**Hindus Protest Against Swimsuit Displaying Goddess Lakshmi
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 10, 2011:
Lakshmi is the goddess of good fortune and beauty in Hinduism and is also known as 'world-mother'. Lisa Burke's Lisa Blue Swimwear claims to represent "the girl of the future who can be sexy, beautiful, powerful and environmentally aware at the same time."
Acclaimed Indian fashion designer Ritu Kumar feels that many contemporary designers use Hindu imagery "without understanding the symbolism attributed to our gods and goddesses." Ashish Soni, another well-known fashion designer echoed her viewpoint when he said to the Times of India, "Most of this happens out of ignorance. They don't realize the use of godly images, and the fact that they are actually deities worshiped."
Hindu American statesman Rajan Zed, said that it was disturbing to see goddess Lakshmi, who was highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. Lakshmi was meant to be worshiped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company, Zed argued.
Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, asked the manufacturer Lisa Blue Swimwear and RAFW organizers to publicly apologize, and immediately recall all swimwear, which showed Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. Inappropriate usage of Hindu deities or concepts for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees, he said. Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed stressed.
Meanwhile, Lisa Blue in a press release issued an apologia: "The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand.
"We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world.
"We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," said the designer's web site.
Indeed, ignorance is bliss, but sometimes it can turn into blisters! What do you feel? Please post your valuable comments below.
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May-11-2011Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests
(topic overview)- Secular Nepal has overpowered Hindu Nepal, analysts presume. (More...)
- The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. (More...)
- At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. (More...)
- WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. (More...)
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Secular Nepal has overpowered Hindu Nepal, analysts presume. Over the weekend, they took to the streets in several Indian cities, even burning the Australian flag in protest against this act of deep disrespect. The flimsy excuse forwarded by the dress designer for deciding to do this - "it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand". What a perverted Australian brain? Playing with religious sentiments? It may boomerang ultimately. My question is this - Why didn't the designer include Jesus's picture on the swimsuit? Would the Christian community in Australia remain quiet if that had happened? The company has issued an apology - "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. Analysts in Nepal believe that this realization is for real. This range will never be available for sale in any stockiest or retail outlets anywhere in the world. We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously." [1] Over the weekend, right-wing Hindus took their protest to the streets with signs and fire, literally burning the Australian flag over the disrespectful images. Lisa Burke came back with her tail between her legs, issuing an apology and pulling the plug on production of the swimsuit: "The image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world." "We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously." Lisa's message added that her use of the Lakshmi images were ignorant, at best: "'The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand." [2]
The Telegraph reports that Indian activists have taken to burning the Australian flag in demonstrations. The swimwear company, Lisa Blue, has since issued this apology: We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. [3]
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed told the North India Times the image was "meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company." Following a May 8 protest by Indian activists, many of whom clutched photos of the offending swimwear, Lisa Blue has issued an apology and pledged to remove the Lakshmi image from its Spring 2011 collection. "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed," the label says in a message posted on its Facebook wall. [4] "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed," the statement read. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. [5]
In a statement, Lisa Blue Swimwear said the company had put a halt on production of the new range and pulled the pieces that had been shown during Fashion Week. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world," it said. "We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously. [6] Lisa Blue put out a statement promising to halt production immediately and apologising for any offence the design may have caused. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. "We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," the statement said. [7]
The design has been condemned by the president of the Federation of Australian Indian Associations, Vish Viswanathan. He told ���The Daily Telegraph���the designs '''hurt and offended the Hindu community worldwide, including over 200,000 Indians living in Australia.''' '''It is difficult for me to believe it's unintentional,''' Viswanathan said. He said it will further deteriorate views of Australia in India. Designer Lisa Burke has previously lived in India, so many believe she should have known the swimsuit depiction of the popular goddess of wealth and prosperity was inappropriate. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world.''' She says on the company'''swebsite : "'Lisa Blue' represents the girl of the future who can be sexy, beautiful, powerful and environmentally aware at the same time." [8] Harish Tyagi/ European Press Agency Activists of the right-wing Hindu groups Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal protested against the Lakshmi swimsuit in New Delhi Monday. India-Australia relations suffered a minor setback this week, after a swimsuit by an Australian fashion designer featuring a portrait of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, sparked outrage across the subcontinent. Designer and model Lisa Burke presented the swimsuit as part of the latest collection of her Lisa Blue label at Australian Fashion Week Thursday. When pictures of an Indian-looking model wearing a one-piece swimsuit with a portrait of Lakshmi printed on its front and rear made their way to India, Hindu nationalists didn'''t like what they saw. Over the weekend, they took to the streets in several Indian cities, including Hyderabad where pictures show activists burning the Australian flag in protest against what they viewed as an act of deep disrespect. [9] A fashion show has sparked a huge row after models wearing skimpy bikinis plastered with images of a Hindu goddess have enraged the religion who worship her. Australian swimwear label Lisa Blue sent its models down the catwalk at Rosemount Australian in Sydney last week, sporting bright swimsuits which had pictures of revered Lakshmi on them. When news of the show reached India Hindus - who consider her to be the goddess of wealth, prosperity and fertility - were incensed at the deity's image being used in such a sexy way. [10]
A model showcases designs by Lisa Blue on the catwalk during Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney which enraged Hindus Provocative: Lisa Blue has apologised for the design which has deeply offended Hindus The Goddess Lakshmi Lakshmi is the. Well, if it's got an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on it, apparently a lot. Hindus are outraged after Australian designer Lisa Blue trotted a suit with an image of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love and abundance, down the runway in her recent. India-Australia relations suffered a minor setback this week, after a swimsuit by an Australian fashion designer featuring a portrait of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, sparked outrage across the subcontinent. [11] Swimsuits (both a cutout one-piece and a revealing bikini) from Lisa Burke's Lisa Blue Spring 2011 collection has sparked a religious controversy because it features an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. After being shown on the runway during Australian Fashion Week, photos of the suits'''modeled by a catwalker with a bindi on her forehead'''prompted a slew of "abusive" comments to flood Fashionising, which had posted the pics. "Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all-out death threats," the style site writes. [4] At Rosemount Australian Fashion Week on Friday, swimwear designer Lisa Blue sent this suit down the runway of her spring 2011-2012 show. The one-piece cutout suit features a print of the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi on the front and, as soon at the photo hit the web, fashion blog Fashionising was hit with hundreds of angry comments and messages"Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all out death threats," reports the site. [3]
FOR someone who has lived in India, perhaps fashion designer Lisa Burke should have known better. Right-wing groups took to the streets in India, burning Australian flags after Ms Burke sparked outrage for using the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on skimpy bikinis for her label Lisa Blue at Australian Fashion Week. [12]
During a runway show at Royal Australian Fashion Week in Sydney last week, a model donned a Lisa Blue bikini which featured the Hindu deity Goddess Lakshmi, who symbolises prosperity and beauty. Visibly upset Indian activists of the right-wing Hindu organisation Shiv Sena were photographed waving images of the model wearing the design as they set an Australian flag on fire during a demonstration in India. [5] Nevada (US), May 10: Welcoming apology from Australian swimwear label Lisa Blue Swimwear, upset Hindus have repeated their appeal of apology from Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) organizers also, which was held in Sydney (Australia) from May 2-6 and showed the model with Goddess Lakshmi image on swimwear. [13] UPSET Hindus have welcomed apology from an Australian swimwear label over the depiction of image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney last week. Indian activists of the right-wing Hindu organisation Shiv Sena held photocopies of models wearing swimwear featuring Lakshmi as they burned an Australian flag during a demonstration in Amritsar. [14]
Australian fashion label Lisa Blue recently debuted the number on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week. An Australian swimwear label company has apologised to the Hindu community for hurting their sentiments after swimwear label company chose to place the picture of Goddess Lakshmi on the bikini of models." [11] Rajan Zed, the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, also asked the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear and Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) organizers to apologize and immediately recall all swimwear which show Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. He believes usage of the Hindu goddess for commercial use was not okay as it hurts the devotees. [11] What's in a swimsuit? Well, if it's got an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on it, apparently a lot. Hindus are outraged after Australian designer Lisa Blue trotted a suit with an image of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love and abundance, down the runway in her recent spring 2011 show during Australian Fashion Week. [15] The swimsuit design, which has outraged Hindus across India and abroad, is sexually appealing as it bravely displays the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity on the front of the bathing suit and also the back, printed on the buttocks area. Lisa Burke presented the swimsuit as part of her Lisa Blue label at Australian Fashion Week on Thursday. The model and designer strutted down the runway with a red dot on her forehead, a feather in her hair, and a tan that will knock your socks off. [2]
The groups were angered by the use of Hindu deities like Ganesha and Lakshmi on designer Lisa Burke's swimwear, which was modeled on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week. (Burke's label, Lisa Blue, donates 25% of net profits to protecting whales and dolphins in the South Pacific.) While we're not completely insensitive to the religious values of these folks, we were a bit perplexed over the brouhaha, given that there are plenty of clothes already out there emblazoned with Hindu deities.[16]
Australian Designer Lisa Blue has sparked controversy by designing swim suits depicting the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, which was shown at Australian Fashion Week.[1] Australian swimwear brand Lisa Blue will not produce a one-piece it showed on the runway with an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, following serious unrest among Hindu groups in India. [17]
A fashion show caused a Larg row after use models tiny bikinis with images of a Hindu goddess angry covered, that the cult.Australian swimwear label Blue Lisa sent their models on the podium at the Fashion Week in Sydney, Australia Rosemount last week, sports swimsuits were vivid images of Lakshmi, the revered.The show drew the attention of media. [11] The label was called out by Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who "said that it was disturbing to see goddess Lakshmi, who was highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. [11]The Indian politico-religious right claimed that Lakshmi is symbol of simplicity and modesty. The label was called out by statesman Rajan Zed, who said, "It was disturbing to see Goddess Lakshmi, who is highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. [11]
The statement also said: '''The uses of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking.''' '''We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously.''' The Times of India noted that this isn't the first time that fashion designers have struggled with incorporating Indian imagery into their work. [18] Hindus in India are burning Australian flags after an Australian fashion designer unveiled a swimsuit with images of Hindu goddess Lakshmi on the torso and buttocks sections of the swimsuit. [2] Hindus have staged angry protests after a fashion designer exhibited swimsuits bearing the image of the goddess Lakshmi at Australian Fashion Week. [6]
The swimsuit featuring Indian goddess Lakshmi at Australian Fashion Week 2011 will never make it to the stores after protests across India saw photographs of the design and the Australian national flag burned. [8]
An Indian court agreed to consider criminal proceedings over a swimwear bearing the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi following angry protests where crowds burned Australian flags and photos of the swimwear in the streets. [19] LUCKNOW, India — A top Indian court has agreed to consider criminal proceedings over an Australian brand of swimwear bearing the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi that has sparked angry protests. [20]
Pictures of the controversial swimwear were published in many newspapers, leading to protests in towns and cities across India. Protesters belonging to radical Hindu groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal took to the streets of Delhi on Monday, shouting slogans against the Australian government and swimwear designer Lisa Blue. Protester Jai Bhagwan Goyal told the Reuters news agency that those who organised the Australian event should be arrested. "The sentiments of billions of Hindus have been hurt and this issue will not get resolved by presenting an apology. We feel this is a deliberate act to get cheap publicity." The court on Tuesday issued notices to the Press Council of India and the state and central governments requiring them to explain their position over the issue. It said that the Indian government should convey to the Australian government how the swimwear display had offended the feelings of the Hindu community. Last week one of those petitioning the court wrote a letter complaining about the publication of the photos in newspapers. [21] The High Court of Allahabad has issued a notice to the Hindustan Times newspaper for publishing the photos of the models sporting the offending clothes. The court also issued notices to the Press Council of India and the state and central governments asking them to explain their position over the issue. The pictures of the swimwear have sparked protests across India, including demonstrations organized by such Hindu groups as Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal. They angrily shouted slogans against the Australia n government, burned Aussie flags and disparaged designer Lisa Blue. [22]
WILSON: A top Indian court has now agreed to consider criminal proceedings in relation to the swimwear design after lawyers argued that the newspaper should not have published the photographs and that the Indian government should have pushed Australia to take action against the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear. For its part the Australian fashion house has now cancelled a planned print run of the swimwear wear. Designer Lisa Burke saying she was unaware of the offence her design would cause. [23] Word of the swimsuit spread when the Australian fashion blog Fashionising posted images from the show. Visual representations of deities are nothing new, when applied to swimwear though, they can certainly provoke an emotional reaction. Provoke this one-piece did. Since the image ran on Fashionising.com our editors have been filtering out hundreds of comments about the piece, none of them pleasant. Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all out death threats. [24] One staged an Australian-flag-burning demonstration, and many more upset folks are leaving hateful comments on the blog Fashionising, which posted images from the offending runway show. These are mostly directed toward designer Lisa Burke, the site's editors write, and range from "statements of concern to mild slurs. and all out death threats." In addition to removing the piece from her spring collection, Burke has apologized, which hasn't ameliorated the outcry much. If she knows so little of Hinduism, she also may know so little of Heidi Klum's annual Halloween costumes, which practically define America's post-"holiday" coverage in America: In 2008, Klum got backlash for taking her assistant's advice and dressing up as a "scary" version of Indian goddess Kali. Reports of Project Runway DVD-burning demonstrations never emerged, so maybe she got off easy. [17]
Fashion designer Lisa Burke has come under fire for unveiling a swimsuit that featured an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. [18] What Lisa Burke didn't expect was the furore the swim suit has triggered in India. KOHLI: This is absolutely explosive and that it hasn't exploded in the manner that it could have is really I think a grace of God, whichever god it iS we pray in. WILSON: Nalin Kohli is a member of the National Executive of India's Bharatiya Janata Party, he's one of those offended by the design featuring the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on the backside of the swimsuit. [23]
Lisa's swimsuit features a print representation of Lakshmi, a Hindu goddess. Although visual representations of gods and goddesses are nothing new to followers of Hinduism, in swimwear though, they can provoke a severe emotional reaction. [11]
Hindu activists expressed anger over the depiction of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, on a swimsuit that was on display at Australian Fashion Week 2011. This past weekend, protesters hit the streets of several Indian cities to express their anger at the Lakshmi swimsuit photo. [18] Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests - Telegraph We no longer check to see whether Telegraph.co.uk displays properly in Internet Explorer version 6 or earlier. [6]
Images of the Hindu goddess of wealth displayed on swimwear at an Australian fashion show have sparked a legal battle in India. [21] From the river Ganges somewhere in India: An Aussie swimwear company dared to depict the Hindu goddess of wealth, Laxmi, on their latest collection and were shocked by the response in India as many extreme Hindu men rioted, burnt effigies of Crocodile Dundee, Australian cricketers and the Aussie flag. The company under great pressure has withdrawn the collection whilst in India heated, extreme Hindu's stripped off naked and jumped in the river Ganges t0o purify their souls before declaring a "Holy War" against Australia. [25]
An Australian swimwear company, whose depiction of image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear upset Hindus worldwide, claims to have cancelled production of swimwear with Lakshmi's picture on it. [26] A BYRON BAY swimwear company has apologised to Hindus worldwide after it incorporated an image of Goddess Lakshmi on its swimwear and sparked widespread religious outrage. [5]
A statement attributed to Lisa Blue Swimwear, headquartered in Byron Bay (Australia), published at certain websites, said: '''We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi. [11]After photos of the models were published in papers across the world, the designer label Lisa Blue issued an apology. They also said that production and sale of the swimwear has ceased. [22] Lisa Blue has already vowed that the suit will never be made for sale. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," said a statement from the label. [15]
LUCKNOW/MELBOURNE: Taking suo motu cognisance of newspaper photographs of an Australian model wearing a bikni with a picture of a Hindu goddess on it, the Allahabad high court has decided to take up the matter as a PIL. A bench comprising justices Devi Prasad Singh and S C Chaurasia directed that the matter be registered as a PIL of criminal nature and fixed the matter for May 10 after three advocates drew the court's attention to the photographs, saying they were intended to insult the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. [27] A swimsuit featuring a picture of the religious Goddess Lakshmi is causing outrage within the Hindu community.[28] AURORA: Goddess Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is a very important Goddess for the people, probably not only the Hindu community but also other religions will also pry to the Goddess because the Goddess brings you wealth and richness and the Hindus pry to it especially on the day of diwali which is the festival of lights. [23]
The Allahabad High Court of the state of Uttar Pradesh agreed to hear a ". A swimsuit has surfaced with a print of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi only to create an outpour of accusation from Hindus who say it is disrespectful towards their religion.[11] The court is considering criminal proceedings for using the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi in swim wears that has sparked angry protests. [11]
The one-piece features a vibrant image of Lakshmi - the Hindu Goddess of wealth and purity - across the front, as well as another smaller image on the rear. [28]
Even more moderate voices have spoken out against the Lakshmi swimsuit. A fashion piece on the controversy in The Times of India headlined '''The West plays with Hindu imagery again''' pointed out that while '''Indian imagery is a hit in western fashion,''' designers often '''ended up with an unfashionable foot in their mouth.''' Part of the reason is that when they look at Hindu gods and goddess, Indians and Westerners see different things. [9] Relations between India and Australia are again being tested, after the appearance of a controversial swimsuit at a major fashion parade. Protesters have taken to the streets in India burning Australian flags, after pictures were published of the outfit which features a picture of the Goddess Lakshmi across the swimsuit's back. [23] Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, added. Rajan Zed pointed out that Australian Government, New South Wales Government, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, etc., who were said to be some of the RAFW partners this year, should reconsider the partnership in the future in view of its inability to halt the trivialization of highly revered Goddess Lakshmi. RAFW, held this year against the spectacular backdrop of Circular Quay, is claimed to be Australia's premier fashion industry event providing a platform for designers to showcase their wholesale collections to the world's most influential buyers and media. [13]
The angry reaction is understandable according to the Australia India Society based in the Australian state of Victoria. It's president Dr Gurdip Aurora says Australia's need to understand the significance of the Goddess Lakshmi. [23]
The Lakshmi saga, however trivial, is not good news for Australia'''s India diplomacy as the country has been working hard to dispel the view that Australians have a racial prejudice against Indians. Initiatives such as the ongoing exhibition '''Indian Aussies: Indians who have made Australia home''', which displays photos of Indian Australians on the outside walls of the Australian High Commission in New Delhi, seem to be part of this effort. There are also regular television advertisements in India by Tourism Australia featuring Indian emigrants heaping praise on their new lives '''Down Under.''' [9]
News of the show triggered protests in India at the weekend, with Hindu groups in the northern state of Punjab burning Australian flags and photos of the swimwear in the streets. [20] In Southeastern Asia, it speaks to a bigger cultural crisis that's been underway for some time. Members of the right wing Hindu organization Shiv Sena and the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata political party are angry at the Aussies for unintentionally disrespecting their culture. They burned images of the Australian flag and held up pictures of models in Hindu deity-adorned swimsuits at a protest in the Indian cities of Hyderabad and Amritsar this weekend, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. [16] The design has prompted outrage within the Hindu community in India, with several protestors taking to the streets brandishing posters of the model in the swimsuit, and setting fire to the Australian flag. [28] Federation of Australian Indian Associations president Vish Viswanathan said that while burning the Australian flag was "totally wrong", the designs "hurt and offend the Hindu community worldwide, including over 200,000 Indians living in Australia". [12]
The company has halted production of the offending item, but not before members of a Hindu nationalist party burned the Australian flag alongside images of the models. [24]
Outraged Hindus take to the streets in protest. According to the North India Times, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed argued that it was "disturbing" to see the religious figure used in such a way. He states that Lakshmi is meant to be "worshipped in temples or home shrines," and not for publicising swimwear in fashion shows for "mercantile greed of an apparel company". [28] "Lakshmi was meant to be worshiped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company," said Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who noted that the apology was "a step in the right direction." Is this an isolated incident in the fashion industry? Hardly. [15] Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, demanded an apology from the designer. He said Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world and its deities deserved to be respected. "Lakshmi was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company," he said. [6]
