe…
— Saheb Singh (@unboxsingh) May 15, 2019
@gucci should be ashamed of themselves for cultural misappropriation and outrageous commercialism
— Junayd (@junayd_g) May 15, 2019
Hey @Nordstrom and @gucci: this is inappropriate! The turban is a Sikh article of faith, not a cute fashion accessory. Considering the amount of discrimination turban-wearing Sikhs regularly undergo, please reconsider selling this product. pic.twitter.com/4pLi24gkGm
— Harmanpreet (@harmanpreety) May 14, 2019
Does anyone wanna explain to me why @gucci thought selling a turban for $790 was a good idea? @Nordstrom
— Naureen Singh (@Naureenksingh) May 14, 2019
This isn’t a “trademark style.” This is not some “fashion accessory.”
This is just very-off. pic.twitter.com/hVBIVvb9Ic
When will brands realise that insensitive appropriation of cultures and marketing items of faith as a luxury consumer good is downright problematic?
