World-famous lingerie label Victoria’s Secret is currently under fire for its newly released outfit called “Sexy Little Geisha.” According to the page in Victoria’s Secret website (which has been taken down), the lingerie set features “sexy mesh teddy with flirty cutouts and Eastern-inspired florals” and comes with a matching fan, hair chopsticks, and a removable obi belt.
The “Sexy Little Geisha” outfit is a part of Victoria’s Secret “Go East” collection, which consists of Asian-inspired lingerie wear and was labelled as “Your ticket to an exotic adventure.” The entire collection has been removed by Victoria’s Secret following the wave of protests towards its “Sexy Little Geisha” costume.
Bloggers have been taking shots at the collection, questioning the company’s taste. Blogger Nina Jacinto wrote on Racalicious.com:
“It’s the kind of overt racism masked behind claims of inspired fashion and exploring sexual fantasy that makes my skin crawl. When someone creates a collection like this, making inauthentic references to “Eastern culture” (whatever that means) with hints of red or a fan accessory or floral designs, it reinforces a narrative. But when a company takes it one step further by developing a story about how the clothes can offer a sort of escape using explicit sexualized and exploitive language, it takes the whole thing to another level…”
Another blogger, Jessica Wakeman wrote on Frisky.com:
“Considering the complicated history of geishas, re-purposing the “look” for a major corporation to sell as role-playing lingerie seems a bit tasteless.”
The collection has been erased from the company’s website at press time, but the screenshots have gone around the Internet. Victoria’s Secret camp has yet to comment on this.
Tell us, do you feel offended by the collection?
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