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that RAFW organizers should show responsibility and consideration toward the hurt worldwide Hindu community and come out with a public apology. In future, they should be more careful about what went on in the fashion show. [13] Jai Bhagwan Goyal, a protester in Delhi, told Reuters that the organizers of the Australian fashion show should be punished. "The sentiments of of Hindus have been hurt and this issue will not get resolved by presenting an apology," he said. "We feel this is a deliberate act to get cheap publicity." [22]
The costume in question was part of the most recent Lisa Blue swimwear ]]swimwear collection, shown during Australian Fashion Week last week. [28] In the Lisa Blue spring 2011 catwalk at Australian fashion week, the swimsuit which Lisa Blue designed became the most popular photo on Fashion Week's publication. Not because it was the most loved one, but because it's the swimsuit that caused the most outrage, resulting in hundreds of abusive comments being left on Fashion Week's website. [11]
Swimwear designed by Byron Bay'''s Lisa Blue fashion house, featuring Hindu icons, has caused outrage and protests in India. [5] What usually would have been a great honour for any Australia fashion designer ended in disaster for Lisa Burke, the creative mind behind swimwear label Lisa Blue. [5] Brett Galvin, from Lisa Blue swimwear, says it was an honest mistake. "The designer really wanted to celebrate the culture of India and to bring that to the people and just absolutely adores the image," he said. "Obviously she sees that's quite wrong now." [29] You can never keep everyone happy FACT but that'''s when you calculate the % of people you would enrage by your actions. What I still find very careless and naive is, how could they use an image of Laxmi, without doing their research first, without understanding the repercussions of celebrating a culture they don'''t really understand? They have got publicity out of this, good or bad, and people who can see beyond the culture difference (potential buyers in this case) were excited by the designs but it is upsetting others and this is what we need to understand. The apology however seems very heartfelt and if it was all just business, and no harm was intended, I'''m sure the talented designers at Lisa Blue will come up with another commercial idea and hopefully this time without attracting any unwanted attention. [5] Anyone who has ever been to India will tell you it is rare to see an Indian woman in a bikini at the beach. This clash of culture is not the first time that Lisa Blue has done this. I felt personally affronted by her use of aboriginal designs from last season or before. Anyone who has been to aboriginal communities outside of urban areas will tell you you very rarely see them in bikinis either. Then there is the whole debate of cultural art ownership and meaning. is it appropriate for a non Indigenous person to use Aboriginal prints in their creative work? There is plenty of discussion of this on the web. [5]
The lawyers argued that the newspaper should not have published the photographs and that the Indian government should have pushed Australia to take action against the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear. [20] Lisa Blue Swimwear is hoping to contain the fallout by apologizing. It promises to halt production immediately, adding the swimsuit will never be available anywhere in the world. [19] After receiving severe castigation from all fronts, Lisa Blue immediately issued statements on all social networking sites, apologizing publicly to all the people who were hurt by the swimsuit designs. [11]
WILSON: When the latest creation from fashion house Lisa Blue was paraded on the catwalk at Sydney Fashion week its Australian designer was hoping it would make a splash. [23] We as a society can'''t survive if we stop giving a rats a$$about how other are effected by your actions. It looks beautiful; I have to give the designers at Lisa Blue big thumbs up for that and it also looks very flattering on the gorgeous model. In this scenario, I guess it'''s more about doing the right thing and being sensitive about what others (in this case 890 million Hindus) think. [5]
The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. [7] One design featured Lakshmi - Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity and one of the religion's most worshipped deities - in a seated position, plastered across the backside of a catwalk model. [12] Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, fertility and courage. She is worshipped every day by Hindus and her image is considered to be sacred. [6] Judging from the activity on Blue's Facebookpage, there is a small but vocal group that remains unsatisfied by the apology. Rather than focusing on the easy ignorance and acquisitiveness that more plausibly lies behind the decision to use a Hindu goddess on a really ugly bathing suit, they compare it to using images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary on condoms and underwear. [24]
An Australian brand of swimwear bearing references to the revered Hindu Goddess Laskshmi has earned the flak of a top Indian court. [11] In an earlier protest statement, Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, asked the swimwear manufacturer and RAFW organizers to publicly apologize and immediately recall all swimwear which showed the Hindu goddess. [14]
May 10 2011 ncddee said. Sorry, religion is the biggest excuse for war that there ever was! Moslems calling for jihad over a mention of mohammed, now this hindu goddess in the wrong place, it used to be catholics who got upset about things. noone expected the spanish inquisition! Or the protestant burning catholics etc.etc. We have to face the fact that humans are programmed to violence and willingly use religion as an excuse to do so. [28] The controversy stems from the "inappropriate" use of Lakshmi's image, which is highly revered in the Hindu religion. [4] "The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand." [5] Byron Bay-based yoga instructor John Ogilvie studied Hinduism for 30 years. "There is a lot of clothing like that in India with images of the Goddess Lakshmi," he said. [5]
An Australian swimwear brand was in trouble recently after putting Goddess Lakshmi on its collection. [30]
The one-piece swimsuit featured a picture of the Goddess Lakshimi. That provoked protests in India, where Australian flags were burnt. [29] Over the weekend, demonstrators in Amritsar, in Punjab, took to the streets and burned the Australian flag in protest, waving photographs of the offensive swimsuit and demanding that all of the garments be recalled. [10]
In response to the suit, members of right-wing Hindi group Shiv Sena burned the Australian flag, believing that it is inappropriate to use Hindu deities or concepts for commercial usage. [15]
The Australian swimwear company which triggered the controversy apologised to the Hindu community. [27] Its offending to print the bikini with Godess image. but at the same time burning the flag is no answer to it. its mixing the religion and patriotism. for the first few comments in the thread - well ppl i know wht Indians did is not a decent way of responding back, but if it was few Australians who did the bikini thing. there were few Indians who burnt the flag. if you think that because of one person the whole Ausi community is being judged. i guess you are also doing the same. [12] For Indians, the images have specific religious connotations, but Westerners, more often than not, just see '''pretty Indian pictures,''' as The Times of India piece put it. This may be why Indian book covers sometimes get an ���Indian makeover��� when they are distributed abroad. [9] WILSON: Nalin Kohli says the latest controversy comes at a time when relations between Australia and India are already being tested After critical media attention of poor treatment of Indian students living in Australia, including widespread reporting of assaults and racist attacks in some of Australia's biggest cities. KOHLI: These things I think it's really better if the Australian Government really solves it fast and get it nipped in the bud because if it escalates it will just become an irritant. [23]
Sunday, a group of orange-clad Hindu activists, led by the right-wing Shiv Shena party, staged a protest in Amristar. Monday, the Hindu nationalist groups Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad gathered in New Delhi brandishing banners against the swimsuit and calling on the Indian government to take legal action against those who insult the Hindu gods and goddesses. [9] Narinder Nanu/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Activist of the right-wing Hindu party Shiv Sena staged a protest against the swimsuit in Amritsar on Sunday. [9]
Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is revered by the Hindus world over. While the response in our beloved Nepal has been relatively low (it did not even rate a mention in the papers), our southern neighbors have been more vocal in their protest against this act of stupidity (for want of a better word). [1] The Indian public came out on roads and agitated against the Lakshmi photo swimsuit. They observed it is very disturbing to see their sacred goddess being used in such a vulgar fashion exhibition. [11] All Indian fashion designers have condemned the act of promoting Lakshmi as a swimsuit photo wear. [11]
Ms. Burke'''s label was quick to announce a halt in production, vowing that the Lakshmi swimsuit would never make it to stores. [9]
In the meantime some newspapers have published a statement by Ms Blue saying the production and sale of the swimwear had been stopped. [21] Following the outcry over the inappropriate use of the goddess the swimwear label yesterday released a statement apologising for the design. [5] "As a sign of respect, the one-piece (swimwear design) falls into that category, but perhaps the swimwear bottom was a little bit too far." It is not the first time a Northern Rivers company has insulted an Indian custom. [5] Lakshmi was plastered on the backside of a model's swimwear and was reported in Indian media, sparking outrage. [8]
Models wearing colourful swimsuits and bikinis covered in pictures of the goddess took to the catwalk in front of hundreds of people in Sydney last week. [6] To portray the Goddess in any flimsy manner on a fashion magazine would be taken as very offensive to the die hard religious Hindu people. [23] T-shirts are fine, but how can you expect tolerance if our god's picture is on underwear. What for? Fashion! i dont think so for a second. these companies only put hindu god pictures on for publicity. just like a couple of years ago when they started making toilet seats of the same too. Maybe some people who think its pettiness should stand in a hindu persons shoes. I am sure if this was a pic of jesus or islamic inscriptions on there. we will be in for the crusade again. [28]
Consider how cultural appropriation occurs daily in the fashion worldwhether of political figures (Che Guevara, anyone?) or religious symbols (myriad Christian crosses, Jewish stars and the aforementioned Hindu gods and goddesses). These images become reinvented outside of their original meaningsas aesthetic decisions, rather than intentional political or religious or social statementsand it's easy to see why Hindus, or anyone else, might be upset by the appropriation of their spiritual imagery. [15] "But the image of the goddess on the bikini bottom, Hindus would consider that very tasteless. [5]
At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. [23] Whether or not we need religion is really not the issue. I would say not, I do not believe in any god, but some people do & I respect their right to do so, without ridicule. It is inappropriate to put any religious iconography on a piece of swimwear, worn by a 1/2 clad woman. It doesn't matter whether she looks good in it or not. It is essentially mocking & deliberately (or displaying breathtaking ignorance in the act of) belittling someone elses belief. Have some respect for other people & their choices in life, or maybe you are happy for someone to have no respect for you.[28] Regardless of how seriously Lisa Burke and her team are taking the matter, some doubt the apology will have any effect. KOHLI: Where ever she has picked up these pictures from, they have not really come out of nowhere. They would have come through the internet or somewhere and I don't think designers normally tend to just do something without doing their homework. [23]
WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. [23]
SOURCES
1. Aussie Design hurts Hindu Sentiments, Australian Nepali
2. Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Pulled (PICS) Burning Flag Protests
3. Lisa Blue Swimsuit Bearing Image of Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Engenders International Furor at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week - Intelligence - Racked National
4. Lisa Blue Apologizes for Lakshmi Swimsuits - News - FashionEtc.com
5. Bikini designer sparks Hindu anger | NSW News | Breaking State News in New South Wales | Northern Star
6. Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests - Telegraph
7. Oz designer sued for Lakshmi bikini - Hindustan Times
8. Fashion week design sparks Indian outrage | CNNGo.com
9. Lisa Blue's Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Sparks Outrage - India Real Time - WSJ
10. Hindu Swimsuit Goddess Outrage - India - Fox Nation
11. Lisa Blue 'Lakshmi' Swimsuit Causes Outrage Among Hindus
12. Lisa Burke sparked outrage for using Hindu goddess Lakshmi on bikinis | Herald Sun
13. Upset Hindus ask apology from Australian Fashion Week organizers also over Lakshmi trivialization
14. Aussie flag burned over image of goddess | thetelegraph.com.au
15. Swimsuit Featuring Hindu Goddess Causes Outrage And Anger | The Frisky
16. A Closer Look at Why This Swimsuit Has Some Indians Burning Australian Flags Fashionista: Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice
17. This Swimsuit Depicting the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Prompted Death Threats, Flag Burning -- The Cut
18. Lakshmi Swimsuit Photo: Lisa Burke Apologizes For Lakshmi Image | NowPublic News Coverage
19. Goddess swimsuit maker runs for cover - The Standard
20. AFP: Indian court takes up Australia 'goddess' swimwear
21. BBC News - Indian fury over Australia swimwear images of Laxmi
22. Hindus outraged by Aussie swimwear featuring goddess Lakshmi
23. Radio Australia:Asia Pacific:Story:Australian swimwear tests relations with India
24. Hindu Goddess Print On Swimsuit Causes Shitstorm
25. The Spoof : Hindu Godess of wealth on Aussie swimwear "boomerangs"! funny satire story
26. Hindu goddess on bikini: Oz fashion firm cancels production
27. Lucknow HC takes up Lisa Blue bikini case as a PIL - The Times of India
28. Lisa Blue swimming costume sparks outrage among Hindus : MYDaily UK
29. Designer gets lesson in cossie culture - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
30. Nude Gods a no-no | Deccan Chronicle
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May-11-2011Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests
(topic overview)- Secular Nepal has overpowered Hindu Nepal, analysts presume. (More...)
- The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. (More...)
- At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. (More...)
- WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. (More...)
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Secular Nepal has overpowered Hindu Nepal, analysts presume. Over the weekend, they took to the streets in several Indian cities, even burning the Australian flag in protest against this act of deep disrespect. The flimsy excuse forwarded by the dress designer for deciding to do this - "it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand". What a perverted Australian brain? Playing with religious sentiments? It may boomerang ultimately. My question is this - Why didn't the designer include Jesus's picture on the swimsuit? Would the Christian community in Australia remain quiet if that had happened? The company has issued an apology - "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. Analysts in Nepal believe that this realization is for real. This range will never be available for sale in any stockiest or retail outlets anywhere in the world. We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously." [1] Over the weekend, right-wing Hindus took their protest to the streets with signs and fire, literally burning the Australian flag over the disrespectful images. Lisa Burke came back with her tail between her legs, issuing an apology and pulling the plug on production of the swimsuit: "The image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world." "We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously." Lisa's message added that her use of the Lakshmi images were ignorant, at best: "'The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand." [2]
The Telegraph reports that Indian activists have taken to burning the Australian flag in demonstrations. The swimwear company, Lisa Blue, has since issued this apology: We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. [3]
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed told the North India Times the image was "meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company." Following a May 8 protest by Indian activists, many of whom clutched photos of the offending swimwear, Lisa Blue has issued an apology and pledged to remove the Lakshmi image from its Spring 2011 collection. "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed," the label says in a message posted on its Facebook wall. [4] "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed," the statement read. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. [5]
In a statement, Lisa Blue Swimwear said the company had put a halt on production of the new range and pulled the pieces that had been shown during Fashion Week. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world," it said. "We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously. [6] Lisa Blue put out a statement promising to halt production immediately and apologising for any offence the design may have caused. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. "We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," the statement said. [7]
The design has been condemned by the president of the Federation of Australian Indian Associations, Vish Viswanathan. He told ���The Daily Telegraph���the designs '''hurt and offended the Hindu community worldwide, including over 200,000 Indians living in Australia.''' '''It is difficult for me to believe it's unintentional,''' Viswanathan said. He said it will further deteriorate views of Australia in India. Designer Lisa Burke has previously lived in India, so many believe she should have known the swimsuit depiction of the popular goddess of wealth and prosperity was inappropriate. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world.''' She says on the company'''swebsite : "'Lisa Blue' represents the girl of the future who can be sexy, beautiful, powerful and environmentally aware at the same time." [8] Harish Tyagi/ European Press Agency Activists of the right-wing Hindu groups Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal protested against the Lakshmi swimsuit in New Delhi Monday. India-Australia relations suffered a minor setback this week, after a swimsuit by an Australian fashion designer featuring a portrait of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, sparked outrage across the subcontinent. Designer and model Lisa Burke presented the swimsuit as part of the latest collection of her Lisa Blue label at Australian Fashion Week Thursday. When pictures of an Indian-looking model wearing a one-piece swimsuit with a portrait of Lakshmi printed on its front and rear made their way to India, Hindu nationalists didn'''t like what they saw. Over the weekend, they took to the streets in several Indian cities, including Hyderabad where pictures show activists burning the Australian flag in protest against what they viewed as an act of deep disrespect. [9] A fashion show has sparked a huge row after models wearing skimpy bikinis plastered with images of a Hindu goddess have enraged the religion who worship her. Australian swimwear label Lisa Blue sent its models down the catwalk at Rosemount Australian in Sydney last week, sporting bright swimsuits which had pictures of revered Lakshmi on them. When news of the show reached India Hindus - who consider her to be the goddess of wealth, prosperity and fertility - were incensed at the deity's image being used in such a sexy way. [10]
A model showcases designs by Lisa Blue on the catwalk during Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney which enraged Hindus Provocative: Lisa Blue has apologised for the design which has deeply offended Hindus The Goddess Lakshmi Lakshmi is the. Well, if it's got an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on it, apparently a lot. Hindus are outraged after Australian designer Lisa Blue trotted a suit with an image of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love and abundance, down the runway in her recent. India-Australia relations suffered a minor setback this week, after a swimsuit by an Australian fashion designer featuring a portrait of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, sparked outrage across the subcontinent. [11] Swimsuits (both a cutout one-piece and a revealing bikini) from Lisa Burke's Lisa Blue Spring 2011 collection has sparked a religious controversy because it features an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. After being shown on the runway during Australian Fashion Week, photos of the suits'''modeled by a catwalker with a bindi on her forehead'''prompted a slew of "abusive" comments to flood Fashionising, which had posted the pics. "Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all-out death threats," the style site writes. [4] At Rosemount Australian Fashion Week on Friday, swimwear designer Lisa Blue sent this suit down the runway of her spring 2011-2012 show. The one-piece cutout suit features a print of the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi on the front and, as soon at the photo hit the web, fashion blog Fashionising was hit with hundreds of angry comments and messages"Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all out death threats," reports the site. [3]
FOR someone who has lived in India, perhaps fashion designer Lisa Burke should have known better. Right-wing groups took to the streets in India, burning Australian flags after Ms Burke sparked outrage for using the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on skimpy bikinis for her label Lisa Blue at Australian Fashion Week. [12]
During a runway show at Royal Australian Fashion Week in Sydney last week, a model donned a Lisa Blue bikini which featured the Hindu deity Goddess Lakshmi, who symbolises prosperity and beauty. Visibly upset Indian activists of the right-wing Hindu organisation Shiv Sena were photographed waving images of the model wearing the design as they set an Australian flag on fire during a demonstration in India. [5] Nevada (US), May 10: Welcoming apology from Australian swimwear label Lisa Blue Swimwear, upset Hindus have repeated their appeal of apology from Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) organizers also, which was held in Sydney (Australia) from May 2-6 and showed the model with Goddess Lakshmi image on swimwear. [13] UPSET Hindus have welcomed apology from an Australian swimwear label over the depiction of image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney last week. Indian activists of the right-wing Hindu organisation Shiv Sena held photocopies of models wearing swimwear featuring Lakshmi as they burned an Australian flag during a demonstration in Amritsar. [14]
Australian fashion label Lisa Blue recently debuted the number on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week. An Australian swimwear label company has apologised to the Hindu community for hurting their sentiments after swimwear label company chose to place the picture of Goddess Lakshmi on the bikini of models." [11] Rajan Zed, the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, also asked the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear and Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) organizers to apologize and immediately recall all swimwear which show Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. He believes usage of the Hindu goddess for commercial use was not okay as it hurts the devotees. [11] What's in a swimsuit? Well, if it's got an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on it, apparently a lot. Hindus are outraged after Australian designer Lisa Blue trotted a suit with an image of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love and abundance, down the runway in her recent spring 2011 show during Australian Fashion Week. [15] The swimsuit design, which has outraged Hindus across India and abroad, is sexually appealing as it bravely displays the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity on the front of the bathing suit and also the back, printed on the buttocks area. Lisa Burke presented the swimsuit as part of her Lisa Blue label at Australian Fashion Week on Thursday. The model and designer strutted down the runway with a red dot on her forehead, a feather in her hair, and a tan that will knock your socks off. [2]
The groups were angered by the use of Hindu deities like Ganesha and Lakshmi on designer Lisa Burke's swimwear, which was modeled on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week. (Burke's label, Lisa Blue, donates 25% of net profits to protecting whales and dolphins in the South Pacific.) While we're not completely insensitive to the religious values of these folks, we were a bit perplexed over the brouhaha, given that there are plenty of clothes already out there emblazoned with Hindu deities.[16]
Australian Designer Lisa Blue has sparked controversy by designing swim suits depicting the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, which was shown at Australian Fashion Week.[1] Australian swimwear brand Lisa Blue will not produce a one-piece it showed on the runway with an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, following serious unrest among Hindu groups in India. [17]
A fashion show caused a Larg row after use models tiny bikinis with images of a Hindu goddess angry covered, that the cult.Australian swimwear label Blue Lisa sent their models on the podium at the Fashion Week in Sydney, Australia Rosemount last week, sports swimsuits were vivid images of Lakshmi, the revered.The show drew the attention of media. [11] The label was called out by Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who "said that it was disturbing to see goddess Lakshmi, who was highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. [11]The Indian politico-religious right claimed that Lakshmi is symbol of simplicity and modesty. The label was called out by statesman Rajan Zed, who said, "It was disturbing to see Goddess Lakshmi, who is highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. [11]
The statement also said: '''The uses of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking.''' '''We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously.''' The Times of India noted that this isn't the first time that fashion designers have struggled with incorporating Indian imagery into their work. [18] Hindus in India are burning Australian flags after an Australian fashion designer unveiled a swimsuit with images of Hindu goddess Lakshmi on the torso and buttocks sections of the swimsuit. [2] Hindus have staged angry protests after a fashion designer exhibited swimsuits bearing the image of the goddess Lakshmi at Australian Fashion Week. [6]
The swimsuit featuring Indian goddess Lakshmi at Australian Fashion Week 2011 will never make it to the stores after protests across India saw photographs of the design and the Australian national flag burned. [8]
An Indian court agreed to consider criminal proceedings over a swimwear bearing the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi following angry protests where crowds burned Australian flags and photos of the swimwear in the streets. [19] LUCKNOW, India — A top Indian court has agreed to consider criminal proceedings over an Australian brand of swimwear bearing the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi that has sparked angry protests. [20]
