rediff.com
News APP

NewsApp (Free)

Read news as it happens
Download NewsApp

Available on  gplay

Rediff.com  » Getahead » 'Racist' lingerie comes under fire and more fashion news!
This article was first published 11 years ago

'Racist' lingerie comes under fire and more fashion news!

Last updated on: September 28, 2012 18:42 IST

Image: Candice Swanepoel in the 'Sexy Little Geisha' lingerie set from Victoria's Secret
Photographs: victoriassecret.com

Welcome to the weekly fashion round-up, where we bring you the latest on supermodels, style, designers and everything in-between!

Which actress experienced a wardrobe malfunction at the Emmys? Which magazine has been slammed in the latest airbrushing controversy?

Here's the lowdown on the latest fashion news!

Victoria's Secret's 'Go East' collection slammed for being 'racist'

Victoria's Secret is said to have removed a newly launched lingerie collection titled 'Go East' from its website after one of it's outfits -- 'Sexy Little Geisha' -- was labelled racist by offended critics.

The 'Eastern-inspired' cut-out sheer mesh teddy, which comes with a matching removable obi belt, fan and chopsticks, was described as "your ticket to an exotic adventure", by the lingerie giant.

Victoria's Secret, who are yet to release a statement, have tacitly responded to the backlash by redirecting users looking for the product's page, along with the rest of the Go East collection, to the site's main homepage.

After Racialicious, a website that dissects the intersection of race and popular culture, accused Victoria's Secret of reducing Eastern culture to a stereotype of exotic sexuality, other critics quickly followed suit.

Racialicious called the outfit "a troubling attempt to sidestep authentic representation of a culture and opt instead for racialized fetishizing against Asian women."

"There's a long-standing trend to represent Asian women as hypersexualized objects of fantasy, so it's telling that none of the models wearing the Go East collection appear to be Asian," the Daily Telegraph quoted the site as writing.

"Sex and sexuality don't live in a bubble. They intersect with our historical and cultural contexts," it said.

The Frisky, a popular culture website aimed at women, agreed with the issue Racialicious took to Victoria's Secret's cultural appropriation.

"Considering the complicated history of geishas, repurposing the (geisha) 'look' for a major corporation to sell as role-playing lingerie seems a bit tasteless," it wrote.

RiRi flaunts her derriere on stage

Image: Rihanna
Photographs: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Clear Channel

Rihanna, who recently changed her haircut, has clearly maintained her wild child attitude and raunchy stage presence as she showed off her legs on stage, wearing what appeared to be just a basketball jersey with nothing below.

The singer entertained the crowds at the 2012 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in typical fashion on Friday night.

She was the final act on the bill for the opening night of Day One of the festival and Rihanna certainly put on a memorable show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Umbrella singer began her set just before midnight and rocked up on to the stage in a gold basketball jersey -- without shorts.

She wore the top with the number 23 on it, which was made famous by legendary Chicago Bulls baller Michael Jordan.

While Rihanna's shiny sequined top was very eye-catching, the matching shorts' absence was noticeable.

However, that didn't stop her from showing her cheeky side and lifting up her jersey to reveal just a little bit of her derriere.

Even though she had no shorts on, she protected her modesty by wearing hotpants, which she teamed with a pair of Nike Air Jordan trainers.

The sports top was created by controversial fashion designer Jeremy Scott, and Rihanna was happy to thank him for the cool item.

"JEREMY SCOTT YOU ARE DAT N!!! #jersey #hat #trills #veryrare," the Daily Mail quoted her as tweeting.

Japanese fashion mag slammed for airbrushing protruding ribs of model

Image: Karlie Kloss
Photographs: Greg Kadel, Numero Japan, October 2012

A Japanese magazine has been criticised for airbrushing model Karlie Kloss' photograph to make her look fatter.

The original photo of the 20-year-old model, taken by Greg Kadel, showed Kloss leaning back with her hands behind her head -- her prominent ribs, collarbone and sternum clearly visible.

But in a bizarre reversal of what normally takes place, the image that appeared in the October issue of Japan's Numero Magazine was airbrushed to remove all bony protuberances, the Herald Sun reported.

According to the Daily Mail, the decision was not made for aesthetic reasons, but was done to avoid a repeat of the controversy that took place the last time Kloss posed nude -- in a shoot for Italian Vogue in December.

Steven Meisel's shots of Kloss, with her jutting hipbones and impossibly small waist were hijacked and used to promote anorexia on so-called thinspiration sites.

