Kim Kardashian West accused of cultural appropriation after wearing Indian headpiece
'Kim’s Kulturally Konfused'
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Your support makes all the difference.Kim Kardashian West has been accused of cultural appropriation... again.
The 38-year-old reality TV star is used to causing a sartorial stir with her headline-grabbing outfit choices.
But, her latest look has been attracting attention for all the wrong reasons.
Sharing a photo of the outfit she wore to her husband Kanye West’s latest Sunday Service – an invitation-only gospel-inspired performance – on Instagram, Kardashian West posed among the greenery wearing a white off-the-shoulder dress, gold cuff bracelet, headpiece and matching dangling earrings.
The reality star captioned the image: “Sunday Service Vibe”.
However, the delicate headpiece chosen by the makeup mogul has fired up controversy among her followers with many stating it comes from Indian culture.
Otherwise known as a maang tikka, the hair adornment is typically worn by a woman for the first time on her wedding day. It is placed on the bride’s hairline with a drop pendant that rests on her forehead.
It is an essential element of the solah shringaar, or the sixteen traditional bridal adornments.
“Ummm where’s the Indian inspiration credit, do you even know what you’re wearing on your forehead is called???,” one person commented.
Another added: “This is cultural appropriation and it’s just not cute anymore kimmie...keep to your own and stop stealing others cultures and their ideas and making them your own.”
A third agreed, writing: “Sis this ain’t ‘service vibe’ this is straight up CULTURE APPROPRIATION.”
This isn’t the first time that Kardashian West has received similar backlash.
In January and June last year, the mother-of-three was accused of cultural appropriation for wearing her hair in what she referred to as “Bo Derek” braids.
On the first occasion critics called out Kardashian West, only for the reality star to reply: “Hi, can I get zero f***s please? Thanks.”
However, she later attempted to justify her choice of hairstyle by explaining that her five-year-old daughter, North West, urged her to do so.
“I actually did that look because North said she wanted braids and asked if I would do them with her,” she told Bustle. “I [do] remember the backlash when I had the blonde hair and that I called them ‘Bo Derek braids.’ But I obviously know they’re called Fulani braids and I know the origin of where they came from and I’m totally respectful of that.
“I’m not tone deaf to where I don’t get it. I do get it.”
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