Pictures of the controversial swimwear were published in many newspapers, leading to protests in towns and cities across India. Protesters belonging to radical Hindu groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal took to the streets of Delhi on Monday, shouting slogans against the Australian government and swimwear designer Lisa Blue. Protester Jai Bhagwan Goyal told the Reuters news agency that those who organised the Australian event should be arrested. "The sentiments of billions of Hindus have been hurt and this issue will not get resolved by presenting an apology. We feel this is a deliberate act to get cheap publicity." The court on Tuesday issued notices to the Press Council of India and the state and central governments requiring them to explain their position over the issue. It said that the Indian government should convey to the Australian government how the swimwear display had offended the feelings of the Hindu community. Last week one of those petitioning the court wrote a letter complaining about the publication of the photos in newspapers. [21] The High Court of Allahabad has issued a notice to the Hindustan Times newspaper for publishing the photos of the models sporting the offending clothes. The court also issued notices to the Press Council of India and the state and central governments asking them to explain their position over the issue. The pictures of the swimwear have sparked protests across India, including demonstrations organized by such Hindu groups as Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal. They angrily shouted slogans against the Australia n government, burned Aussie flags and disparaged designer Lisa Blue. [22]
WILSON: A top Indian court has now agreed to consider criminal proceedings in relation to the swimwear design after lawyers argued that the newspaper should not have published the photographs and that the Indian government should have pushed Australia to take action against the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear. For its part the Australian fashion house has now cancelled a planned print run of the swimwear wear. Designer Lisa Burke saying she was unaware of the offence her design would cause. [23] Word of the swimsuit spread when the Australian fashion blog Fashionising posted images from the show. Visual representations of deities are nothing new, when applied to swimwear though, they can certainly provoke an emotional reaction. Provoke this one-piece did. Since the image ran on Fashionising.com our editors have been filtering out hundreds of comments about the piece, none of them pleasant. Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all out death threats. [24] One staged an Australian-flag-burning demonstration, and many more upset folks are leaving hateful comments on the blog Fashionising, which posted images from the offending runway show. These are mostly directed toward designer Lisa Burke, the site's editors write, and range from "statements of concern to mild slurs. and all out death threats." In addition to removing the piece from her spring collection, Burke has apologized, which hasn't ameliorated the outcry much. If she knows so little of Hinduism, she also may know so little of Heidi Klum's annual Halloween costumes, which practically define America's post-"holiday" coverage in America: In 2008, Klum got backlash for taking her assistant's advice and dressing up as a "scary" version of Indian goddess Kali. Reports of Project Runway DVD-burning demonstrations never emerged, so maybe she got off easy. [17]
Fashion designer Lisa Burke has come under fire for unveiling a swimsuit that featured an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. [18] What Lisa Burke didn't expect was the furore the swim suit has triggered in India. KOHLI: This is absolutely explosive and that it hasn't exploded in the manner that it could have is really I think a grace of God, whichever god it iS we pray in. WILSON: Nalin Kohli is a member of the National Executive of India's Bharatiya Janata Party, he's one of those offended by the design featuring the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on the backside of the swimsuit. [23]
Lisa's swimsuit features a print representation of Lakshmi, a Hindu goddess. Although visual representations of gods and goddesses are nothing new to followers of Hinduism, in swimwear though, they can provoke a severe emotional reaction. [11]
Hindu activists expressed anger over the depiction of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, on a swimsuit that was on display at Australian Fashion Week 2011. This past weekend, protesters hit the streets of several Indian cities to express their anger at the Lakshmi swimsuit photo. [18] Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests - Telegraph We no longer check to see whether Telegraph.co.uk displays properly in Internet Explorer version 6 or earlier. [6]
Images of the Hindu goddess of wealth displayed on swimwear at an Australian fashion show have sparked a legal battle in India. [21] From the river Ganges somewhere in India: An Aussie swimwear company dared to depict the Hindu goddess of wealth, Laxmi, on their latest collection and were shocked by the response in India as many extreme Hindu men rioted, burnt effigies of Crocodile Dundee, Australian cricketers and the Aussie flag. The company under great pressure has withdrawn the collection whilst in India heated, extreme Hindu's stripped off naked and jumped in the river Ganges t0o purify their souls before declaring a "Holy War" against Australia. [25]
An Australian swimwear company, whose depiction of image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear upset Hindus worldwide, claims to have cancelled production of swimwear with Lakshmi's picture on it. [26] A BYRON BAY swimwear company has apologised to Hindus worldwide after it incorporated an image of Goddess Lakshmi on its swimwear and sparked widespread religious outrage. [5]
A statement attributed to Lisa Blue Swimwear, headquartered in Byron Bay (Australia), published at certain websites, said: '''We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi. [11]After photos of the models were published in papers across the world, the designer label Lisa Blue issued an apology. They also said that production and sale of the swimwear has ceased. [22] Lisa Blue has already vowed that the suit will never be made for sale. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," said a statement from the label. [15]
LUCKNOW/MELBOURNE: Taking suo motu cognisance of newspaper photographs of an Australian model wearing a bikni with a picture of a Hindu goddess on it, the Allahabad high court has decided to take up the matter as a PIL. A bench comprising justices Devi Prasad Singh and S C Chaurasia directed that the matter be registered as a PIL of criminal nature and fixed the matter for May 10 after three advocates drew the court's attention to the photographs, saying they were intended to insult the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. [27] A swimsuit featuring a picture of the religious Goddess Lakshmi is causing outrage within the Hindu community.[28] AURORA: Goddess Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is a very important Goddess for the people, probably not only the Hindu community but also other religions will also pry to the Goddess because the Goddess brings you wealth and richness and the Hindus pry to it especially on the day of diwali which is the festival of lights. [23]
The Allahabad High Court of the state of Uttar Pradesh agreed to hear a ". A swimsuit has surfaced with a print of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi only to create an outpour of accusation from Hindus who say it is disrespectful towards their religion.[11] The court is considering criminal proceedings for using the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi in swim wears that has sparked angry protests. [11]
The one-piece features a vibrant image of Lakshmi - the Hindu Goddess of wealth and purity - across the front, as well as another smaller image on the rear. [28]
Even more moderate voices have spoken out against the Lakshmi swimsuit. A fashion piece on the controversy in The Times of India headlined '''The West plays with Hindu imagery again''' pointed out that while '''Indian imagery is a hit in western fashion,''' designers often '''ended up with an unfashionable foot in their mouth.''' Part of the reason is that when they look at Hindu gods and goddess, Indians and Westerners see different things. [9] Relations between India and Australia are again being tested, after the appearance of a controversial swimsuit at a major fashion parade. Protesters have taken to the streets in India burning Australian flags, after pictures were published of the outfit which features a picture of the Goddess Lakshmi across the swimsuit's back. [23] Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, added. Rajan Zed pointed out that Australian Government, New South Wales Government, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, etc., who were said to be some of the RAFW partners this year, should reconsider the partnership in the future in view of its inability to halt the trivialization of highly revered Goddess Lakshmi. RAFW, held this year against the spectacular backdrop of Circular Quay, is claimed to be Australia's premier fashion industry event providing a platform for designers to showcase their wholesale collections to the world's most influential buyers and media. [13]
The angry reaction is understandable according to the Australia India Society based in the Australian state of Victoria. It's president Dr Gurdip Aurora says Australia's need to understand the significance of the Goddess Lakshmi. [23]
The Lakshmi saga, however trivial, is not good news for Australia'''s India diplomacy as the country has been working hard to dispel the view that Australians have a racial prejudice against Indians. Initiatives such as the ongoing exhibition '''Indian Aussies: Indians who have made Australia home''', which displays photos of Indian Australians on the outside walls of the Australian High Commission in New Delhi, seem to be part of this effort. There are also regular television advertisements in India by Tourism Australia featuring Indian emigrants heaping praise on their new lives '''Down Under.''' [9]
News of the show triggered protests in India at the weekend, with Hindu groups in the northern state of Punjab burning Australian flags and photos of the swimwear in the streets. [20] In Southeastern Asia, it speaks to a bigger cultural crisis that's been underway for some time. Members of the right wing Hindu organization Shiv Sena and the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata political party are angry at the Aussies for unintentionally disrespecting their culture. They burned images of the Australian flag and held up pictures of models in Hindu deity-adorned swimsuits at a protest in the Indian cities of Hyderabad and Amritsar this weekend, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. [16] The design has prompted outrage within the Hindu community in India, with several protestors taking to the streets brandishing posters of the model in the swimsuit, and setting fire to the Australian flag. [28] Federation of Australian Indian Associations president Vish Viswanathan said that while burning the Australian flag was "totally wrong", the designs "hurt and offend the Hindu community worldwide, including over 200,000 Indians living in Australia". [12]
The company has halted production of the offending item, but not before members of a Hindu nationalist party burned the Australian flag alongside images of the models. [24]
Outraged Hindus take to the streets in protest. According to the North India Times, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed argued that it was "disturbing" to see the religious figure used in such a way. He states that Lakshmi is meant to be "worshipped in temples or home shrines," and not for publicising swimwear in fashion shows for "mercantile greed of an apparel company". [28] "Lakshmi was meant to be worshiped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company," said Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who noted that the apology was "a step in the right direction." Is this an isolated incident in the fashion industry? Hardly. [15] Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, demanded an apology from the designer. He said Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world and its deities deserved to be respected. "Lakshmi was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company," he said. [6]
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that RAFW organizers should show responsibility and consideration toward the hurt worldwide Hindu community and come out with a public apology. In future, they should be more careful about what went on in the fashion show. [13] Jai Bhagwan Goyal, a protester in Delhi, told Reuters that the organizers of the Australian fashion show should be punished. "The sentiments of of Hindus have been hurt and this issue will not get resolved by presenting an apology," he said. "We feel this is a deliberate act to get cheap publicity." [22]
The costume in question was part of the most recent Lisa Blue swimwear ]]swimwear collection, shown during Australian Fashion Week last week. [28] In the Lisa Blue spring 2011 catwalk at Australian fashion week, the swimsuit which Lisa Blue designed became the most popular photo on Fashion Week's publication. Not because it was the most loved one, but because it's the swimsuit that caused the most outrage, resulting in hundreds of abusive comments being left on Fashion Week's website. [11]
Swimwear designed by Byron Bay'''s Lisa Blue fashion house, featuring Hindu icons, has caused outrage and protests in India. [5] What usually would have been a great honour for any Australia fashion designer ended in disaster for Lisa Burke, the creative mind behind swimwear label Lisa Blue. [5] Brett Galvin, from Lisa Blue swimwear, says it was an honest mistake. "The designer really wanted to celebrate the culture of India and to bring that to the people and just absolutely adores the image," he said. "Obviously she sees that's quite wrong now." [29] You can never keep everyone happy FACT but that'''s when you calculate the % of people you would enrage by your actions. What I still find very careless and naive is, how could they use an image of Laxmi, without doing their research first, without understanding the repercussions of celebrating a culture they don'''t really understand? They have got publicity out of this, good or bad, and people who can see beyond the culture difference (potential buyers in this case) were excited by the designs but it is upsetting others and this is what we need to understand. The apology however seems very heartfelt and if it was all just business, and no harm was intended, I'''m sure the talented designers at Lisa Blue will come up with another commercial idea and hopefully this time without attracting any unwanted attention. [5] Anyone who has ever been to India will tell you it is rare to see an Indian woman in a bikini at the beach. This clash of culture is not the first time that Lisa Blue has done this. I felt personally affronted by her use of aboriginal designs from last season or before. Anyone who has been to aboriginal communities outside of urban areas will tell you you very rarely see them in bikinis either. Then there is the whole debate of cultural art ownership and meaning. is it appropriate for a non Indigenous person to use Aboriginal prints in their creative work? There is plenty of discussion of this on the web. [5]
The lawyers argued that the newspaper should not have published the photographs and that the Indian government should have pushed Australia to take action against the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear. [20] Lisa Blue Swimwear is hoping to contain the fallout by apologizing. It promises to halt production immediately, adding the swimsuit will never be available anywhere in the world. [19] After receiving severe castigation from all fronts, Lisa Blue immediately issued statements on all social networking sites, apologizing publicly to all the people who were hurt by the swimsuit designs. [11]
WILSON: When the latest creation from fashion house Lisa Blue was paraded on the catwalk at Sydney Fashion week its Australian designer was hoping it would make a splash. [23] We as a society can'''t survive if we stop giving a rats a$$about how other are effected by your actions. It looks beautiful; I have to give the designers at Lisa Blue big thumbs up for that and it also looks very flattering on the gorgeous model. In this scenario, I guess it'''s more about doing the right thing and being sensitive about what others (in this case 890 million Hindus) think. [5]
The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. [7] One design featured Lakshmi - Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity and one of the religion's most worshipped deities - in a seated position, plastered across the backside of a catwalk model. [12] Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, fertility and courage. She is worshipped every day by Hindus and her image is considered to be sacred. [6] Judging from the activity on Blue's Facebookpage, there is a small but vocal group that remains unsatisfied by the apology. Rather than focusing on the easy ignorance and acquisitiveness that more plausibly lies behind the decision to use a Hindu goddess on a really ugly bathing suit, they compare it to using images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary on condoms and underwear. [24]
An Australian brand of swimwear bearing references to the revered Hindu Goddess Laskshmi has earned the flak of a top Indian court. [11] In an earlier protest statement, Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, asked the swimwear manufacturer and RAFW organizers to publicly apologize and immediately recall all swimwear which showed the Hindu goddess. [14]
May 10 2011 ncddee said. Sorry, religion is the biggest excuse for war that there ever was! Moslems calling for jihad over a mention of mohammed, now this hindu goddess in the wrong place, it used to be catholics who got upset about things. noone expected the spanish inquisition! Or the protestant burning catholics etc.etc. We have to face the fact that humans are programmed to violence and willingly use religion as an excuse to do so. [28] The controversy stems from the "inappropriate" use of Lakshmi's image, which is highly revered in the Hindu religion. [4] "The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand." [5] Byron Bay-based yoga instructor John Ogilvie studied Hinduism for 30 years. "There is a lot of clothing like that in India with images of the Goddess Lakshmi," he said. [5]
An Australian swimwear brand was in trouble recently after putting Goddess Lakshmi on its collection. [30]
The one-piece swimsuit featured a picture of the Goddess Lakshimi. That provoked protests in India, where Australian flags were burnt. [29] Over the weekend, demonstrators in Amritsar, in Punjab, took to the streets and burned the Australian flag in protest, waving photographs of the offensive swimsuit and demanding that all of the garments be recalled. [10]
In response to the suit, members of right-wing Hindi group Shiv Sena burned the Australian flag, believing that it is inappropriate to use Hindu deities or concepts for commercial usage. [15]
The Australian swimwear company which triggered the controversy apologised to the Hindu community. [27] Its offending to print the bikini with Godess image. but at the same time burning the flag is no answer to it. its mixing the religion and patriotism. for the first few comments in the thread - well ppl i know wht Indians did is not a decent way of responding back, but if it was few Australians who did the bikini thing. there were few Indians who burnt the flag. if you think that because of one person the whole Ausi community is being judged. i guess you are also doing the same. [12] For Indians, the images have specific religious connotations, but Westerners, more often than not, just see '''pretty Indian pictures,''' as The Times of India piece put it. This may be why Indian book covers sometimes get an ���Indian makeover��� when they are distributed abroad. [9] WILSON: Nalin Kohli says the latest controversy comes at a time when relations between Australia and India are already being tested After critical media attention of poor treatment of Indian students living in Australia, including widespread reporting of assaults and racist attacks in some of Australia's biggest cities. KOHLI: These things I think it's really better if the Australian Government really solves it fast and get it nipped in the bud because if it escalates it will just become an irritant. [23]
Sunday, a group of orange-clad Hindu activists, led by the right-wing Shiv Shena party, staged a protest in Amristar. Monday, the Hindu nationalist groups Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad gathered in New Delhi brandishing banners against the swimsuit and calling on the Indian government to take legal action against those who insult the Hindu gods and goddesses. [9] Narinder Nanu/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Activist of the right-wing Hindu party Shiv Sena staged a protest against the swimsuit in Amritsar on Sunday. [9]
Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is revered by the Hindus world over. While the response in our beloved Nepal has been relatively low (it did not even rate a mention in the papers), our southern neighbors have been more vocal in their protest against this act of stupidity (for want of a better word). [1] The Indian public came out on roads and agitated against the Lakshmi photo swimsuit. They observed it is very disturbing to see their sacred goddess being used in such a vulgar fashion exhibition. [11] All Indian fashion designers have condemned the act of promoting Lakshmi as a swimsuit photo wear. [11]
Ms. Burke'''s label was quick to announce a halt in production, vowing that the Lakshmi swimsuit would never make it to stores. [9]
In the meantime some newspapers have published a statement by Ms Blue saying the production and sale of the swimwear had been stopped. [21] Following the outcry over the inappropriate use of the goddess the swimwear label yesterday released a statement apologising for the design. [5] "As a sign of respect, the one-piece (swimwear design) falls into that category, but perhaps the swimwear bottom was a little bit too far." It is not the first time a Northern Rivers company has insulted an Indian custom. [5] Lakshmi was plastered on the backside of a model's swimwear and was reported in Indian media, sparking outrage. [8]
Models wearing colourful swimsuits and bikinis covered in pictures of the goddess took to the catwalk in front of hundreds of people in Sydney last week. [6] To portray the Goddess in any flimsy manner on a fashion magazine would be taken as very offensive to the die hard religious Hindu people. [23] T-shirts are fine, but how can you expect tolerance if our god's picture is on underwear. What for? Fashion! i dont think so for a second. these companies only put hindu god pictures on for publicity. just like a couple of years ago when they started making toilet seats of the same too. Maybe some people who think its pettiness should stand in a hindu persons shoes. I am sure if this was a pic of jesus or islamic inscriptions on there. we will be in for the crusade again. [28]
Consider how cultural appropriation occurs daily in the fashion worldwhether of political figures (Che Guevara, anyone?) or religious symbols (myriad Christian crosses, Jewish stars and the aforementioned Hindu gods and goddesses). These images become reinvented outside of their original meaningsas aesthetic decisions, rather than intentional political or religious or social statementsand it's easy to see why Hindus, or anyone else, might be upset by the appropriation of their spiritual imagery. [15] "But the image of the goddess on the bikini bottom, Hindus would consider that very tasteless. [5]
At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. [23] Whether or not we need religion is really not the issue. I would say not, I do not believe in any god, but some people do & I respect their right to do so, without ridicule. It is inappropriate to put any religious iconography on a piece of swimwear, worn by a 1/2 clad woman. It doesn't matter whether she looks good in it or not. It is essentially mocking & deliberately (or displaying breathtaking ignorance in the act of) belittling someone elses belief. Have some respect for other people & their choices in life, or maybe you are happy for someone to have no respect for you.[28] Regardless of how seriously Lisa Burke and her team are taking the matter, some doubt the apology will have any effect. KOHLI: Where ever she has picked up these pictures from, they have not really come out of nowhere. They would have come through the internet or somewhere and I don't think designers normally tend to just do something without doing their homework. [23]
WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. [23]
SOURCES
1. Aussie Design hurts Hindu Sentiments, Australian Nepali
2. Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Pulled (PICS) Burning Flag Protests
3. Lisa Blue Swimsuit Bearing Image of Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Engenders International Furor at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week - Intelligence - Racked National
4. Lisa Blue Apologizes for Lakshmi Swimsuits - News - FashionEtc.com
5. Bikini designer sparks Hindu anger | NSW News | Breaking State News in New South Wales | Northern Star
6. Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests - Telegraph
7. Oz designer sued for Lakshmi bikini - Hindustan Times
8. Fashion week design sparks Indian outrage | CNNGo.com
9. Lisa Blue's Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Sparks Outrage - India Real Time - WSJ
10. Hindu Swimsuit Goddess Outrage - India - Fox Nation
11. Lisa Blue 'Lakshmi' Swimsuit Causes Outrage Among Hindus
12. Lisa Burke sparked outrage for using Hindu goddess Lakshmi on bikinis | Herald Sun
13. Upset Hindus ask apology from Australian Fashion Week organizers also over Lakshmi trivialization
14. Aussie flag burned over image of goddess | thetelegraph.com.au
15. Swimsuit Featuring Hindu Goddess Causes Outrage And Anger | The Frisky
16. A Closer Look at Why This Swimsuit Has Some Indians Burning Australian Flags Fashionista: Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice
17. This Swimsuit Depicting the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Prompted Death Threats, Flag Burning -- The Cut
18. Lakshmi Swimsuit Photo: Lisa Burke Apologizes For Lakshmi Image | NowPublic News Coverage
19. Goddess swimsuit maker runs for cover - The Standard
20. AFP: Indian court takes up Australia 'goddess' swimwear
21. BBC News - Indian fury over Australia swimwear images of Laxmi
22. Hindus outraged by Aussie swimwear featuring goddess Lakshmi
23. Radio Australia:Asia Pacific:Story:Australian swimwear tests relations with India
24. Hindu Goddess Print On Swimsuit Causes Shitstorm
25. The Spoof : Hindu Godess of wealth on Aussie swimwear "boomerangs"! funny satire story
26. Hindu goddess on bikini: Oz fashion firm cancels production
27. Lucknow HC takes up Lisa Blue bikini case as a PIL - The Times of India
28. Lisa Blue swimming costume sparks outrage among Hindus : MYDaily UK
29. Designer gets lesson in cossie culture - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
30. Nude Gods a no-no | Deccan Chronicle
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May-11-2011Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests
(topic overview)- Secular Nepal has overpowered Hindu Nepal, analysts presume. (More...)
- The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. (More...)
- At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. (More...)
- WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. (More...)