Kim Kardashian is being urged by beau to shed 20 pounds

Image: Kim Kardashian
Photographs: Greg Kadel, Numero Japan, October 2012

Kanye West is encouraging his girlfriend Kim Kardashian to lose weight so that she can become the face of his fashion line.

The 35-year-old rapper, who has been dating the 31-year-old TV personality for the past six months, wants her to slim down and shed up to 20 pounds.

According to OK! Magazine, West wants his girlfriend to follow Beyonce's grueling Dreamgirls diet as he believes his good friend has a better body than curvaceous Kim.

"He even suggested Kim drop 20 pounds, arguing that Beyonce has a similar shape and she proved you can get that supermodel body using her lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup diet," Contactmusic quoted a source as saying.

"He says he wants her to be the face of his clothing line...but to do that she has to fit into the clothes. It's really uncomfortable -- her shape is what made her name."

"He has a long-term fantasy of turning them into the new Beyonce and Jay-Z power couple, but getting Kim to starve isn't the way to do it," the source added.

Miranda Kerr poses topless for Victoria's Secret's sizzling new lingerie ad

Image: Miranda Kerr
Photographs: Victoria's Secret Catalogue

Miranda Kerr has shot a series of sizzling snaps to promote Victoria's Secret's new lingerie range, it has been revealed.

The 29-year-old model, who posed in see-through camisoles, bras and barely-there briefs, used her arms to cover her bare breasts in a sexy new topless underwear ad, the Sun reported.

The shots are just the latest to emerge from Victoria's Secret's new catalogue, which features a collection of the world's sexiest women stripped down and sporting the saucy brand's swimwear and lingerie.

Orlando Bloom's wife, who has modelled for VS since 2007, is joined in the catalogue by Erin Heatherton, Candice Swanepoel and Dutch delight Doutzen Kroes.

But the Aussie model stole the show, thanks to her fabulous figure.

Sofia Vergara reveals wardrobe malfunction at Emmys

Image: Sofia Vergara
Photographs: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Sofia Vergara took to her Twitter account to share details of her wardrobe malfunction at the Emmy Awards.

The Modern Family star was literally bursting out at the award ceremony, when her Zuhair Murad emerald gown split over her famous derriere right before she took to the stage, the New York Post reported.

"Yes!!!! This happened 20 min before we won!!!! Jajajajja. I luv my life!!!!" she wrote.

She added that she was happy to have her wardrobe team handy, thanking them before she collected the Outstanding Comedy for Modern Family for the third consecutive year.

"20 min Modern Family won!! Dress malfunction !!! Thank you emergency team!!" she tweeted.

Zooey Deschanel had to cut her bra off during 2012 Emmy Awards

Image: Zooey Deschanel
Photographs: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Zooey Deschanel also suffered an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night, when her publicist had to cut her bra off because it was showing.

The New Girl star realised the gaffe just minutes before she took to the stage at the Nokia Theatre to present the Emmy for Writing in a Comedy Series, and she took drastic measures to remedy the situation.

"(My publicist) had to cut my bra off because it was showing. We just had to cut part of it," she told E! Online.

"It was before I went on. It was after the red carpet...I don't even care really because it's all fun. This is just supposed to be for fun. If you're not having fun, what are you doing?...I just didn't want my bra to show," she added.

Salma Hayek credits own cosmetics for young look

Image: Salma Hayek
Photographs: Cover of Vogue Germany, September 2012

Salma Hayek has said that her youthful appearance is all down to her own cosmetic line Nuance.

The 46-year-old actress claims that the anti-ageing properties of her Nuance range successfully keep her wrinkles away.

"It's something that is used for burns victims in hospitals in Mexico. And it works! I'm 46 and I'm ageing gracefully. I don't have that many wrinkles," Contactmusic quoted Hayek as saying.

The mother of one asserted that she has never gone under knife to to preserve her looks, but admitted that she would never rule it out.

Gwyneth Paltrow's great body down to discipline, says trainer

Image: Gwyneth Paltrow
Photographs: Cover of Elle Magazine, September 2011

Gwyneth Paltrow stays in such great shape because she is very 'disciplined' and is prepared to put in the hours and hard work to look good, according to her personal trainer Tracy Anderson.

Anderson told the New York Post that the mother of two follows her 'Method' regime six times per week, which involves the use of elastic stretch bands, a wooden workout stick, dumbbells and ankle weights to shift the pounds.

Anderson joked that the 49-year-old is "uncoordinated during workouts, but she's disciplined."

Source: ANI