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Secular Nepal has overpowered Hindu Nepal, analysts presume. Over the weekend, they took to the streets in several Indian cities, even burning the Australian flag in protest against this act of deep disrespect. The flimsy excuse forwarded by the dress designer for deciding to do this - "it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand". What a perverted Australian brain? Playing with religious sentiments? It may boomerang ultimately. My question is this - Why didn't the designer include Jesus's picture on the swimsuit? Would the Christian community in Australia remain quiet if that had happened? The company has issued an apology - "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. Analysts in Nepal believe that this realization is for real. This range will never be available for sale in any stockiest or retail outlets anywhere in the world. We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously." [1] Over the weekend, right-wing Hindus took their protest to the streets with signs and fire, literally burning the Australian flag over the disrespectful images. Lisa Burke came back with her tail between her legs, issuing an apology and pulling the plug on production of the swimsuit: "The image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world." "We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously." Lisa's message added that her use of the Lakshmi images were ignorant, at best: "'The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand." [2]
The Telegraph reports that Indian activists have taken to burning the Australian flag in demonstrations. The swimwear company, Lisa Blue, has since issued this apology: We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. [3]
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed told the North India Times the image was "meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company." Following a May 8 protest by Indian activists, many of whom clutched photos of the offending swimwear, Lisa Blue has issued an apology and pledged to remove the Lakshmi image from its Spring 2011 collection. "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed," the label says in a message posted on its Facebook wall. [4] "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed," the statement read. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. [5]
In a statement, Lisa Blue Swimwear said the company had put a halt on production of the new range and pulled the pieces that had been shown during Fashion Week. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world," it said. "We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously. [6] Lisa Blue put out a statement promising to halt production immediately and apologising for any offence the design may have caused. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. "We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," the statement said. [7]
The design has been condemned by the president of the Federation of Australian Indian Associations, Vish Viswanathan. He told ���The Daily Telegraph���the designs '''hurt and offended the Hindu community worldwide, including over 200,000 Indians living in Australia.''' '''It is difficult for me to believe it's unintentional,''' Viswanathan said. He said it will further deteriorate views of Australia in India. Designer Lisa Burke has previously lived in India, so many believe she should have known the swimsuit depiction of the popular goddess of wealth and prosperity was inappropriate. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world.''' She says on the company'''swebsite : "'Lisa Blue' represents the girl of the future who can be sexy, beautiful, powerful and environmentally aware at the same time." [8] Harish Tyagi/ European Press Agency Activists of the right-wing Hindu groups Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal protested against the Lakshmi swimsuit in New Delhi Monday. India-Australia relations suffered a minor setback this week, after a swimsuit by an Australian fashion designer featuring a portrait of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, sparked outrage across the subcontinent. Designer and model Lisa Burke presented the swimsuit as part of the latest collection of her Lisa Blue label at Australian Fashion Week Thursday. When pictures of an Indian-looking model wearing a one-piece swimsuit with a portrait of Lakshmi printed on its front and rear made their way to India, Hindu nationalists didn'''t like what they saw. Over the weekend, they took to the streets in several Indian cities, including Hyderabad where pictures show activists burning the Australian flag in protest against what they viewed as an act of deep disrespect. [9] A fashion show has sparked a huge row after models wearing skimpy bikinis plastered with images of a Hindu goddess have enraged the religion who worship her. Australian swimwear label Lisa Blue sent its models down the catwalk at Rosemount Australian in Sydney last week, sporting bright swimsuits which had pictures of revered Lakshmi on them. When news of the show reached India Hindus - who consider her to be the goddess of wealth, prosperity and fertility - were incensed at the deity's image being used in such a sexy way. [10]
A model showcases designs by Lisa Blue on the catwalk during Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney which enraged Hindus Provocative: Lisa Blue has apologised for the design which has deeply offended Hindus The Goddess Lakshmi Lakshmi is the. Well, if it's got an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on it, apparently a lot. Hindus are outraged after Australian designer Lisa Blue trotted a suit with an image of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love and abundance, down the runway in her recent. India-Australia relations suffered a minor setback this week, after a swimsuit by an Australian fashion designer featuring a portrait of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, sparked outrage across the subcontinent. [11] Swimsuits (both a cutout one-piece and a revealing bikini) from Lisa Burke's Lisa Blue Spring 2011 collection has sparked a religious controversy because it features an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. After being shown on the runway during Australian Fashion Week, photos of the suits'''modeled by a catwalker with a bindi on her forehead'''prompted a slew of "abusive" comments to flood Fashionising, which had posted the pics. "Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all-out death threats," the style site writes. [4] At Rosemount Australian Fashion Week on Friday, swimwear designer Lisa Blue sent this suit down the runway of her spring 2011-2012 show. The one-piece cutout suit features a print of the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi on the front and, as soon at the photo hit the web, fashion blog Fashionising was hit with hundreds of angry comments and messages"Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all out death threats," reports the site. [3]
FOR someone who has lived in India, perhaps fashion designer Lisa Burke should have known better. Right-wing groups took to the streets in India, burning Australian flags after Ms Burke sparked outrage for using the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on skimpy bikinis for her label Lisa Blue at Australian Fashion Week. [12]
During a runway show at Royal Australian Fashion Week in Sydney last week, a model donned a Lisa Blue bikini which featured the Hindu deity Goddess Lakshmi, who symbolises prosperity and beauty. Visibly upset Indian activists of the right-wing Hindu organisation Shiv Sena were photographed waving images of the model wearing the design as they set an Australian flag on fire during a demonstration in India. [5] Nevada (US), May 10: Welcoming apology from Australian swimwear label Lisa Blue Swimwear, upset Hindus have repeated their appeal of apology from Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) organizers also, which was held in Sydney (Australia) from May 2-6 and showed the model with Goddess Lakshmi image on swimwear. [13] UPSET Hindus have welcomed apology from an Australian swimwear label over the depiction of image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney last week. Indian activists of the right-wing Hindu organisation Shiv Sena held photocopies of models wearing swimwear featuring Lakshmi as they burned an Australian flag during a demonstration in Amritsar. [14]
Australian fashion label Lisa Blue recently debuted the number on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week. An Australian swimwear label company has apologised to the Hindu community for hurting their sentiments after swimwear label company chose to place the picture of Goddess Lakshmi on the bikini of models." [11] Rajan Zed, the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, also asked the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear and Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) organizers to apologize and immediately recall all swimwear which show Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. He believes usage of the Hindu goddess for commercial use was not okay as it hurts the devotees. [11] What's in a swimsuit? Well, if it's got an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on it, apparently a lot. Hindus are outraged after Australian designer Lisa Blue trotted a suit with an image of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love and abundance, down the runway in her recent spring 2011 show during Australian Fashion Week. [15] The swimsuit design, which has outraged Hindus across India and abroad, is sexually appealing as it bravely displays the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity on the front of the bathing suit and also the back, printed on the buttocks area. Lisa Burke presented the swimsuit as part of her Lisa Blue label at Australian Fashion Week on Thursday. The model and designer strutted down the runway with a red dot on her forehead, a feather in her hair, and a tan that will knock your socks off. [2]
The groups were angered by the use of Hindu deities like Ganesha and Lakshmi on designer Lisa Burke's swimwear, which was modeled on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week. (Burke's label, Lisa Blue, donates 25% of net profits to protecting whales and dolphins in the South Pacific.) While we're not completely insensitive to the religious values of these folks, we were a bit perplexed over the brouhaha, given that there are plenty of clothes already out there emblazoned with Hindu deities.[16]
Australian Designer Lisa Blue has sparked controversy by designing swim suits depicting the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, which was shown at Australian Fashion Week.[1] Australian swimwear brand Lisa Blue will not produce a one-piece it showed on the runway with an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, following serious unrest among Hindu groups in India. [17]
A fashion show caused a Larg row after use models tiny bikinis with images of a Hindu goddess angry covered, that the cult.Australian swimwear label Blue Lisa sent their models on the podium at the Fashion Week in Sydney, Australia Rosemount last week, sports swimsuits were vivid images of Lakshmi, the revered.The show drew the attention of media. [11] The label was called out by Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who "said that it was disturbing to see goddess Lakshmi, who was highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. [11]The Indian politico-religious right claimed that Lakshmi is symbol of simplicity and modesty. The label was called out by statesman Rajan Zed, who said, "It was disturbing to see Goddess Lakshmi, who is highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. [11]
The statement also said: '''The uses of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking.''' '''We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously.''' The Times of India noted that this isn't the first time that fashion designers have struggled with incorporating Indian imagery into their work. [18] Hindus in India are burning Australian flags after an Australian fashion designer unveiled a swimsuit with images of Hindu goddess Lakshmi on the torso and buttocks sections of the swimsuit. [2] Hindus have staged angry protests after a fashion designer exhibited swimsuits bearing the image of the goddess Lakshmi at Australian Fashion Week. [6]
The swimsuit featuring Indian goddess Lakshmi at Australian Fashion Week 2011 will never make it to the stores after protests across India saw photographs of the design and the Australian national flag burned. [8]
An Indian court agreed to consider criminal proceedings over a swimwear bearing the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi following angry protests where crowds burned Australian flags and photos of the swimwear in the streets. [19] LUCKNOW, India — A top Indian court has agreed to consider criminal proceedings over an Australian brand of swimwear bearing the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi that has sparked angry protests. [20]
Pictures of the controversial swimwear were published in many newspapers, leading to protests in towns and cities across India. Protesters belonging to radical Hindu groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal took to the streets of Delhi on Monday, shouting slogans against the Australian government and swimwear designer Lisa Blue. Protester Jai Bhagwan Goyal told the Reuters news agency that those who organised the Australian event should be arrested. "The sentiments of billions of Hindus have been hurt and this issue will not get resolved by presenting an apology. We feel this is a deliberate act to get cheap publicity." The court on Tuesday issued notices to the Press Council of India and the state and central governments requiring them to explain their position over the issue. It said that the Indian government should convey to the Australian government how the swimwear display had offended the feelings of the Hindu community. Last week one of those petitioning the court wrote a letter complaining about the publication of the photos in newspapers. [21] The High Court of Allahabad has issued a notice to the Hindustan Times newspaper for publishing the photos of the models sporting the offending clothes. The court also issued notices to the Press Council of India and the state and central governments asking them to explain their position over the issue. The pictures of the swimwear have sparked protests across India, including demonstrations organized by such Hindu groups as Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal. They angrily shouted slogans against the Australia n government, burned Aussie flags and disparaged designer Lisa Blue. [22]
WILSON: A top Indian court has now agreed to consider criminal proceedings in relation to the swimwear design after lawyers argued that the newspaper should not have published the photographs and that the Indian government should have pushed Australia to take action against the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear. For its part the Australian fashion house has now cancelled a planned print run of the swimwear wear. Designer Lisa Burke saying she was unaware of the offence her design would cause. [23] Word of the swimsuit spread when the Australian fashion blog Fashionising posted images from the show. Visual representations of deities are nothing new, when applied to swimwear though, they can certainly provoke an emotional reaction. Provoke this one-piece did. Since the image ran on Fashionising.com our editors have been filtering out hundreds of comments about the piece, none of them pleasant. Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all out death threats. [24] One staged an Australian-flag-burning demonstration, and many more upset folks are leaving hateful comments on the blog Fashionising, which posted images from the offending runway show. These are mostly directed toward designer Lisa Burke, the site's editors write, and range from "statements of concern to mild slurs. and all out death threats." In addition to removing the piece from her spring collection, Burke has apologized, which hasn't ameliorated the outcry much. If she knows so little of Hinduism, she also may know so little of Heidi Klum's annual Halloween costumes, which practically define America's post-"holiday" coverage in America: In 2008, Klum got backlash for taking her assistant's advice and dressing up as a "scary" version of Indian goddess Kali. Reports of Project Runway DVD-burning demonstrations never emerged, so maybe she got off easy. [17]
Fashion designer Lisa Burke has come under fire for unveiling a swimsuit that featured an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. [18] What Lisa Burke didn't expect was the furore the swim suit has triggered in India. KOHLI: This is absolutely explosive and that it hasn't exploded in the manner that it could have is really I think a grace of God, whichever god it iS we pray in. WILSON: Nalin Kohli is a member of the National Executive of India's Bharatiya Janata Party, he's one of those offended by the design featuring the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on the backside of the swimsuit. [23]
Lisa's swimsuit features a print representation of Lakshmi, a Hindu goddess. Although visual representations of gods and goddesses are nothing new to followers of Hinduism, in swimwear though, they can provoke a severe emotional reaction. [11]
Hindu activists expressed anger over the depiction of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, on a swimsuit that was on display at Australian Fashion Week 2011. This past weekend, protesters hit the streets of several Indian cities to express their anger at the Lakshmi swimsuit photo. [18] Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests - Telegraph We no longer check to see whether Telegraph.co.uk displays properly in Internet Explorer version 6 or earlier. [6]
Images of the Hindu goddess of wealth displayed on swimwear at an Australian fashion show have sparked a legal battle in India. [21] From the river Ganges somewhere in India: An Aussie swimwear company dared to depict the Hindu goddess of wealth, Laxmi, on their latest collection and were shocked by the response in India as many extreme Hindu men rioted, burnt effigies of Crocodile Dundee, Australian cricketers and the Aussie flag. The company under great pressure has withdrawn the collection whilst in India heated, extreme Hindu's stripped off naked and jumped in the river Ganges t0o purify their souls before declaring a "Holy War" against Australia. [25]
An Australian swimwear company, whose depiction of image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear upset Hindus worldwide, claims to have cancelled production of swimwear with Lakshmi's picture on it. [26] A BYRON BAY swimwear company has apologised to Hindus worldwide after it incorporated an image of Goddess Lakshmi on its swimwear and sparked widespread religious outrage. [5]
A statement attributed to Lisa Blue Swimwear, headquartered in Byron Bay (Australia), published at certain websites, said: '''We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi. [11]After photos of the models were published in papers across the world, the designer label Lisa Blue issued an apology. They also said that production and sale of the swimwear has ceased. [22] Lisa Blue has already vowed that the suit will never be made for sale. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," said a statement from the label. [15]
LUCKNOW/MELBOURNE: Taking suo motu cognisance of newspaper photographs of an Australian model wearing a bikni with a picture of a Hindu goddess on it, the Allahabad high court has decided to take up the matter as a PIL. A bench comprising justices Devi Prasad Singh and S C Chaurasia directed that the matter be registered as a PIL of criminal nature and fixed the matter for May 10 after three advocates drew the court's attention to the photographs, saying they were intended to insult the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. [27] A swimsuit featuring a picture of the religious Goddess Lakshmi is causing outrage within the Hindu community.[28] AURORA: Goddess Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is a very important Goddess for the people, probably not only the Hindu community but also other religions will also pry to the Goddess because the Goddess brings you wealth and richness and the Hindus pry to it especially on the day of diwali which is the festival of lights. [23]
The Allahabad High Court of the state of Uttar Pradesh agreed to hear a ". A swimsuit has surfaced with a print of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi only to create an outpour of accusation from Hindus who say it is disrespectful towards their religion.[11] The court is considering criminal proceedings for using the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi in swim wears that has sparked angry protests. [11]
The one-piece features a vibrant image of Lakshmi - the Hindu Goddess of wealth and purity - across the front, as well as another smaller image on the rear. [28]
Even more moderate voices have spoken out against the Lakshmi swimsuit. A fashion piece on the controversy in The Times of India headlined '''The West plays with Hindu imagery again''' pointed out that while '''Indian imagery is a hit in western fashion,''' designers often '''ended up with an unfashionable foot in their mouth.''' Part of the reason is that when they look at Hindu gods and goddess, Indians and Westerners see different things. [9] Relations between India and Australia are again being tested, after the appearance of a controversial swimsuit at a major fashion parade. Protesters have taken to the streets in India burning Australian flags, after pictures were published of the outfit which features a picture of the Goddess Lakshmi across the swimsuit's back. [23] Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, added. Rajan Zed pointed out that Australian Government, New South Wales Government, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, etc., who were said to be some of the RAFW partners this year, should reconsider the partnership in the future in view of its inability to halt the trivialization of highly revered Goddess Lakshmi. RAFW, held this year against the spectacular backdrop of Circular Quay, is claimed to be Australia's premier fashion industry event providing a platform for designers to showcase their wholesale collections to the world's most influential buyers and media. [13]
The angry reaction is understandable according to the Australia India Society based in the Australian state of Victoria. It's president Dr Gurdip Aurora says Australia's need to understand the significance of the Goddess Lakshmi. [23]
The Lakshmi saga, however trivial, is not good news for Australia'''s India diplomacy as the country has been working hard to dispel the view that Australians have a racial prejudice against Indians. Initiatives such as the ongoing exhibition '''Indian Aussies: Indians who have made Australia home''', which displays photos of Indian Australians on the outside walls of the Australian High Commission in New Delhi, seem to be part of this effort. There are also regular television advertisements in India by Tourism Australia featuring Indian emigrants heaping praise on their new lives '''Down Under.''' [9]
News of the show triggered protests in India at the weekend, with Hindu groups in the northern state of Punjab burning Australian flags and photos of the swimwear in the streets. [20] In Southeastern Asia, it speaks to a bigger cultural crisis that's been underway for some time. Members of the right wing Hindu organization Shiv Sena and the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata political party are angry at the Aussies for unintentionally disrespecting their culture. They burned images of the Australian flag and held up pictures of models in Hindu deity-adorned swimsuits at a protest in the Indian cities of Hyderabad and Amritsar this weekend, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. [16] The design has prompted outrage within the Hindu community in India, with several protestors taking to the streets brandishing posters of the model in the swimsuit, and setting fire to the Australian flag. [28] Federation of Australian Indian Associations president Vish Viswanathan said that while burning the Australian flag was "totally wrong", the designs "hurt and offend the Hindu community worldwide, including over 200,000 Indians living in Australia". [12]
The company has halted production of the offending item, but not before members of a Hindu nationalist party burned the Australian flag alongside images of the models. [24]
Outraged Hindus take to the streets in protest. According to the North India Times, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed argued that it was "disturbing" to see the religious figure used in such a way. He states that Lakshmi is meant to be "worshipped in temples or home shrines," and not for publicising swimwear in fashion shows for "mercantile greed of an apparel company". [28] "Lakshmi was meant to be worshiped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company," said Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who noted that the apology was "a step in the right direction." Is this an isolated incident in the fashion industry? Hardly. [15] Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, demanded an apology from the designer. He said Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world and its deities deserved to be respected. "Lakshmi was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company," he said. [6]
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that RAFW organizers should show responsibility and consideration toward the hurt worldwide Hindu community and come out with a public apology. In future, they should be more careful about what went on in the fashion show. [13] Jai Bhagwan Goyal, a protester in Delhi, told Reuters that the organizers of the Australian fashion show should be punished. "The sentiments of of Hindus have been hurt and this issue will not get resolved by presenting an apology," he said. "We feel this is a deliberate act to get cheap publicity." [22]
The costume in question was part of the most recent Lisa Blue swimwear ]]swimwear collection, shown during Australian Fashion Week last week. [28] In the Lisa Blue spring 2011 catwalk at Australian fashion week, the swimsuit which Lisa Blue designed became the most popular photo on Fashion Week's publication. Not because it was the most loved one, but because it's the swimsuit that caused the most outrage, resulting in hundreds of abusive comments being left on Fashion Week's website. [11]
Swimwear designed by Byron Bay'''s Lisa Blue fashion house, featuring Hindu icons, has caused outrage and protests in India. [5] What usually would have been a great honour for any Australia fashion designer ended in disaster for Lisa Burke, the creative mind behind swimwear label Lisa Blue. [5] Brett Galvin, from Lisa Blue swimwear, says it was an honest mistake. "The designer really wanted to celebrate the culture of India and to bring that to the people and just absolutely adores the image," he said. "Obviously she sees that's quite wrong now." [29] You can never keep everyone happy FACT but that'''s when you calculate the % of people you would enrage by your actions. What I still find very careless and naive is, how could they use an image of Laxmi, without doing their research first, without understanding the repercussions of celebrating a culture they don'''t really understand? They have got publicity out of this, good or bad, and people who can see beyond the culture difference (potential buyers in this case) were excited by the designs but it is upsetting others and this is what we need to understand. The apology however seems very heartfelt and if it was all just business, and no harm was intended, I'''m sure the talented designers at Lisa Blue will come up with another commercial idea and hopefully this time without attracting any unwanted attention. [5] Anyone who has ever been to India will tell you it is rare to see an Indian woman in a bikini at the beach. This clash of culture is not the first time that Lisa Blue has done this. I felt personally affronted by her use of aboriginal designs from last season or before. Anyone who has been to aboriginal communities outside of urban areas will tell you you very rarely see them in bikinis either. Then there is the whole debate of cultural art ownership and meaning. is it appropriate for a non Indigenous person to use Aboriginal prints in their creative work? There is plenty of discussion of this on the web. [5]
The lawyers argued that the newspaper should not have published the photographs and that the Indian government should have pushed Australia to take action against the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear. [20] Lisa Blue Swimwear is hoping to contain the fallout by apologizing. It promises to halt production immediately, adding the swimsuit will never be available anywhere in the world. [19] After receiving severe castigation from all fronts, Lisa Blue immediately issued statements on all social networking sites, apologizing publicly to all the people who were hurt by the swimsuit designs. [11]
WILSON: When the latest creation from fashion house Lisa Blue was paraded on the catwalk at Sydney Fashion week its Australian designer was hoping it would make a splash. [23] We as a society can'''t survive if we stop giving a rats a$$about how other are effected by your actions. It looks beautiful; I have to give the designers at Lisa Blue big thumbs up for that and it also looks very flattering on the gorgeous model. In this scenario, I guess it'''s more about doing the right thing and being sensitive about what others (in this case 890 million Hindus) think. [5]
The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. [7] One design featured Lakshmi - Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity and one of the religion's most worshipped deities - in a seated position, plastered across the backside of a catwalk model. [12] Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, fertility and courage. She is worshipped every day by Hindus and her image is considered to be sacred. [6] Judging from the activity on Blue's Facebookpage, there is a small but vocal group that remains unsatisfied by the apology. Rather than focusing on the easy ignorance and acquisitiveness that more plausibly lies behind the decision to use a Hindu goddess on a really ugly bathing suit, they compare it to using images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary on condoms and underwear. [24]
An Australian brand of swimwear bearing references to the revered Hindu Goddess Laskshmi has earned the flak of a top Indian court. [11] In an earlier protest statement, Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, asked the swimwear manufacturer and RAFW organizers to publicly apologize and immediately recall all swimwear which showed the Hindu goddess. [14]
May 10 2011 ncddee said. Sorry, religion is the biggest excuse for war that there ever was! Moslems calling for jihad over a mention of mohammed, now this hindu goddess in the wrong place, it used to be catholics who got upset about things. noone expected the spanish inquisition! Or the protestant burning catholics etc.etc. We have to face the fact that humans are programmed to violence and willingly use religion as an excuse to do so. [28] The controversy stems from the "inappropriate" use of Lakshmi's image, which is highly revered in the Hindu religion. [4] "The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand." [5] Byron Bay-based yoga instructor John Ogilvie studied Hinduism for 30 years. "There is a lot of clothing like that in India with images of the Goddess Lakshmi," he said. [5]
An Australian swimwear brand was in trouble recently after putting Goddess Lakshmi on its collection. [30]
The one-piece swimsuit featured a picture of the Goddess Lakshimi. That provoked protests in India, where Australian flags were burnt. [29] Over the weekend, demonstrators in Amritsar, in Punjab, took to the streets and burned the Australian flag in protest, waving photographs of the offensive swimsuit and demanding that all of the garments be recalled. [10]
In response to the suit, members of right-wing Hindi group Shiv Sena burned the Australian flag, believing that it is inappropriate to use Hindu deities or concepts for commercial usage. [15]
The Australian swimwear company which triggered the controversy apologised to the Hindu community. [27] Its offending to print the bikini with Godess image. but at the same time burning the flag is no answer to it. its mixing the religion and patriotism. for the first few comments in the thread - well ppl i know wht Indians did is not a decent way of responding back, but if it was few Australians who did the bikini thing. there were few Indians who burnt the flag. if you think that because of one person the whole Ausi community is being judged. i guess you are also doing the same. [12] For Indians, the images have specific religious connotations, but Westerners, more often than not, just see '''pretty Indian pictures,''' as The Times of India piece put it. This may be why Indian book covers sometimes get an ���Indian makeover��� when they are distributed abroad. [9] WILSON: Nalin Kohli says the latest controversy comes at a time when relations between Australia and India are already being tested After critical media attention of poor treatment of Indian students living in Australia, including widespread reporting of assaults and racist attacks in some of Australia's biggest cities. KOHLI: These things I think it's really better if the Australian Government really solves it fast and get it nipped in the bud because if it escalates it will just become an irritant. [23]
Sunday, a group of orange-clad Hindu activists, led by the right-wing Shiv Shena party, staged a protest in Amristar. Monday, the Hindu nationalist groups Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad gathered in New Delhi brandishing banners against the swimsuit and calling on the Indian government to take legal action against those who insult the Hindu gods and goddesses. [9] Narinder Nanu/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Activist of the right-wing Hindu party Shiv Sena staged a protest against the swimsuit in Amritsar on Sunday. [9]
Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is revered by the Hindus world over. While the response in our beloved Nepal has been relatively low (it did not even rate a mention in the papers), our southern neighbors have been more vocal in their protest against this act of stupidity (for want of a better word). [1] The Indian public came out on roads and agitated against the Lakshmi photo swimsuit. They observed it is very disturbing to see their sacred goddess being used in such a vulgar fashion exhibition. [11] All Indian fashion designers have condemned the act of promoting Lakshmi as a swimsuit photo wear. [11]
Ms. Burke'''s label was quick to announce a halt in production, vowing that the Lakshmi swimsuit would never make it to stores. [9]
In the meantime some newspapers have published a statement by Ms Blue saying the production and sale of the swimwear had been stopped. [21] Following the outcry over the inappropriate use of the goddess the swimwear label yesterday released a statement apologising for the design. [5] "As a sign of respect, the one-piece (swimwear design) falls into that category, but perhaps the swimwear bottom was a little bit too far." It is not the first time a Northern Rivers company has insulted an Indian custom. [5] Lakshmi was plastered on the backside of a model's swimwear and was reported in Indian media, sparking outrage. [8]
Models wearing colourful swimsuits and bikinis covered in pictures of the goddess took to the catwalk in front of hundreds of people in Sydney last week. [6] To portray the Goddess in any flimsy manner on a fashion magazine would be taken as very offensive to the die hard religious Hindu people. [23] T-shirts are fine, but how can you expect tolerance if our god's picture is on underwear. What for? Fashion! i dont think so for a second. these companies only put hindu god pictures on for publicity. just like a couple of years ago when they started making toilet seats of the same too. Maybe some people who think its pettiness should stand in a hindu persons shoes. I am sure if this was a pic of jesus or islamic inscriptions on there. we will be in for the crusade again. [28]
Consider how cultural appropriation occurs daily in the fashion worldwhether of political figures (Che Guevara, anyone?) or religious symbols (myriad Christian crosses, Jewish stars and the aforementioned Hindu gods and goddesses). These images become reinvented outside of their original meaningsas aesthetic decisions, rather than intentional political or religious or social statementsand it's easy to see why Hindus, or anyone else, might be upset by the appropriation of their spiritual imagery. [15] "But the image of the goddess on the bikini bottom, Hindus would consider that very tasteless. [5]
At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. [23] Whether or not we need religion is really not the issue. I would say not, I do not believe in any god, but some people do & I respect their right to do so, without ridicule. It is inappropriate to put any religious iconography on a piece of swimwear, worn by a 1/2 clad woman. It doesn't matter whether she looks good in it or not. It is essentially mocking & deliberately (or displaying breathtaking ignorance in the act of) belittling someone elses belief. Have some respect for other people & their choices in life, or maybe you are happy for someone to have no respect for you.[28] Regardless of how seriously Lisa Burke and her team are taking the matter, some doubt the apology will have any effect. KOHLI: Where ever she has picked up these pictures from, they have not really come out of nowhere. They would have come through the internet or somewhere and I don't think designers normally tend to just do something without doing their homework. [23]
WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. [23]
SOURCES
1. Aussie Design hurts Hindu Sentiments, Australian Nepali
2. Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Pulled (PICS) Burning Flag Protests
3. Lisa Blue Swimsuit Bearing Image of Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Engenders International Furor at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week - Intelligence - Racked National
4. Lisa Blue Apologizes for Lakshmi Swimsuits - News - FashionEtc.com
5. Bikini designer sparks Hindu anger | NSW News | Breaking State News in New South Wales | Northern Star
6. Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests - Telegraph
7. Oz designer sued for Lakshmi bikini - Hindustan Times
8. Fashion week design sparks Indian outrage | CNNGo.com
9. Lisa Blue's Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Sparks Outrage - India Real Time - WSJ
10. Hindu Swimsuit Goddess Outrage - India - Fox Nation
11. Lisa Blue 'Lakshmi' Swimsuit Causes Outrage Among Hindus
12. Lisa Burke sparked outrage for using Hindu goddess Lakshmi on bikinis | Herald Sun
13. Upset Hindus ask apology from Australian Fashion Week organizers also over Lakshmi trivialization
14. Aussie flag burned over image of goddess | thetelegraph.com.au
15. Swimsuit Featuring Hindu Goddess Causes Outrage And Anger | The Frisky
16. A Closer Look at Why This Swimsuit Has Some Indians Burning Australian Flags Fashionista: Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice
17. This Swimsuit Depicting the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Prompted Death Threats, Flag Burning -- The Cut
18. Lakshmi Swimsuit Photo: Lisa Burke Apologizes For Lakshmi Image | NowPublic News Coverage
19. Goddess swimsuit maker runs for cover - The Standard
20. AFP: Indian court takes up Australia 'goddess' swimwear
21. BBC News - Indian fury over Australia swimwear images of Laxmi
22. Hindus outraged by Aussie swimwear featuring goddess Lakshmi
23. Radio Australia:Asia Pacific:Story:Australian swimwear tests relations with India
24. Hindu Goddess Print On Swimsuit Causes Shitstorm
25. The Spoof : Hindu Godess of wealth on Aussie swimwear "boomerangs"! funny satire story
26. Hindu goddess on bikini: Oz fashion firm cancels production
27. Lucknow HC takes up Lisa Blue bikini case as a PIL - The Times of India
28. Lisa Blue swimming costume sparks outrage among Hindus : MYDaily UK
29. Designer gets lesson in cossie culture - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
30. Nude Gods a no-no | Deccan Chronicle
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May-11-2011Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests
(topic overview)- Secular Nepal has overpowered Hindu Nepal, analysts presume. (More...)
- The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. (More...)
- At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. (More...)
- WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. (More...)
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Secular Nepal has overpowered Hindu Nepal, analysts presume. Over the weekend, they took to the streets in several Indian cities, even burning the Australian flag in protest against this act of deep disrespect. The flimsy excuse forwarded by the dress designer for deciding to do this - "it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand". What a perverted Australian brain? Playing with religious sentiments? It may boomerang ultimately. My question is this - Why didn't the designer include Jesus's picture on the swimsuit? Would the Christian community in Australia remain quiet if that had happened? The company has issued an apology - "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. Analysts in Nepal believe that this realization is for real. This range will never be available for sale in any stockiest or retail outlets anywhere in the world. We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously." [1] Over the weekend, right-wing Hindus took their protest to the streets with signs and fire, literally burning the Australian flag over the disrespectful images. Lisa Burke came back with her tail between her legs, issuing an apology and pulling the plug on production of the swimsuit: "The image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world." "We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously." Lisa's message added that her use of the Lakshmi images were ignorant, at best: "'The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand." [2]
The Telegraph reports that Indian activists have taken to burning the Australian flag in demonstrations. The swimwear company, Lisa Blue, has since issued this apology: We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. [3]
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed told the North India Times the image was "meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company." Following a May 8 protest by Indian activists, many of whom clutched photos of the offending swimwear, Lisa Blue has issued an apology and pledged to remove the Lakshmi image from its Spring 2011 collection. "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed," the label says in a message posted on its Facebook wall. [4] "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed," the statement read. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. [5]
In a statement, Lisa Blue Swimwear said the company had put a halt on production of the new range and pulled the pieces that had been shown during Fashion Week. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world," it said. "We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously. [6] Lisa Blue put out a statement promising to halt production immediately and apologising for any offence the design may have caused. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. "We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," the statement said. [7]
The design has been condemned by the president of the Federation of Australian Indian Associations, Vish Viswanathan. He told ���The Daily Telegraph���the designs '''hurt and offended the Hindu community worldwide, including over 200,000 Indians living in Australia.''' '''It is difficult for me to believe it's unintentional,''' Viswanathan said. He said it will further deteriorate views of Australia in India. Designer Lisa Burke has previously lived in India, so many believe she should have known the swimsuit depiction of the popular goddess of wealth and prosperity was inappropriate. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world.''' She says on the company'''swebsite : "'Lisa Blue' represents the girl of the future who can be sexy, beautiful, powerful and environmentally aware at the same time." [8] Harish Tyagi/ European Press Agency Activists of the right-wing Hindu groups Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal protested against the Lakshmi swimsuit in New Delhi Monday. India-Australia relations suffered a minor setback this week, after a swimsuit by an Australian fashion designer featuring a portrait of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, sparked outrage across the subcontinent. Designer and model Lisa Burke presented the swimsuit as part of the latest collection of her Lisa Blue label at Australian Fashion Week Thursday. When pictures of an Indian-looking model wearing a one-piece swimsuit with a portrait of Lakshmi printed on its front and rear made their way to India, Hindu nationalists didn'''t like what they saw. Over the weekend, they took to the streets in several Indian cities, including Hyderabad where pictures show activists burning the Australian flag in protest against what they viewed as an act of deep disrespect. [9] A fashion show has sparked a huge row after models wearing skimpy bikinis plastered with images of a Hindu goddess have enraged the religion who worship her. Australian swimwear label Lisa Blue sent its models down the catwalk at Rosemount Australian in Sydney last week, sporting bright swimsuits which had pictures of revered Lakshmi on them. When news of the show reached India Hindus - who consider her to be the goddess of wealth, prosperity and fertility - were incensed at the deity's image being used in such a sexy way. [10]
A model showcases designs by Lisa Blue on the catwalk during Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney which enraged Hindus Provocative: Lisa Blue has apologised for the design which has deeply offended Hindus The Goddess Lakshmi Lakshmi is the. Well, if it's got an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on it, apparently a lot. Hindus are outraged after Australian designer Lisa Blue trotted a suit with an image of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love and abundance, down the runway in her recent. India-Australia relations suffered a minor setback this week, after a swimsuit by an Australian fashion designer featuring a portrait of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, sparked outrage across the subcontinent. [11] Swimsuits (both a cutout one-piece and a revealing bikini) from Lisa Burke's Lisa Blue Spring 2011 collection has sparked a religious controversy because it features an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. After being shown on the runway during Australian Fashion Week, photos of the suits'''modeled by a catwalker with a bindi on her forehead'''prompted a slew of "abusive" comments to flood Fashionising, which had posted the pics. "Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all-out death threats," the style site writes. [4] At Rosemount Australian Fashion Week on Friday, swimwear designer Lisa Blue sent this suit down the runway of her spring 2011-2012 show. The one-piece cutout suit features a print of the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi on the front and, as soon at the photo hit the web, fashion blog Fashionising was hit with hundreds of angry comments and messages"Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all out death threats," reports the site. [3]
FOR someone who has lived in India, perhaps fashion designer Lisa Burke should have known better. Right-wing groups took to the streets in India, burning Australian flags after Ms Burke sparked outrage for using the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on skimpy bikinis for her label Lisa Blue at Australian Fashion Week. [12]
During a runway show at Royal Australian Fashion Week in Sydney last week, a model donned a Lisa Blue bikini which featured the Hindu deity Goddess Lakshmi, who symbolises prosperity and beauty. Visibly upset Indian activists of the right-wing Hindu organisation Shiv Sena were photographed waving images of the model wearing the design as they set an Australian flag on fire during a demonstration in India. [5] Nevada (US), May 10: Welcoming apology from Australian swimwear label Lisa Blue Swimwear, upset Hindus have repeated their appeal of apology from Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) organizers also, which was held in Sydney (Australia) from May 2-6 and showed the model with Goddess Lakshmi image on swimwear. [13] UPSET Hindus have welcomed apology from an Australian swimwear label over the depiction of image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney last week. Indian activists of the right-wing Hindu organisation Shiv Sena held photocopies of models wearing swimwear featuring Lakshmi as they burned an Australian flag during a demonstration in Amritsar. [14]
Australian fashion label Lisa Blue recently debuted the number on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week. An Australian swimwear label company has apologised to the Hindu community for hurting their sentiments after swimwear label company chose to place the picture of Goddess Lakshmi on the bikini of models." [11] Rajan Zed, the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, also asked the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear and Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) organizers to apologize and immediately recall all swimwear which show Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. He believes usage of the Hindu goddess for commercial use was not okay as it hurts the devotees. [11] What's in a swimsuit? Well, if it's got an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on it, apparently a lot. Hindus are outraged after Australian designer Lisa Blue trotted a suit with an image of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love and abundance, down the runway in her recent spring 2011 show during Australian Fashion Week. [15] The swimsuit design, which has outraged Hindus across India and abroad, is sexually appealing as it bravely displays the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity on the front of the bathing suit and also the back, printed on the buttocks area. Lisa Burke presented the swimsuit as part of her Lisa Blue label at Australian Fashion Week on Thursday. The model and designer strutted down the runway with a red dot on her forehead, a feather in her hair, and a tan that will knock your socks off. [2]
The groups were angered by the use of Hindu deities like Ganesha and Lakshmi on designer Lisa Burke's swimwear, which was modeled on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week. (Burke's label, Lisa Blue, donates 25% of net profits to protecting whales and dolphins in the South Pacific.) While we're not completely insensitive to the religious values of these folks, we were a bit perplexed over the brouhaha, given that there are plenty of clothes already out there emblazoned with Hindu deities.[16]
Australian Designer Lisa Blue has sparked controversy by designing swim suits depicting the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, which was shown at Australian Fashion Week.[1] Australian swimwear brand Lisa Blue will not produce a one-piece it showed on the runway with an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, following serious unrest among Hindu groups in India. [17]
A fashion show caused a Larg row after use models tiny bikinis with images of a Hindu goddess angry covered, that the cult.Australian swimwear label Blue Lisa sent their models on the podium at the Fashion Week in Sydney, Australia Rosemount last week, sports swimsuits were vivid images of Lakshmi, the revered.The show drew the attention of media. [11] The label was called out by Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who "said that it was disturbing to see goddess Lakshmi, who was highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. [11]The Indian politico-religious right claimed that Lakshmi is symbol of simplicity and modesty. The label was called out by statesman Rajan Zed, who said, "It was disturbing to see Goddess Lakshmi, who is highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. [11]
The statement also said: '''The uses of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking.''' '''We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously.''' The Times of India noted that this isn't the first time that fashion designers have struggled with incorporating Indian imagery into their work. [18] Hindus in India are burning Australian flags after an Australian fashion designer unveiled a swimsuit with images of Hindu goddess Lakshmi on the torso and buttocks sections of the swimsuit. [2] Hindus have staged angry protests after a fashion designer exhibited swimsuits bearing the image of the goddess Lakshmi at Australian Fashion Week. [6]
The swimsuit featuring Indian goddess Lakshmi at Australian Fashion Week 2011 will never make it to the stores after protests across India saw photographs of the design and the Australian national flag burned. [8]
An Indian court agreed to consider criminal proceedings over a swimwear bearing the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi following angry protests where crowds burned Australian flags and photos of the swimwear in the streets. [19] LUCKNOW, India — A top Indian court has agreed to consider criminal proceedings over an Australian brand of swimwear bearing the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi that has sparked angry protests. [20]
Pictures of the controversial swimwear were published in many newspapers, leading to protests in towns and cities across India. Protesters belonging to radical Hindu groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal took to the streets of Delhi on Monday, shouting slogans against the Australian government and swimwear designer Lisa Blue. Protester Jai Bhagwan Goyal told the Reuters news agency that those who organised the Australian event should be arrested. "The sentiments of billions of Hindus have been hurt and this issue will not get resolved by presenting an apology. We feel this is a deliberate act to get cheap publicity." The court on Tuesday issued notices to the Press Council of India and the state and central governments requiring them to explain their position over the issue. It said that the Indian government should convey to the Australian government how the swimwear display had offended the feelings of the Hindu community. Last week one of those petitioning the court wrote a letter complaining about the publication of the photos in newspapers. [21] The High Court of Allahabad has issued a notice to the Hindustan Times newspaper for publishing the photos of the models sporting the offending clothes. The court also issued notices to the Press Council of India and the state and central governments asking them to explain their position over the issue. The pictures of the swimwear have sparked protests across India, including demonstrations organized by such Hindu groups as Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal. They angrily shouted slogans against the Australia n government, burned Aussie flags and disparaged designer Lisa Blue. [22]
WILSON: A top Indian court has now agreed to consider criminal proceedings in relation to the swimwear design after lawyers argued that the newspaper should not have published the photographs and that the Indian government should have pushed Australia to take action against the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear. For its part the Australian fashion house has now cancelled a planned print run of the swimwear wear. Designer Lisa Burke saying she was unaware of the offence her design would cause. [23] Word of the swimsuit spread when the Australian fashion blog Fashionising posted images from the show. Visual representations of deities are nothing new, when applied to swimwear though, they can certainly provoke an emotional reaction. Provoke this one-piece did. Since the image ran on Fashionising.com our editors have been filtering out hundreds of comments about the piece, none of them pleasant. Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all out death threats. [24] One staged an Australian-flag-burning demonstration, and many more upset folks are leaving hateful comments on the blog Fashionising, which posted images from the offending runway show. These are mostly directed toward designer Lisa Burke, the site's editors write, and range from "statements of concern to mild slurs. and all out death threats." In addition to removing the piece from her spring collection, Burke has apologized, which hasn't ameliorated the outcry much. If she knows so little of Hinduism, she also may know so little of Heidi Klum's annual Halloween costumes, which practically define America's post-"holiday" coverage in America: In 2008, Klum got backlash for taking her assistant's advice and dressing up as a "scary" version of Indian goddess Kali. Reports of Project Runway DVD-burning demonstrations never emerged, so maybe she got off easy. [17]
Fashion designer Lisa Burke has come under fire for unveiling a swimsuit that featured an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. [18] What Lisa Burke didn't expect was the furore the swim suit has triggered in India. KOHLI: This is absolutely explosive and that it hasn't exploded in the manner that it could have is really I think a grace of God, whichever god it iS we pray in. WILSON: Nalin Kohli is a member of the National Executive of India's Bharatiya Janata Party, he's one of those offended by the design featuring the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on the backside of the swimsuit. [23]
Lisa's swimsuit features a print representation of Lakshmi, a Hindu goddess. Although visual representations of gods and goddesses are nothing new to followers of Hinduism, in swimwear though, they can provoke a severe emotional reaction. [11]
Hindu activists expressed anger over the depiction of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, on a swimsuit that was on display at Australian Fashion Week 2011. This past weekend, protesters hit the streets of several Indian cities to express their anger at the Lakshmi swimsuit photo. [18] Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests - Telegraph We no longer check to see whether Telegraph.co.uk displays properly in Internet Explorer version 6 or earlier. [6]
Images of the Hindu goddess of wealth displayed on swimwear at an Australian fashion show have sparked a legal battle in India. [21] From the river Ganges somewhere in India: An Aussie swimwear company dared to depict the Hindu goddess of wealth, Laxmi, on their latest collection and were shocked by the response in India as many extreme Hindu men rioted, burnt effigies of Crocodile Dundee, Australian cricketers and the Aussie flag. The company under great pressure has withdrawn the collection whilst in India heated, extreme Hindu's stripped off naked and jumped in the river Ganges t0o purify their souls before declaring a "Holy War" against Australia. [25]
An Australian swimwear company, whose depiction of image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear upset Hindus worldwide, claims to have cancelled production of swimwear with Lakshmi's picture on it. [26] A BYRON BAY swimwear company has apologised to Hindus worldwide after it incorporated an image of Goddess Lakshmi on its swimwear and sparked widespread religious outrage. [5]
A statement attributed to Lisa Blue Swimwear, headquartered in Byron Bay (Australia), published at certain websites, said: '''We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi. [11]After photos of the models were published in papers across the world, the designer label Lisa Blue issued an apology. They also said that production and sale of the swimwear has ceased. [22] Lisa Blue has already vowed that the suit will never be made for sale. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," said a statement from the label. [15]
LUCKNOW/MELBOURNE: Taking suo motu cognisance of newspaper photographs of an Australian model wearing a bikni with a picture of a Hindu goddess on it, the Allahabad high court has decided to take up the matter as a PIL. A bench comprising justices Devi Prasad Singh and S C Chaurasia directed that the matter be registered as a PIL of criminal nature and fixed the matter for May 10 after three advocates drew the court's attention to the photographs, saying they were intended to insult the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. [27] A swimsuit featuring a picture of the religious Goddess Lakshmi is causing outrage within the Hindu community.[28] AURORA: Goddess Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is a very important Goddess for the people, probably not only the Hindu community but also other religions will also pry to the Goddess because the Goddess brings you wealth and richness and the Hindus pry to it especially on the day of diwali which is the festival of lights. [23]
The Allahabad High Court of the state of Uttar Pradesh agreed to hear a ". A swimsuit has surfaced with a print of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi only to create an outpour of accusation from Hindus who say it is disrespectful towards their religion.[11] The court is considering criminal proceedings for using the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi in swim wears that has sparked angry protests. [11]
The one-piece features a vibrant image of Lakshmi - the Hindu Goddess of wealth and purity - across the front, as well as another smaller image on the rear. [28]
Even more moderate voices have spoken out against the Lakshmi swimsuit. A fashion piece on the controversy in The Times of India headlined '''The West plays with Hindu imagery again''' pointed out that while '''Indian imagery is a hit in western fashion,''' designers often '''ended up with an unfashionable foot in their mouth.''' Part of the reason is that when they look at Hindu gods and goddess, Indians and Westerners see different things. [9] Relations between India and Australia are again being tested, after the appearance of a controversial swimsuit at a major fashion parade. Protesters have taken to the streets in India burning Australian flags, after pictures were published of the outfit which features a picture of the Goddess Lakshmi across the swimsuit's back. [23] Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, added. Rajan Zed pointed out that Australian Government, New South Wales Government, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, etc., who were said to be some of the RAFW partners this year, should reconsider the partnership in the future in view of its inability to halt the trivialization of highly revered Goddess Lakshmi. RAFW, held this year against the spectacular backdrop of Circular Quay, is claimed to be Australia's premier fashion industry event providing a platform for designers to showcase their wholesale collections to the world's most influential buyers and media. [13]
The angry reaction is understandable according to the Australia India Society based in the Australian state of Victoria. It's president Dr Gurdip Aurora says Australia's need to understand the significance of the Goddess Lakshmi. [23]
The Lakshmi saga, however trivial, is not good news for Australia'''s India diplomacy as the country has been working hard to dispel the view that Australians have a racial prejudice against Indians. Initiatives such as the ongoing exhibition '''Indian Aussies: Indians who have made Australia home''', which displays photos of Indian Australians on the outside walls of the Australian High Commission in New Delhi, seem to be part of this effort. There are also regular television advertisements in India by Tourism Australia featuring Indian emigrants heaping praise on their new lives '''Down Under.''' [9]
News of the show triggered protests in India at the weekend, with Hindu groups in the northern state of Punjab burning Australian flags and photos of the swimwear in the streets. [20] In Southeastern Asia, it speaks to a bigger cultural crisis that's been underway for some time. Members of the right wing Hindu organization Shiv Sena and the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata political party are angry at the Aussies for unintentionally disrespecting their culture. They burned images of the Australian flag and held up pictures of models in Hindu deity-adorned swimsuits at a protest in the Indian cities of Hyderabad and Amritsar this weekend, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. [16] The design has prompted outrage within the Hindu community in India, with several protestors taking to the streets brandishing posters of the model in the swimsuit, and setting fire to the Australian flag. [28] Federation of Australian Indian Associations president Vish Viswanathan said that while burning the Australian flag was "totally wrong", the designs "hurt and offend the Hindu community worldwide, including over 200,000 Indians living in Australia". [12]
The company has halted production of the offending item, but not before members of a Hindu nationalist party burned the Australian flag alongside images of the models. [24]
Outraged Hindus take to the streets in protest. According to the North India Times, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed argued that it was "disturbing" to see the religious figure used in such a way. He states that Lakshmi is meant to be "worshipped in temples or home shrines," and not for publicising swimwear in fashion shows for "mercantile greed of an apparel company". [28] "Lakshmi was meant to be worshiped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company," said Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who noted that the apology was "a step in the right direction." Is this an isolated incident in the fashion industry? Hardly. [15] Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, demanded an apology from the designer. He said Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world and its deities deserved to be respected. "Lakshmi was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company," he said. [6]
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that RAFW organizers should show responsibility and consideration toward the hurt worldwide Hindu community and come out with a public apology. In future, they should be more careful about what went on in the fashion show. [13] Jai Bhagwan Goyal, a protester in Delhi, told Reuters that the organizers of the Australian fashion show should be punished. "The sentiments of of Hindus have been hurt and this issue will not get resolved by presenting an apology," he said. "We feel this is a deliberate act to get cheap publicity." [22]
The costume in question was part of the most recent Lisa Blue swimwear ]]swimwear collection, shown during Australian Fashion Week last week. [28] In the Lisa Blue spring 2011 catwalk at Australian fashion week, the swimsuit which Lisa Blue designed became the most popular photo on Fashion Week's publication. Not because it was the most loved one, but because it's the swimsuit that caused the most outrage, resulting in hundreds of abusive comments being left on Fashion Week's website. [11]
Swimwear designed by Byron Bay'''s Lisa Blue fashion house, featuring Hindu icons, has caused outrage and protests in India. [5] What usually would have been a great honour for any Australia fashion designer ended in disaster for Lisa Burke, the creative mind behind swimwear label Lisa Blue. [5] Brett Galvin, from Lisa Blue swimwear, says it was an honest mistake. "The designer really wanted to celebrate the culture of India and to bring that to the people and just absolutely adores the image," he said. "Obviously she sees that's quite wrong now." [29] You can never keep everyone happy FACT but that'''s when you calculate the % of people you would enrage by your actions. What I still find very careless and naive is, how could they use an image of Laxmi, without doing their research first, without understanding the repercussions of celebrating a culture they don'''t really understand? They have got publicity out of this, good or bad, and people who can see beyond the culture difference (potential buyers in this case) were excited by the designs but it is upsetting others and this is what we need to understand. The apology however seems very heartfelt and if it was all just business, and no harm was intended, I'''m sure the talented designers at Lisa Blue will come up with another commercial idea and hopefully this time without attracting any unwanted attention. [5] Anyone who has ever been to India will tell you it is rare to see an Indian woman in a bikini at the beach. This clash of culture is not the first time that Lisa Blue has done this. I felt personally affronted by her use of aboriginal designs from last season or before. Anyone who has been to aboriginal communities outside of urban areas will tell you you very rarely see them in bikinis either. Then there is the whole debate of cultural art ownership and meaning. is it appropriate for a non Indigenous person to use Aboriginal prints in their creative work? There is plenty of discussion of this on the web. [5]
The lawyers argued that the newspaper should not have published the photographs and that the Indian government should have pushed Australia to take action against the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear. [20] Lisa Blue Swimwear is hoping to contain the fallout by apologizing. It promises to halt production immediately, adding the swimsuit will never be available anywhere in the world. [19] After receiving severe castigation from all fronts, Lisa Blue immediately issued statements on all social networking sites, apologizing publicly to all the people who were hurt by the swimsuit designs. [11]
WILSON: When the latest creation from fashion house Lisa Blue was paraded on the catwalk at Sydney Fashion week its Australian designer was hoping it would make a splash. [23] We as a society can'''t survive if we stop giving a rats a$$about how other are effected by your actions. It looks beautiful; I have to give the designers at Lisa Blue big thumbs up for that and it also looks very flattering on the gorgeous model. In this scenario, I guess it'''s more about doing the right thing and being sensitive about what others (in this case 890 million Hindus) think. [5]
The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. [7] One design featured Lakshmi - Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity and one of the religion's most worshipped deities - in a seated position, plastered across the backside of a catwalk model. [12] Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, fertility and courage. She is worshipped every day by Hindus and her image is considered to be sacred. [6] Judging from the activity on Blue's Facebookpage, there is a small but vocal group that remains unsatisfied by the apology. Rather than focusing on the easy ignorance and acquisitiveness that more plausibly lies behind the decision to use a Hindu goddess on a really ugly bathing suit, they compare it to using images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary on condoms and underwear. [24]
An Australian brand of swimwear bearing references to the revered Hindu Goddess Laskshmi has earned the flak of a top Indian court. [11] In an earlier protest statement, Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, asked the swimwear manufacturer and RAFW organizers to publicly apologize and immediately recall all swimwear which showed the Hindu goddess. [14]
May 10 2011 ncddee said. Sorry, religion is the biggest excuse for war that there ever was! Moslems calling for jihad over a mention of mohammed, now this hindu goddess in the wrong place, it used to be catholics who got upset about things. noone expected the spanish inquisition! Or the protestant burning catholics etc.etc. We have to face the fact that humans are programmed to violence and willingly use religion as an excuse to do so. [28] The controversy stems from the "inappropriate" use of Lakshmi's image, which is highly revered in the Hindu religion. [4] "The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand." [5] Byron Bay-based yoga instructor John Ogilvie studied Hinduism for 30 years. "There is a lot of clothing like that in India with images of the Goddess Lakshmi," he said. [5]
An Australian swimwear brand was in trouble recently after putting Goddess Lakshmi on its collection. [30]
The one-piece swimsuit featured a picture of the Goddess Lakshimi. That provoked protests in India, where Australian flags were burnt. [29] Over the weekend, demonstrators in Amritsar, in Punjab, took to the streets and burned the Australian flag in protest, waving photographs of the offensive swimsuit and demanding that all of the garments be recalled. [10]
In response to the suit, members of right-wing Hindi group Shiv Sena burned the Australian flag, believing that it is inappropriate to use Hindu deities or concepts for commercial usage. [15]
The Australian swimwear company which triggered the controversy apologised to the Hindu community. [27] Its offending to print the bikini with Godess image. but at the same time burning the flag is no answer to it. its mixing the religion and patriotism. for the first few comments in the thread - well ppl i know wht Indians did is not a decent way of responding back, but if it was few Australians who did the bikini thing. there were few Indians who burnt the flag. if you think that because of one person the whole Ausi community is being judged. i guess you are also doing the same. [12] For Indians, the images have specific religious connotations, but Westerners, more often than not, just see '''pretty Indian pictures,''' as The Times of India piece put it. This may be why Indian book covers sometimes get an ���Indian makeover��� when they are distributed abroad. [9] WILSON: Nalin Kohli says the latest controversy comes at a time when relations between Australia and India are already being tested After critical media attention of poor treatment of Indian students living in Australia, including widespread reporting of assaults and racist attacks in some of Australia's biggest cities. KOHLI: These things I think it's really better if the Australian Government really solves it fast and get it nipped in the bud because if it escalates it will just become an irritant. [23]
Sunday, a group of orange-clad Hindu activists, led by the right-wing Shiv Shena party, staged a protest in Amristar. Monday, the Hindu nationalist groups Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad gathered in New Delhi brandishing banners against the swimsuit and calling on the Indian government to take legal action against those who insult the Hindu gods and goddesses. [9] Narinder Nanu/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Activist of the right-wing Hindu party Shiv Sena staged a protest against the swimsuit in Amritsar on Sunday. [9]
Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is revered by the Hindus world over. While the response in our beloved Nepal has been relatively low (it did not even rate a mention in the papers), our southern neighbors have been more vocal in their protest against this act of stupidity (for want of a better word). [1] The Indian public came out on roads and agitated against the Lakshmi photo swimsuit. They observed it is very disturbing to see their sacred goddess being used in such a vulgar fashion exhibition. [11] All Indian fashion designers have condemned the act of promoting Lakshmi as a swimsuit photo wear. [11]
Ms. Burke'''s label was quick to announce a halt in production, vowing that the Lakshmi swimsuit would never make it to stores. [9]
In the meantime some newspapers have published a statement by Ms Blue saying the production and sale of the swimwear had been stopped. [21] Following the outcry over the inappropriate use of the goddess the swimwear label yesterday released a statement apologising for the design. [5] "As a sign of respect, the one-piece (swimwear design) falls into that category, but perhaps the swimwear bottom was a little bit too far." It is not the first time a Northern Rivers company has insulted an Indian custom. [5] Lakshmi was plastered on the backside of a model's swimwear and was reported in Indian media, sparking outrage. [8]
Models wearing colourful swimsuits and bikinis covered in pictures of the goddess took to the catwalk in front of hundreds of people in Sydney last week. [6] To portray the Goddess in any flimsy manner on a fashion magazine would be taken as very offensive to the die hard religious Hindu people. [23] T-shirts are fine, but how can you expect tolerance if our god's picture is on underwear. What for? Fashion! i dont think so for a second. these companies only put hindu god pictures on for publicity. just like a couple of years ago when they started making toilet seats of the same too. Maybe some people who think its pettiness should stand in a hindu persons shoes. I am sure if this was a pic of jesus or islamic inscriptions on there. we will be in for the crusade again. [28]
Consider how cultural appropriation occurs daily in the fashion worldwhether of political figures (Che Guevara, anyone?) or religious symbols (myriad Christian crosses, Jewish stars and the aforementioned Hindu gods and goddesses). These images become reinvented outside of their original meaningsas aesthetic decisions, rather than intentional political or religious or social statementsand it's easy to see why Hindus, or anyone else, might be upset by the appropriation of their spiritual imagery. [15] "But the image of the goddess on the bikini bottom, Hindus would consider that very tasteless. [5]
At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. [23] Whether or not we need religion is really not the issue. I would say not, I do not believe in any god, but some people do & I respect their right to do so, without ridicule. It is inappropriate to put any religious iconography on a piece of swimwear, worn by a 1/2 clad woman. It doesn't matter whether she looks good in it or not. It is essentially mocking & deliberately (or displaying breathtaking ignorance in the act of) belittling someone elses belief. Have some respect for other people & their choices in life, or maybe you are happy for someone to have no respect for you.[28] Regardless of how seriously Lisa Burke and her team are taking the matter, some doubt the apology will have any effect. KOHLI: Where ever she has picked up these pictures from, they have not really come out of nowhere. They would have come through the internet or somewhere and I don't think designers normally tend to just do something without doing their homework. [23]
WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. [23]
SOURCES
1. Aussie Design hurts Hindu Sentiments, Australian Nepali
2. Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Pulled (PICS) Burning Flag Protests
3. Lisa Blue Swimsuit Bearing Image of Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Engenders International Furor at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week - Intelligence - Racked National
4. Lisa Blue Apologizes for Lakshmi Swimsuits - News - FashionEtc.com
5. Bikini designer sparks Hindu anger | NSW News | Breaking State News in New South Wales | Northern Star
6. Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests - Telegraph
7. Oz designer sued for Lakshmi bikini - Hindustan Times
8. Fashion week design sparks Indian outrage | CNNGo.com
9. Lisa Blue's Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Sparks Outrage - India Real Time - WSJ
10. Hindu Swimsuit Goddess Outrage - India - Fox Nation
11. Lisa Blue 'Lakshmi' Swimsuit Causes Outrage Among Hindus
12. Lisa Burke sparked outrage for using Hindu goddess Lakshmi on bikinis | Herald Sun
13. Upset Hindus ask apology from Australian Fashion Week organizers also over Lakshmi trivialization
14. Aussie flag burned over image of goddess | thetelegraph.com.au
15. Swimsuit Featuring Hindu Goddess Causes Outrage And Anger | The Frisky
16. A Closer Look at Why This Swimsuit Has Some Indians Burning Australian Flags Fashionista: Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice
17. This Swimsuit Depicting the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Prompted Death Threats, Flag Burning -- The Cut
18. Lakshmi Swimsuit Photo: Lisa Burke Apologizes For Lakshmi Image | NowPublic News Coverage
19. Goddess swimsuit maker runs for cover - The Standard
20. AFP: Indian court takes up Australia 'goddess' swimwear
21. BBC News - Indian fury over Australia swimwear images of Laxmi
22. Hindus outraged by Aussie swimwear featuring goddess Lakshmi
23. Radio Australia:Asia Pacific:Story:Australian swimwear tests relations with India
24. Hindu Goddess Print On Swimsuit Causes Shitstorm
25. The Spoof : Hindu Godess of wealth on Aussie swimwear "boomerangs"! funny satire story
26. Hindu goddess on bikini: Oz fashion firm cancels production
27. Lucknow HC takes up Lisa Blue bikini case as a PIL - The Times of India
28. Lisa Blue swimming costume sparks outrage among Hindus : MYDaily UK
29. Designer gets lesson in cossie culture - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
30. Nude Gods a no-no | Deccan Chronicle
May-11-2011Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests
(topic overview)- Secular Nepal has overpowered Hindu Nepal, analysts presume. (More...)
- The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. (More...)
- At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. (More...)
- WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. (More...)
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Secular Nepal has overpowered Hindu Nepal, analysts presume. Over the weekend, they took to the streets in several Indian cities, even burning the Australian flag in protest against this act of deep disrespect. The flimsy excuse forwarded by the dress designer for deciding to do this - "it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand". What a perverted Australian brain? Playing with religious sentiments? It may boomerang ultimately. My question is this - Why didn't the designer include Jesus's picture on the swimsuit? Would the Christian community in Australia remain quiet if that had happened? The company has issued an apology - "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. Analysts in Nepal believe that this realization is for real. This range will never be available for sale in any stockiest or retail outlets anywhere in the world. We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously." [1] Over the weekend, right-wing Hindus took their protest to the streets with signs and fire, literally burning the Australian flag over the disrespectful images. Lisa Burke came back with her tail between her legs, issuing an apology and pulling the plug on production of the swimsuit: "The image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world." "We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously." Lisa's message added that her use of the Lakshmi images were ignorant, at best: "'The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand." [2]
The Telegraph reports that Indian activists have taken to burning the Australian flag in demonstrations. The swimwear company, Lisa Blue, has since issued this apology: We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. [3]
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed told the North India Times the image was "meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company." Following a May 8 protest by Indian activists, many of whom clutched photos of the offending swimwear, Lisa Blue has issued an apology and pledged to remove the Lakshmi image from its Spring 2011 collection. "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed," the label says in a message posted on its Facebook wall. [4] "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed," the statement read. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. [5]
In a statement, Lisa Blue Swimwear said the company had put a halt on production of the new range and pulled the pieces that had been shown during Fashion Week. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world," it said. "We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously. [6] Lisa Blue put out a statement promising to halt production immediately and apologising for any offence the design may have caused. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. "We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," the statement said. [7]
The design has been condemned by the president of the Federation of Australian Indian Associations, Vish Viswanathan. He told ���The Daily Telegraph���the designs '''hurt and offended the Hindu community worldwide, including over 200,000 Indians living in Australia.''' '''It is difficult for me to believe it's unintentional,''' Viswanathan said. He said it will further deteriorate views of Australia in India. Designer Lisa Burke has previously lived in India, so many believe she should have known the swimsuit depiction of the popular goddess of wealth and prosperity was inappropriate. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world.''' She says on the company'''swebsite : "'Lisa Blue' represents the girl of the future who can be sexy, beautiful, powerful and environmentally aware at the same time." [8] Harish Tyagi/ European Press Agency Activists of the right-wing Hindu groups Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal protested against the Lakshmi swimsuit in New Delhi Monday. India-Australia relations suffered a minor setback this week, after a swimsuit by an Australian fashion designer featuring a portrait of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, sparked outrage across the subcontinent. Designer and model Lisa Burke presented the swimsuit as part of the latest collection of her Lisa Blue label at Australian Fashion Week Thursday. When pictures of an Indian-looking model wearing a one-piece swimsuit with a portrait of Lakshmi printed on its front and rear made their way to India, Hindu nationalists didn'''t like what they saw. Over the weekend, they took to the streets in several Indian cities, including Hyderabad where pictures show activists burning the Australian flag in protest against what they viewed as an act of deep disrespect. [9] A fashion show has sparked a huge row after models wearing skimpy bikinis plastered with images of a Hindu goddess have enraged the religion who worship her. Australian swimwear label Lisa Blue sent its models down the catwalk at Rosemount Australian in Sydney last week, sporting bright swimsuits which had pictures of revered Lakshmi on them. When news of the show reached India Hindus - who consider her to be the goddess of wealth, prosperity and fertility - were incensed at the deity's image being used in such a sexy way. [10]
A model showcases designs by Lisa Blue on the catwalk during Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney which enraged Hindus Provocative: Lisa Blue has apologised for the design which has deeply offended Hindus The Goddess Lakshmi Lakshmi is the. Well, if it's got an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on it, apparently a lot. Hindus are outraged after Australian designer Lisa Blue trotted a suit with an image of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love and abundance, down the runway in her recent. India-Australia relations suffered a minor setback this week, after a swimsuit by an Australian fashion designer featuring a portrait of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, sparked outrage across the subcontinent. [11] Swimsuits (both a cutout one-piece and a revealing bikini) from Lisa Burke's Lisa Blue Spring 2011 collection has sparked a religious controversy because it features an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. After being shown on the runway during Australian Fashion Week, photos of the suits'''modeled by a catwalker with a bindi on her forehead'''prompted a slew of "abusive" comments to flood Fashionising, which had posted the pics. "Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all-out death threats," the style site writes. [4] At Rosemount Australian Fashion Week on Friday, swimwear designer Lisa Blue sent this suit down the runway of her spring 2011-2012 show. The one-piece cutout suit features a print of the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi on the front and, as soon at the photo hit the web, fashion blog Fashionising was hit with hundreds of angry comments and messages"Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all out death threats," reports the site. [3]
FOR someone who has lived in India, perhaps fashion designer Lisa Burke should have known better. Right-wing groups took to the streets in India, burning Australian flags after Ms Burke sparked outrage for using the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on skimpy bikinis for her label Lisa Blue at Australian Fashion Week. [12]
During a runway show at Royal Australian Fashion Week in Sydney last week, a model donned a Lisa Blue bikini which featured the Hindu deity Goddess Lakshmi, who symbolises prosperity and beauty. Visibly upset Indian activists of the right-wing Hindu organisation Shiv Sena were photographed waving images of the model wearing the design as they set an Australian flag on fire during a demonstration in India. [5] Nevada (US), May 10: Welcoming apology from Australian swimwear label Lisa Blue Swimwear, upset Hindus have repeated their appeal of apology from Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) organizers also, which was held in Sydney (Australia) from May 2-6 and showed the model with Goddess Lakshmi image on swimwear. [13] UPSET Hindus have welcomed apology from an Australian swimwear label over the depiction of image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney last week. Indian activists of the right-wing Hindu organisation Shiv Sena held photocopies of models wearing swimwear featuring Lakshmi as they burned an Australian flag during a demonstration in Amritsar. [14]
Australian fashion label Lisa Blue recently debuted the number on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week. An Australian swimwear label company has apologised to the Hindu community for hurting their sentiments after swimwear label company chose to place the picture of Goddess Lakshmi on the bikini of models." [11] Rajan Zed, the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, also asked the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear and Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) organizers to apologize and immediately recall all swimwear which show Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. He believes usage of the Hindu goddess for commercial use was not okay as it hurts the devotees. [11] What's in a swimsuit? Well, if it's got an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on it, apparently a lot. Hindus are outraged after Australian designer Lisa Blue trotted a suit with an image of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love and abundance, down the runway in her recent spring 2011 show during Australian Fashion Week. [15] The swimsuit design, which has outraged Hindus across India and abroad, is sexually appealing as it bravely displays the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity on the front of the bathing suit and also the back, printed on the buttocks area. Lisa Burke presented the swimsuit as part of her Lisa Blue label at Australian Fashion Week on Thursday. The model and designer strutted down the runway with a red dot on her forehead, a feather in her hair, and a tan that will knock your socks off. [2]
The groups were angered by the use of Hindu deities like Ganesha and Lakshmi on designer Lisa Burke's swimwear, which was modeled on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week. (Burke's label, Lisa Blue, donates 25% of net profits to protecting whales and dolphins in the South Pacific.) While we're not completely insensitive to the religious values of these folks, we were a bit perplexed over the brouhaha, given that there are plenty of clothes already out there emblazoned with Hindu deities.[16]
Australian Designer Lisa Blue has sparked controversy by designing swim suits depicting the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, which was shown at Australian Fashion Week.[1] Australian swimwear brand Lisa Blue will not produce a one-piece it showed on the runway with an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, following serious unrest among Hindu groups in India. [17]
A fashion show caused a Larg row after use models tiny bikinis with images of a Hindu goddess angry covered, that the cult.Australian swimwear label Blue Lisa sent their models on the podium at the Fashion Week in Sydney, Australia Rosemount last week, sports swimsuits were vivid images of Lakshmi, the revered.The show drew the attention of media. [11] The label was called out by Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who "said that it was disturbing to see goddess Lakshmi, who was highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. [11]The Indian politico-religious right claimed that Lakshmi is symbol of simplicity and modesty. The label was called out by statesman Rajan Zed, who said, "It was disturbing to see Goddess Lakshmi, who is highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. [11]
The statement also said: '''The uses of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking.''' '''We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously.''' The Times of India noted that this isn't the first time that fashion designers have struggled with incorporating Indian imagery into their work. [18] Hindus in India are burning Australian flags after an Australian fashion designer unveiled a swimsuit with images of Hindu goddess Lakshmi on the torso and buttocks sections of the swimsuit. [2] Hindus have staged angry protests after a fashion designer exhibited swimsuits bearing the image of the goddess Lakshmi at Australian Fashion Week. [6]
The swimsuit featuring Indian goddess Lakshmi at Australian Fashion Week 2011 will never make it to the stores after protests across India saw photographs of the design and the Australian national flag burned. [8]
An Indian court agreed to consider criminal proceedings over a swimwear bearing the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi following angry protests where crowds burned Australian flags and photos of the swimwear in the streets. [19] LUCKNOW, India — A top Indian court has agreed to consider criminal proceedings over an Australian brand of swimwear bearing the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi that has sparked angry protests. [20]
Pictures of the controversial swimwear were published in many newspapers, leading to protests in towns and cities across India. Protesters belonging to radical Hindu groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal took to the streets of Delhi on Monday, shouting slogans against the Australian government and swimwear designer Lisa Blue. Protester Jai Bhagwan Goyal told the Reuters news agency that those who organised the Australian event should be arrested. "The sentiments of billions of Hindus have been hurt and this issue will not get resolved by presenting an apology. We feel this is a deliberate act to get cheap publicity." The court on Tuesday issued notices to the Press Council of India and the state and central governments requiring them to explain their position over the issue. It said that the Indian government should convey to the Australian government how the swimwear display had offended the feelings of the Hindu community. Last week one of those petitioning the court wrote a letter complaining about the publication of the photos in newspapers. [21] The High Court of Allahabad has issued a notice to the Hindustan Times newspaper for publishing the photos of the models sporting the offending clothes. The court also issued notices to the Press Council of India and the state and central governments asking them to explain their position over the issue. The pictures of the swimwear have sparked protests across India, including demonstrations organized by such Hindu groups as Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal. They angrily shouted slogans against the Australia n government, burned Aussie flags and disparaged designer Lisa Blue. [22]
WILSON: A top Indian court has now agreed to consider criminal proceedings in relation to the swimwear design after lawyers argued that the newspaper should not have published the photographs and that the Indian government should have pushed Australia to take action against the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear. For its part the Australian fashion house has now cancelled a planned print run of the swimwear wear. Designer Lisa Burke saying she was unaware of the offence her design would cause. [23] Word of the swimsuit spread when the Australian fashion blog Fashionising posted images from the show. Visual representations of deities are nothing new, when applied to swimwear though, they can certainly provoke an emotional reaction. Provoke this one-piece did. Since the image ran on Fashionising.com our editors have been filtering out hundreds of comments about the piece, none of them pleasant. Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all out death threats. [24] One staged an Australian-flag-burning demonstration, and many more upset folks are leaving hateful comments on the blog Fashionising, which posted images from the offending runway show. These are mostly directed toward designer Lisa Burke, the site's editors write, and range from "statements of concern to mild slurs. and all out death threats." In addition to removing the piece from her spring collection, Burke has apologized, which hasn't ameliorated the outcry much. If she knows so little of Hinduism, she also may know so little of Heidi Klum's annual Halloween costumes, which practically define America's post-"holiday" coverage in America: In 2008, Klum got backlash for taking her assistant's advice and dressing up as a "scary" version of Indian goddess Kali. Reports of Project Runway DVD-burning demonstrations never emerged, so maybe she got off easy. [17]
Fashion designer Lisa Burke has come under fire for unveiling a swimsuit that featured an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. [18] What Lisa Burke didn't expect was the furore the swim suit has triggered in India. KOHLI: This is absolutely explosive and that it hasn't exploded in the manner that it could have is really I think a grace of God, whichever god it iS we pray in. WILSON: Nalin Kohli is a member of the National Executive of India's Bharatiya Janata Party, he's one of those offended by the design featuring the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on the backside of the swimsuit. [23]
Lisa's swimsuit features a print representation of Lakshmi, a Hindu goddess. Although visual representations of gods and goddesses are nothing new to followers of Hinduism, in swimwear though, they can provoke a severe emotional reaction. [11]
Hindu activists expressed anger over the depiction of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, on a swimsuit that was on display at Australian Fashion Week 2011. This past weekend, protesters hit the streets of several Indian cities to express their anger at the Lakshmi swimsuit photo. [18] Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests - Telegraph We no longer check to see whether Telegraph.co.uk displays properly in Internet Explorer version 6 or earlier. [6]
Images of the Hindu goddess of wealth displayed on swimwear at an Australian fashion show have sparked a legal battle in India. [21] From the river Ganges somewhere in India: An Aussie swimwear company dared to depict the Hindu goddess of wealth, Laxmi, on their latest collection and were shocked by the response in India as many extreme Hindu men rioted, burnt effigies of Crocodile Dundee, Australian cricketers and the Aussie flag. The company under great pressure has withdrawn the collection whilst in India heated, extreme Hindu's stripped off naked and jumped in the river Ganges t0o purify their souls before declaring a "Holy War" against Australia. [25]
An Australian swimwear company, whose depiction of image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear upset Hindus worldwide, claims to have cancelled production of swimwear with Lakshmi's picture on it. [26] A BYRON BAY swimwear company has apologised to Hindus worldwide after it incorporated an image of Goddess Lakshmi on its swimwear and sparked widespread religious outrage. [5]
A statement attributed to Lisa Blue Swimwear, headquartered in Byron Bay (Australia), published at certain websites, said: '''We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi. [11]After photos of the models were published in papers across the world, the designer label Lisa Blue issued an apology. They also said that production and sale of the swimwear has ceased. [22] Lisa Blue has already vowed that the suit will never be made for sale. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," said a statement from the label. [15]
LUCKNOW/MELBOURNE: Taking suo motu cognisance of newspaper photographs of an Australian model wearing a bikni with a picture of a Hindu goddess on it, the Allahabad high court has decided to take up the matter as a PIL. A bench comprising justices Devi Prasad Singh and S C Chaurasia directed that the matter be registered as a PIL of criminal nature and fixed the matter for May 10 after three advocates drew the court's attention to the photographs, saying they were intended to insult the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. [27] A swimsuit featuring a picture of the religious Goddess Lakshmi is causing outrage within the Hindu community.[28] AURORA: Goddess Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is a very important Goddess for the people, probably not only the Hindu community but also other religions will also pry to the Goddess because the Goddess brings you wealth and richness and the Hindus pry to it especially on the day of diwali which is the festival of lights. [23]
The Allahabad High Court of the state of Uttar Pradesh agreed to hear a ". A swimsuit has surfaced with a print of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi only to create an outpour of accusation from Hindus who say it is disrespectful towards their religion.[11] The court is considering criminal proceedings for using the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi in swim wears that has sparked angry protests. [11]
The one-piece features a vibrant image of Lakshmi - the Hindu Goddess of wealth and purity - across the front, as well as another smaller image on the rear. [28]
Even more moderate voices have spoken out against the Lakshmi swimsuit. A fashion piece on the controversy in The Times of India headlined '''The West plays with Hindu imagery again''' pointed out that while '''Indian imagery is a hit in western fashion,''' designers often '''ended up with an unfashionable foot in their mouth.''' Part of the reason is that when they look at Hindu gods and goddess, Indians and Westerners see different things. [9] Relations between India and Australia are again being tested, after the appearance of a controversial swimsuit at a major fashion parade. Protesters have taken to the streets in India burning Australian flags, after pictures were published of the outfit which features a picture of the Goddess Lakshmi across the swimsuit's back. [23] Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, added. Rajan Zed pointed out that Australian Government, New South Wales Government, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, etc., who were said to be some of the RAFW partners this year, should reconsider the partnership in the future in view of its inability to halt the trivialization of highly revered Goddess Lakshmi. RAFW, held this year against the spectacular backdrop of Circular Quay, is claimed to be Australia's premier fashion industry event providing a platform for designers to showcase their wholesale collections to the world's most influential buyers and media. [13]
The angry reaction is understandable according to the Australia India Society based in the Australian state of Victoria. It's president Dr Gurdip Aurora says Australia's need to understand the significance of the Goddess Lakshmi. [23]
The Lakshmi saga, however trivial, is not good news for Australia'''s India diplomacy as the country has been working hard to dispel the view that Australians have a racial prejudice against Indians. Initiatives such as the ongoing exhibition '''Indian Aussies: Indians who have made Australia home''', which displays photos of Indian Australians on the outside walls of the Australian High Commission in New Delhi, seem to be part of this effort. There are also regular television advertisements in India by Tourism Australia featuring Indian emigrants heaping praise on their new lives '''Down Under.''' [9]
News of the show triggered protests in India at the weekend, with Hindu groups in the northern state of Punjab burning Australian flags and photos of the swimwear in the streets. [20] In Southeastern Asia, it speaks to a bigger cultural crisis that's been underway for some time. Members of the right wing Hindu organization Shiv Sena and the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata political party are angry at the Aussies for unintentionally disrespecting their culture. They burned images of the Australian flag and held up pictures of models in Hindu deity-adorned swimsuits at a protest in the Indian cities of Hyderabad and Amritsar this weekend, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. [16] The design has prompted outrage within the Hindu community in India, with several protestors taking to the streets brandishing posters of the model in the swimsuit, and setting fire to the Australian flag. [28] Federation of Australian Indian Associations president Vish Viswanathan said that while burning the Australian flag was "totally wrong", the designs "hurt and offend the Hindu community worldwide, including over 200,000 Indians living in Australia". [12]
The company has halted production of the offending item, but not before members of a Hindu nationalist party burned the Australian flag alongside images of the models. [24]
Outraged Hindus take to the streets in protest. According to the North India Times, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed argued that it was "disturbing" to see the religious figure used in such a way. He states that Lakshmi is meant to be "worshipped in temples or home shrines," and not for publicising swimwear in fashion shows for "mercantile greed of an apparel company". [28] "Lakshmi was meant to be worshiped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company," said Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who noted that the apology was "a step in the right direction." Is this an isolated incident in the fashion industry? Hardly. [15] Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, demanded an apology from the designer. He said Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world and its deities deserved to be respected. "Lakshmi was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company," he said. [6]
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that RAFW organizers should show responsibility and consideration toward the hurt worldwide Hindu community and come out with a public apology. In future, they should be more careful about what went on in the fashion show. [13] Jai Bhagwan Goyal, a protester in Delhi, told Reuters that the organizers of the Australian fashion show should be punished. "The sentiments of of Hindus have been hurt and this issue will not get resolved by presenting an apology," he said. "We feel this is a deliberate act to get cheap publicity." [22]
The costume in question was part of the most recent Lisa Blue swimwear ]]swimwear collection, shown during Australian Fashion Week last week. [28] In the Lisa Blue spring 2011 catwalk at Australian fashion week, the swimsuit which Lisa Blue designed became the most popular photo on Fashion Week's publication. Not because it was the most loved one, but because it's the swimsuit that caused the most outrage, resulting in hundreds of abusive comments being left on Fashion Week's website. [11]
Swimwear designed by Byron Bay'''s Lisa Blue fashion house, featuring Hindu icons, has caused outrage and protests in India. [5] What usually would have been a great honour for any Australia fashion designer ended in disaster for Lisa Burke, the creative mind behind swimwear label Lisa Blue. [5] Brett Galvin, from Lisa Blue swimwear, says it was an honest mistake. "The designer really wanted to celebrate the culture of India and to bring that to the people and just absolutely adores the image," he said. "Obviously she sees that's quite wrong now." [29] You can never keep everyone happy FACT but that'''s when you calculate the % of people you would enrage by your actions. What I still find very careless and naive is, how could they use an image of Laxmi, without doing their research first, without understanding the repercussions of celebrating a culture they don'''t really understand? They have got publicity out of this, good or bad, and people who can see beyond the culture difference (potential buyers in this case) were excited by the designs but it is upsetting others and this is what we need to understand. The apology however seems very heartfelt and if it was all just business, and no harm was intended, I'''m sure the talented designers at Lisa Blue will come up with another commercial idea and hopefully this time without attracting any unwanted attention. [5] Anyone who has ever been to India will tell you it is rare to see an Indian woman in a bikini at the beach. This clash of culture is not the first time that Lisa Blue has done this. I felt personally affronted by her use of aboriginal designs from last season or before. Anyone who has been to aboriginal communities outside of urban areas will tell you you very rarely see them in bikinis either. Then there is the whole debate of cultural art ownership and meaning. is it appropriate for a non Indigenous person to use Aboriginal prints in their creative work? There is plenty of discussion of this on the web. [5]
The lawyers argued that the newspaper should not have published the photographs and that the Indian government should have pushed Australia to take action against the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear. [20] Lisa Blue Swimwear is hoping to contain the fallout by apologizing. It promises to halt production immediately, adding the swimsuit will never be available anywhere in the world. [19] After receiving severe castigation from all fronts, Lisa Blue immediately issued statements on all social networking sites, apologizing publicly to all the people who were hurt by the swimsuit designs. [11]
WILSON: When the latest creation from fashion house Lisa Blue was paraded on the catwalk at Sydney Fashion week its Australian designer was hoping it would make a splash. [23] We as a society can'''t survive if we stop giving a rats a$$about how other are effected by your actions. It looks beautiful; I have to give the designers at Lisa Blue big thumbs up for that and it also looks very flattering on the gorgeous model. In this scenario, I guess it'''s more about doing the right thing and being sensitive about what others (in this case 890 million Hindus) think. [5]
The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. [7] One design featured Lakshmi - Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity and one of the religion's most worshipped deities - in a seated position, plastered across the backside of a catwalk model. [12] Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, fertility and courage. She is worshipped every day by Hindus and her image is considered to be sacred. [6] Judging from the activity on Blue's Facebookpage, there is a small but vocal group that remains unsatisfied by the apology. Rather than focusing on the easy ignorance and acquisitiveness that more plausibly lies behind the decision to use a Hindu goddess on a really ugly bathing suit, they compare it to using images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary on condoms and underwear. [24]
An Australian brand of swimwear bearing references to the revered Hindu Goddess Laskshmi has earned the flak of a top Indian court. [11] In an earlier protest statement, Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, asked the swimwear manufacturer and RAFW organizers to publicly apologize and immediately recall all swimwear which showed the Hindu goddess. [14]
May 10 2011 ncddee said. Sorry, religion is the biggest excuse for war that there ever was! Moslems calling for jihad over a mention of mohammed, now this hindu goddess in the wrong place, it used to be catholics who got upset about things. noone expected the spanish inquisition! Or the protestant burning catholics etc.etc. We have to face the fact that humans are programmed to violence and willingly use religion as an excuse to do so. [28] The controversy stems from the "inappropriate" use of Lakshmi's image, which is highly revered in the Hindu religion. [4] "The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand." [5] Byron Bay-based yoga instructor John Ogilvie studied Hinduism for 30 years. "There is a lot of clothing like that in India with images of the Goddess Lakshmi," he said. [5]
An Australian swimwear brand was in trouble recently after putting Goddess Lakshmi on its collection. [30]
The one-piece swimsuit featured a picture of the Goddess Lakshimi. That provoked protests in India, where Australian flags were burnt. [29] Over the weekend, demonstrators in Amritsar, in Punjab, took to the streets and burned the Australian flag in protest, waving photographs of the offensive swimsuit and demanding that all of the garments be recalled. [10]
In response to the suit, members of right-wing Hindi group Shiv Sena burned the Australian flag, believing that it is inappropriate to use Hindu deities or concepts for commercial usage. [15]
The Australian swimwear company which triggered the controversy apologised to the Hindu community. [27] Its offending to print the bikini with Godess image. but at the same time burning the flag is no answer to it. its mixing the religion and patriotism. for the first few comments in the thread - well ppl i know wht Indians did is not a decent way of responding back, but if it was few Australians who did the bikini thing. there were few Indians who burnt the flag. if you think that because of one person the whole Ausi community is being judged. i guess you are also doing the same. [12] For Indians, the images have specific religious connotations, but Westerners, more often than not, just see '''pretty Indian pictures,''' as The Times of India piece put it. This may be why Indian book covers sometimes get an ���Indian makeover��� when they are distributed abroad. [9] WILSON: Nalin Kohli says the latest controversy comes at a time when relations between Australia and India are already being tested After critical media attention of poor treatment of Indian students living in Australia, including widespread reporting of assaults and racist attacks in some of Australia's biggest cities. KOHLI: These things I think it's really better if the Australian Government really solves it fast and get it nipped in the bud because if it escalates it will just become an irritant. [23]
Sunday, a group of orange-clad Hindu activists, led by the right-wing Shiv Shena party, staged a protest in Amristar. Monday, the Hindu nationalist groups Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad gathered in New Delhi brandishing banners against the swimsuit and calling on the Indian government to take legal action against those who insult the Hindu gods and goddesses. [9] Narinder Nanu/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Activist of the right-wing Hindu party Shiv Sena staged a protest against the swimsuit in Amritsar on Sunday. [9]
Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is revered by the Hindus world over. While the response in our beloved Nepal has been relatively low (it did not even rate a mention in the papers), our southern neighbors have been more vocal in their protest against this act of stupidity (for want of a better word). [1] The Indian public came out on roads and agitated against the Lakshmi photo swimsuit. They observed it is very disturbing to see their sacred goddess being used in such a vulgar fashion exhibition. [11] All Indian fashion designers have condemned the act of promoting Lakshmi as a swimsuit photo wear. [11]
Ms. Burke'''s label was quick to announce a halt in production, vowing that the Lakshmi swimsuit would never make it to stores. [9]
In the meantime some newspapers have published a statement by Ms Blue saying the production and sale of the swimwear had been stopped. [21] Following the outcry over the inappropriate use of the goddess the swimwear label yesterday released a statement apologising for the design. [5] "As a sign of respect, the one-piece (swimwear design) falls into that category, but perhaps the swimwear bottom was a little bit too far." It is not the first time a Northern Rivers company has insulted an Indian custom. [5] Lakshmi was plastered on the backside of a model's swimwear and was reported in Indian media, sparking outrage. [8]
Models wearing colourful swimsuits and bikinis covered in pictures of the goddess took to the catwalk in front of hundreds of people in Sydney last week. [6] To portray the Goddess in any flimsy manner on a fashion magazine would be taken as very offensive to the die hard religious Hindu people. [23] T-shirts are fine, but how can you expect tolerance if our god's picture is on underwear. What for? Fashion! i dont think so for a second. these companies only put hindu god pictures on for publicity. just like a couple of years ago when they started making toilet seats of the same too. Maybe some people who think its pettiness should stand in a hindu persons shoes. I am sure if this was a pic of jesus or islamic inscriptions on there. we will be in for the crusade again. [28]
Consider how cultural appropriation occurs daily in the fashion worldwhether of political figures (Che Guevara, anyone?) or religious symbols (myriad Christian crosses, Jewish stars and the aforementioned Hindu gods and goddesses). These images become reinvented outside of their original meaningsas aesthetic decisions, rather than intentional political or religious or social statementsand it's easy to see why Hindus, or anyone else, might be upset by the appropriation of their spiritual imagery. [15] "But the image of the goddess on the bikini bottom, Hindus would consider that very tasteless. [5]
At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. [23] Whether or not we need religion is really not the issue. I would say not, I do not believe in any god, but some people do & I respect their right to do so, without ridicule. It is inappropriate to put any religious iconography on a piece of swimwear, worn by a 1/2 clad woman. It doesn't matter whether she looks good in it or not. It is essentially mocking & deliberately (or displaying breathtaking ignorance in the act of) belittling someone elses belief. Have some respect for other people & their choices in life, or maybe you are happy for someone to have no respect for you.[28] Regardless of how seriously Lisa Burke and her team are taking the matter, some doubt the apology will have any effect. KOHLI: Where ever she has picked up these pictures from, they have not really come out of nowhere. They would have come through the internet or somewhere and I don't think designers normally tend to just do something without doing their homework. [23]
WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. [23]
SOURCES
1. Aussie Design hurts Hindu Sentiments, Australian Nepali
2. Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Pulled (PICS) Burning Flag Protests
3. Lisa Blue Swimsuit Bearing Image of Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Engenders International Furor at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week - Intelligence - Racked National
4. Lisa Blue Apologizes for Lakshmi Swimsuits - News - FashionEtc.com
5. Bikini designer sparks Hindu anger | NSW News | Breaking State News in New South Wales | Northern Star
6. Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests - Telegraph
7. Oz designer sued for Lakshmi bikini - Hindustan Times
8. Fashion week design sparks Indian outrage | CNNGo.com
9. Lisa Blue's Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Sparks Outrage - India Real Time - WSJ
10. Hindu Swimsuit Goddess Outrage - India - Fox Nation
11. Lisa Blue 'Lakshmi' Swimsuit Causes Outrage Among Hindus
12. Lisa Burke sparked outrage for using Hindu goddess Lakshmi on bikinis | Herald Sun
13. Upset Hindus ask apology from Australian Fashion Week organizers also over Lakshmi trivialization
14. Aussie flag burned over image of goddess | thetelegraph.com.au
15. Swimsuit Featuring Hindu Goddess Causes Outrage And Anger | The Frisky
16. A Closer Look at Why This Swimsuit Has Some Indians Burning Australian Flags Fashionista: Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice
17. This Swimsuit Depicting the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Prompted Death Threats, Flag Burning -- The Cut
18. Lakshmi Swimsuit Photo: Lisa Burke Apologizes For Lakshmi Image | NowPublic News Coverage
19. Goddess swimsuit maker runs for cover - The Standard
20. AFP: Indian court takes up Australia 'goddess' swimwear
21. BBC News - Indian fury over Australia swimwear images of Laxmi
22. Hindus outraged by Aussie swimwear featuring goddess Lakshmi
23. Radio Australia:Asia Pacific:Story:Australian swimwear tests relations with India
24. Hindu Goddess Print On Swimsuit Causes Shitstorm
25. The Spoof : Hindu Godess of wealth on Aussie swimwear "boomerangs"! funny satire story
26. Hindu goddess on bikini: Oz fashion firm cancels production
27. Lucknow HC takes up Lisa Blue bikini case as a PIL - The Times of India
28. Lisa Blue swimming costume sparks outrage among Hindus : MYDaily UK
29. Designer gets lesson in cossie culture - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
30. Nude Gods a no-no | Deccan Chronicle
May-11-2011Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests
(topic overview)- Secular Nepal has overpowered Hindu Nepal, analysts presume. (More...)
- The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. (More...)
- At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. (More...)
- WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. (More...)
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Secular Nepal has overpowered Hindu Nepal, analysts presume. Over the weekend, they took to the streets in several Indian cities, even burning the Australian flag in protest against this act of deep disrespect. The flimsy excuse forwarded by the dress designer for deciding to do this - "it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand". What a perverted Australian brain? Playing with religious sentiments? It may boomerang ultimately. My question is this - Why didn't the designer include Jesus's picture on the swimsuit? Would the Christian community in Australia remain quiet if that had happened? The company has issued an apology - "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. Analysts in Nepal believe that this realization is for real. This range will never be available for sale in any stockiest or retail outlets anywhere in the world. We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously." [1] Over the weekend, right-wing Hindus took their protest to the streets with signs and fire, literally burning the Australian flag over the disrespectful images. Lisa Burke came back with her tail between her legs, issuing an apology and pulling the plug on production of the swimsuit: "The image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world." "We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously." Lisa's message added that her use of the Lakshmi images were ignorant, at best: "'The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand." [2]
The Telegraph reports that Indian activists have taken to burning the Australian flag in demonstrations. The swimwear company, Lisa Blue, has since issued this apology: We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. [3]
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed told the North India Times the image was "meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company." Following a May 8 protest by Indian activists, many of whom clutched photos of the offending swimwear, Lisa Blue has issued an apology and pledged to remove the Lakshmi image from its Spring 2011 collection. "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed," the label says in a message posted on its Facebook wall. [4] "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed," the statement read. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. [5]
In a statement, Lisa Blue Swimwear said the company had put a halt on production of the new range and pulled the pieces that had been shown during Fashion Week. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world," it said. "We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously. [6] Lisa Blue put out a statement promising to halt production immediately and apologising for any offence the design may have caused. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. "We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," the statement said. [7]
The design has been condemned by the president of the Federation of Australian Indian Associations, Vish Viswanathan. He told ���The Daily Telegraph���the designs '''hurt and offended the Hindu community worldwide, including over 200,000 Indians living in Australia.''' '''It is difficult for me to believe it's unintentional,''' Viswanathan said. He said it will further deteriorate views of Australia in India. Designer Lisa Burke has previously lived in India, so many believe she should have known the swimsuit depiction of the popular goddess of wealth and prosperity was inappropriate. This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world.''' She says on the company'''swebsite : "'Lisa Blue' represents the girl of the future who can be sexy, beautiful, powerful and environmentally aware at the same time." [8] Harish Tyagi/ European Press Agency Activists of the right-wing Hindu groups Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal protested against the Lakshmi swimsuit in New Delhi Monday. India-Australia relations suffered a minor setback this week, after a swimsuit by an Australian fashion designer featuring a portrait of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, sparked outrage across the subcontinent. Designer and model Lisa Burke presented the swimsuit as part of the latest collection of her Lisa Blue label at Australian Fashion Week Thursday. When pictures of an Indian-looking model wearing a one-piece swimsuit with a portrait of Lakshmi printed on its front and rear made their way to India, Hindu nationalists didn'''t like what they saw. Over the weekend, they took to the streets in several Indian cities, including Hyderabad where pictures show activists burning the Australian flag in protest against what they viewed as an act of deep disrespect. [9] A fashion show has sparked a huge row after models wearing skimpy bikinis plastered with images of a Hindu goddess have enraged the religion who worship her. Australian swimwear label Lisa Blue sent its models down the catwalk at Rosemount Australian in Sydney last week, sporting bright swimsuits which had pictures of revered Lakshmi on them. When news of the show reached India Hindus - who consider her to be the goddess of wealth, prosperity and fertility - were incensed at the deity's image being used in such a sexy way. [10]
A model showcases designs by Lisa Blue on the catwalk during Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney which enraged Hindus Provocative: Lisa Blue has apologised for the design which has deeply offended Hindus The Goddess Lakshmi Lakshmi is the. Well, if it's got an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on it, apparently a lot. Hindus are outraged after Australian designer Lisa Blue trotted a suit with an image of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love and abundance, down the runway in her recent. India-Australia relations suffered a minor setback this week, after a swimsuit by an Australian fashion designer featuring a portrait of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, sparked outrage across the subcontinent. [11] Swimsuits (both a cutout one-piece and a revealing bikini) from Lisa Burke's Lisa Blue Spring 2011 collection has sparked a religious controversy because it features an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. After being shown on the runway during Australian Fashion Week, photos of the suits'''modeled by a catwalker with a bindi on her forehead'''prompted a slew of "abusive" comments to flood Fashionising, which had posted the pics. "Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all-out death threats," the style site writes. [4] At Rosemount Australian Fashion Week on Friday, swimwear designer Lisa Blue sent this suit down the runway of her spring 2011-2012 show. The one-piece cutout suit features a print of the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi on the front and, as soon at the photo hit the web, fashion blog Fashionising was hit with hundreds of angry comments and messages"Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all out death threats," reports the site. [3]
FOR someone who has lived in India, perhaps fashion designer Lisa Burke should have known better. Right-wing groups took to the streets in India, burning Australian flags after Ms Burke sparked outrage for using the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on skimpy bikinis for her label Lisa Blue at Australian Fashion Week. [12]
During a runway show at Royal Australian Fashion Week in Sydney last week, a model donned a Lisa Blue bikini which featured the Hindu deity Goddess Lakshmi, who symbolises prosperity and beauty. Visibly upset Indian activists of the right-wing Hindu organisation Shiv Sena were photographed waving images of the model wearing the design as they set an Australian flag on fire during a demonstration in India. [5] Nevada (US), May 10: Welcoming apology from Australian swimwear label Lisa Blue Swimwear, upset Hindus have repeated their appeal of apology from Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) organizers also, which was held in Sydney (Australia) from May 2-6 and showed the model with Goddess Lakshmi image on swimwear. [13] UPSET Hindus have welcomed apology from an Australian swimwear label over the depiction of image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in Sydney last week. Indian activists of the right-wing Hindu organisation Shiv Sena held photocopies of models wearing swimwear featuring Lakshmi as they burned an Australian flag during a demonstration in Amritsar. [14]
Australian fashion label Lisa Blue recently debuted the number on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week. An Australian swimwear label company has apologised to the Hindu community for hurting their sentiments after swimwear label company chose to place the picture of Goddess Lakshmi on the bikini of models." [11] Rajan Zed, the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, also asked the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear and Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) organizers to apologize and immediately recall all swimwear which show Hindu Goddess Lakshmi. He believes usage of the Hindu goddess for commercial use was not okay as it hurts the devotees. [11] What's in a swimsuit? Well, if it's got an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on it, apparently a lot. Hindus are outraged after Australian designer Lisa Blue trotted a suit with an image of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of love and abundance, down the runway in her recent spring 2011 show during Australian Fashion Week. [15] The swimsuit design, which has outraged Hindus across India and abroad, is sexually appealing as it bravely displays the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity on the front of the bathing suit and also the back, printed on the buttocks area. Lisa Burke presented the swimsuit as part of her Lisa Blue label at Australian Fashion Week on Thursday. The model and designer strutted down the runway with a red dot on her forehead, a feather in her hair, and a tan that will knock your socks off. [2]
The groups were angered by the use of Hindu deities like Ganesha and Lakshmi on designer Lisa Burke's swimwear, which was modeled on the catwalk at Australian Fashion Week. (Burke's label, Lisa Blue, donates 25% of net profits to protecting whales and dolphins in the South Pacific.) While we're not completely insensitive to the religious values of these folks, we were a bit perplexed over the brouhaha, given that there are plenty of clothes already out there emblazoned with Hindu deities.[16]
Australian Designer Lisa Blue has sparked controversy by designing swim suits depicting the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, which was shown at Australian Fashion Week.[1] Australian swimwear brand Lisa Blue will not produce a one-piece it showed on the runway with an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, following serious unrest among Hindu groups in India. [17]
A fashion show caused a Larg row after use models tiny bikinis with images of a Hindu goddess angry covered, that the cult.Australian swimwear label Blue Lisa sent their models on the podium at the Fashion Week in Sydney, Australia Rosemount last week, sports swimsuits were vivid images of Lakshmi, the revered.The show drew the attention of media. [11] The label was called out by Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who "said that it was disturbing to see goddess Lakshmi, who was highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. [11]The Indian politico-religious right claimed that Lakshmi is symbol of simplicity and modesty. The label was called out by statesman Rajan Zed, who said, "It was disturbing to see Goddess Lakshmi, who is highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show. [11]
The statement also said: '''The uses of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking.''' '''We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously.''' The Times of India noted that this isn't the first time that fashion designers have struggled with incorporating Indian imagery into their work. [18] Hindus in India are burning Australian flags after an Australian fashion designer unveiled a swimsuit with images of Hindu goddess Lakshmi on the torso and buttocks sections of the swimsuit. [2] Hindus have staged angry protests after a fashion designer exhibited swimsuits bearing the image of the goddess Lakshmi at Australian Fashion Week. [6]
The swimsuit featuring Indian goddess Lakshmi at Australian Fashion Week 2011 will never make it to the stores after protests across India saw photographs of the design and the Australian national flag burned. [8]
An Indian court agreed to consider criminal proceedings over a swimwear bearing the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi following angry protests where crowds burned Australian flags and photos of the swimwear in the streets. [19] LUCKNOW, India — A top Indian court has agreed to consider criminal proceedings over an Australian brand of swimwear bearing the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi that has sparked angry protests. [20]
Pictures of the controversial swimwear were published in many newspapers, leading to protests in towns and cities across India. Protesters belonging to radical Hindu groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal took to the streets of Delhi on Monday, shouting slogans against the Australian government and swimwear designer Lisa Blue. Protester Jai Bhagwan Goyal told the Reuters news agency that those who organised the Australian event should be arrested. "The sentiments of billions of Hindus have been hurt and this issue will not get resolved by presenting an apology. We feel this is a deliberate act to get cheap publicity." The court on Tuesday issued notices to the Press Council of India and the state and central governments requiring them to explain their position over the issue. It said that the Indian government should convey to the Australian government how the swimwear display had offended the feelings of the Hindu community. Last week one of those petitioning the court wrote a letter complaining about the publication of the photos in newspapers. [21] The High Court of Allahabad has issued a notice to the Hindustan Times newspaper for publishing the photos of the models sporting the offending clothes. The court also issued notices to the Press Council of India and the state and central governments asking them to explain their position over the issue. The pictures of the swimwear have sparked protests across India, including demonstrations organized by such Hindu groups as Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal. They angrily shouted slogans against the Australia n government, burned Aussie flags and disparaged designer Lisa Blue. [22]
WILSON: A top Indian court has now agreed to consider criminal proceedings in relation to the swimwear design after lawyers argued that the newspaper should not have published the photographs and that the Indian government should have pushed Australia to take action against the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear. For its part the Australian fashion house has now cancelled a planned print run of the swimwear wear. Designer Lisa Burke saying she was unaware of the offence her design would cause. [23] Word of the swimsuit spread when the Australian fashion blog Fashionising posted images from the show. Visual representations of deities are nothing new, when applied to swimwear though, they can certainly provoke an emotional reaction. Provoke this one-piece did. Since the image ran on Fashionising.com our editors have been filtering out hundreds of comments about the piece, none of them pleasant. Largely aimed at the label and its designer Lisa Burke, they've ranged from statements of concern to mild slurs, and at the other end of the spectrum have also included curses and all out death threats. [24] One staged an Australian-flag-burning demonstration, and many more upset folks are leaving hateful comments on the blog Fashionising, which posted images from the offending runway show. These are mostly directed toward designer Lisa Burke, the site's editors write, and range from "statements of concern to mild slurs. and all out death threats." In addition to removing the piece from her spring collection, Burke has apologized, which hasn't ameliorated the outcry much. If she knows so little of Hinduism, she also may know so little of Heidi Klum's annual Halloween costumes, which practically define America's post-"holiday" coverage in America: In 2008, Klum got backlash for taking her assistant's advice and dressing up as a "scary" version of Indian goddess Kali. Reports of Project Runway DVD-burning demonstrations never emerged, so maybe she got off easy. [17]
Fashion designer Lisa Burke has come under fire for unveiling a swimsuit that featured an image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi. [18] What Lisa Burke didn't expect was the furore the swim suit has triggered in India. KOHLI: This is absolutely explosive and that it hasn't exploded in the manner that it could have is really I think a grace of God, whichever god it iS we pray in. WILSON: Nalin Kohli is a member of the National Executive of India's Bharatiya Janata Party, he's one of those offended by the design featuring the Hindu goddess Lakshmi on the backside of the swimsuit. [23]
Lisa's swimsuit features a print representation of Lakshmi, a Hindu goddess. Although visual representations of gods and goddesses are nothing new to followers of Hinduism, in swimwear though, they can provoke a severe emotional reaction. [11]
Hindu activists expressed anger over the depiction of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity, on a swimsuit that was on display at Australian Fashion Week 2011. This past weekend, protesters hit the streets of several Indian cities to express their anger at the Lakshmi swimsuit photo. [18] Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests - Telegraph We no longer check to see whether Telegraph.co.uk displays properly in Internet Explorer version 6 or earlier. [6]
Images of the Hindu goddess of wealth displayed on swimwear at an Australian fashion show have sparked a legal battle in India. [21] From the river Ganges somewhere in India: An Aussie swimwear company dared to depict the Hindu goddess of wealth, Laxmi, on their latest collection and were shocked by the response in India as many extreme Hindu men rioted, burnt effigies of Crocodile Dundee, Australian cricketers and the Aussie flag. The company under great pressure has withdrawn the collection whilst in India heated, extreme Hindu's stripped off naked and jumped in the river Ganges t0o purify their souls before declaring a "Holy War" against Australia. [25]
An Australian swimwear company, whose depiction of image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear upset Hindus worldwide, claims to have cancelled production of swimwear with Lakshmi's picture on it. [26] A BYRON BAY swimwear company has apologised to Hindus worldwide after it incorporated an image of Goddess Lakshmi on its swimwear and sparked widespread religious outrage. [5]
A statement attributed to Lisa Blue Swimwear, headquartered in Byron Bay (Australia), published at certain websites, said: '''We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi. [11]After photos of the models were published in papers across the world, the designer label Lisa Blue issued an apology. They also said that production and sale of the swimwear has ceased. [22] Lisa Blue has already vowed that the suit will never be made for sale. "This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world. We apologize to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously," said a statement from the label. [15]
LUCKNOW/MELBOURNE: Taking suo motu cognisance of newspaper photographs of an Australian model wearing a bikni with a picture of a Hindu goddess on it, the Allahabad high court has decided to take up the matter as a PIL. A bench comprising justices Devi Prasad Singh and S C Chaurasia directed that the matter be registered as a PIL of criminal nature and fixed the matter for May 10 after three advocates drew the court's attention to the photographs, saying they were intended to insult the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. [27] A swimsuit featuring a picture of the religious Goddess Lakshmi is causing outrage within the Hindu community.[28] AURORA: Goddess Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is a very important Goddess for the people, probably not only the Hindu community but also other religions will also pry to the Goddess because the Goddess brings you wealth and richness and the Hindus pry to it especially on the day of diwali which is the festival of lights. [23]
The Allahabad High Court of the state of Uttar Pradesh agreed to hear a ". A swimsuit has surfaced with a print of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi only to create an outpour of accusation from Hindus who say it is disrespectful towards their religion.[11] The court is considering criminal proceedings for using the image of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi in swim wears that has sparked angry protests. [11]
The one-piece features a vibrant image of Lakshmi - the Hindu Goddess of wealth and purity - across the front, as well as another smaller image on the rear. [28]
Even more moderate voices have spoken out against the Lakshmi swimsuit. A fashion piece on the controversy in The Times of India headlined '''The West plays with Hindu imagery again''' pointed out that while '''Indian imagery is a hit in western fashion,''' designers often '''ended up with an unfashionable foot in their mouth.''' Part of the reason is that when they look at Hindu gods and goddess, Indians and Westerners see different things. [9] Relations between India and Australia are again being tested, after the appearance of a controversial swimsuit at a major fashion parade. Protesters have taken to the streets in India burning Australian flags, after pictures were published of the outfit which features a picture of the Goddess Lakshmi across the swimsuit's back. [23] Symbols of any faith, larger or smaller, should not be mishandled, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, added. Rajan Zed pointed out that Australian Government, New South Wales Government, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, etc., who were said to be some of the RAFW partners this year, should reconsider the partnership in the future in view of its inability to halt the trivialization of highly revered Goddess Lakshmi. RAFW, held this year against the spectacular backdrop of Circular Quay, is claimed to be Australia's premier fashion industry event providing a platform for designers to showcase their wholesale collections to the world's most influential buyers and media. [13]
The angry reaction is understandable according to the Australia India Society based in the Australian state of Victoria. It's president Dr Gurdip Aurora says Australia's need to understand the significance of the Goddess Lakshmi. [23]
The Lakshmi saga, however trivial, is not good news for Australia'''s India diplomacy as the country has been working hard to dispel the view that Australians have a racial prejudice against Indians. Initiatives such as the ongoing exhibition '''Indian Aussies: Indians who have made Australia home''', which displays photos of Indian Australians on the outside walls of the Australian High Commission in New Delhi, seem to be part of this effort. There are also regular television advertisements in India by Tourism Australia featuring Indian emigrants heaping praise on their new lives '''Down Under.''' [9]
News of the show triggered protests in India at the weekend, with Hindu groups in the northern state of Punjab burning Australian flags and photos of the swimwear in the streets. [20] In Southeastern Asia, it speaks to a bigger cultural crisis that's been underway for some time. Members of the right wing Hindu organization Shiv Sena and the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata political party are angry at the Aussies for unintentionally disrespecting their culture. They burned images of the Australian flag and held up pictures of models in Hindu deity-adorned swimsuits at a protest in the Indian cities of Hyderabad and Amritsar this weekend, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. [16] The design has prompted outrage within the Hindu community in India, with several protestors taking to the streets brandishing posters of the model in the swimsuit, and setting fire to the Australian flag. [28] Federation of Australian Indian Associations president Vish Viswanathan said that while burning the Australian flag was "totally wrong", the designs "hurt and offend the Hindu community worldwide, including over 200,000 Indians living in Australia". [12]
The company has halted production of the offending item, but not before members of a Hindu nationalist party burned the Australian flag alongside images of the models. [24]
Outraged Hindus take to the streets in protest. According to the North India Times, Hindu statesman Rajan Zed argued that it was "disturbing" to see the religious figure used in such a way. He states that Lakshmi is meant to be "worshipped in temples or home shrines," and not for publicising swimwear in fashion shows for "mercantile greed of an apparel company". [28] "Lakshmi was meant to be worshiped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company," said Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who noted that the apology was "a step in the right direction." Is this an isolated incident in the fashion industry? Hardly. [15] Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, demanded an apology from the designer. He said Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world and its deities deserved to be respected. "Lakshmi was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company," he said. [6]
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that RAFW organizers should show responsibility and consideration toward the hurt worldwide Hindu community and come out with a public apology. In future, they should be more careful about what went on in the fashion show. [13] Jai Bhagwan Goyal, a protester in Delhi, told Reuters that the organizers of the Australian fashion show should be punished. "The sentiments of of Hindus have been hurt and this issue will not get resolved by presenting an apology," he said. "We feel this is a deliberate act to get cheap publicity." [22]
The costume in question was part of the most recent Lisa Blue swimwear ]]swimwear collection, shown during Australian Fashion Week last week. [28] In the Lisa Blue spring 2011 catwalk at Australian fashion week, the swimsuit which Lisa Blue designed became the most popular photo on Fashion Week's publication. Not because it was the most loved one, but because it's the swimsuit that caused the most outrage, resulting in hundreds of abusive comments being left on Fashion Week's website. [11]
Swimwear designed by Byron Bay'''s Lisa Blue fashion house, featuring Hindu icons, has caused outrage and protests in India. [5] What usually would have been a great honour for any Australia fashion designer ended in disaster for Lisa Burke, the creative mind behind swimwear label Lisa Blue. [5] Brett Galvin, from Lisa Blue swimwear, says it was an honest mistake. "The designer really wanted to celebrate the culture of India and to bring that to the people and just absolutely adores the image," he said. "Obviously she sees that's quite wrong now." [29] You can never keep everyone happy FACT but that'''s when you calculate the % of people you would enrage by your actions. What I still find very careless and naive is, how could they use an image of Laxmi, without doing their research first, without understanding the repercussions of celebrating a culture they don'''t really understand? They have got publicity out of this, good or bad, and people who can see beyond the culture difference (potential buyers in this case) were excited by the designs but it is upsetting others and this is what we need to understand. The apology however seems very heartfelt and if it was all just business, and no harm was intended, I'''m sure the talented designers at Lisa Blue will come up with another commercial idea and hopefully this time without attracting any unwanted attention. [5] Anyone who has ever been to India will tell you it is rare to see an Indian woman in a bikini at the beach. This clash of culture is not the first time that Lisa Blue has done this. I felt personally affronted by her use of aboriginal designs from last season or before. Anyone who has been to aboriginal communities outside of urban areas will tell you you very rarely see them in bikinis either. Then there is the whole debate of cultural art ownership and meaning. is it appropriate for a non Indigenous person to use Aboriginal prints in their creative work? There is plenty of discussion of this on the web. [5]
The lawyers argued that the newspaper should not have published the photographs and that the Indian government should have pushed Australia to take action against the manufacturer, Lisa Blue Swimwear. [20] Lisa Blue Swimwear is hoping to contain the fallout by apologizing. It promises to halt production immediately, adding the swimsuit will never be available anywhere in the world. [19] After receiving severe castigation from all fronts, Lisa Blue immediately issued statements on all social networking sites, apologizing publicly to all the people who were hurt by the swimsuit designs. [11]
WILSON: When the latest creation from fashion house Lisa Blue was paraded on the catwalk at Sydney Fashion week its Australian designer was hoping it would make a splash. [23] We as a society can'''t survive if we stop giving a rats a$$about how other are effected by your actions. It looks beautiful; I have to give the designers at Lisa Blue big thumbs up for that and it also looks very flattering on the gorgeous model. In this scenario, I guess it'''s more about doing the right thing and being sensitive about what others (in this case 890 million Hindus) think. [5]
The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. [7] One design featured Lakshmi - Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity and one of the religion's most worshipped deities - in a seated position, plastered across the backside of a catwalk model. [12] Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, fertility and courage. She is worshipped every day by Hindus and her image is considered to be sacred. [6] Judging from the activity on Blue's Facebookpage, there is a small but vocal group that remains unsatisfied by the apology. Rather than focusing on the easy ignorance and acquisitiveness that more plausibly lies behind the decision to use a Hindu goddess on a really ugly bathing suit, they compare it to using images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary on condoms and underwear. [24]
An Australian brand of swimwear bearing references to the revered Hindu Goddess Laskshmi has earned the flak of a top Indian court. [11] In an earlier protest statement, Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, asked the swimwear manufacturer and RAFW organizers to publicly apologize and immediately recall all swimwear which showed the Hindu goddess. [14]
May 10 2011 ncddee said. Sorry, religion is the biggest excuse for war that there ever was! Moslems calling for jihad over a mention of mohammed, now this hindu goddess in the wrong place, it used to be catholics who got upset about things. noone expected the spanish inquisition! Or the protestant burning catholics etc.etc. We have to face the fact that humans are programmed to violence and willingly use religion as an excuse to do so. [28] The controversy stems from the "inappropriate" use of Lakshmi's image, which is highly revered in the Hindu religion. [4] "The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand." [5] Byron Bay-based yoga instructor John Ogilvie studied Hinduism for 30 years. "There is a lot of clothing like that in India with images of the Goddess Lakshmi," he said. [5]
An Australian swimwear brand was in trouble recently after putting Goddess Lakshmi on its collection. [30]
The one-piece swimsuit featured a picture of the Goddess Lakshimi. That provoked protests in India, where Australian flags were burnt. [29] Over the weekend, demonstrators in Amritsar, in Punjab, took to the streets and burned the Australian flag in protest, waving photographs of the offensive swimsuit and demanding that all of the garments be recalled. [10]
In response to the suit, members of right-wing Hindi group Shiv Sena burned the Australian flag, believing that it is inappropriate to use Hindu deities or concepts for commercial usage. [15]
The Australian swimwear company which triggered the controversy apologised to the Hindu community. [27] Its offending to print the bikini with Godess image. but at the same time burning the flag is no answer to it. its mixing the religion and patriotism. for the first few comments in the thread - well ppl i know wht Indians did is not a decent way of responding back, but if it was few Australians who did the bikini thing. there were few Indians who burnt the flag. if you think that because of one person the whole Ausi community is being judged. i guess you are also doing the same. [12] For Indians, the images have specific religious connotations, but Westerners, more often than not, just see '''pretty Indian pictures,''' as The Times of India piece put it. This may be why Indian book covers sometimes get an ���Indian makeover��� when they are distributed abroad. [9] WILSON: Nalin Kohli says the latest controversy comes at a time when relations between Australia and India are already being tested After critical media attention of poor treatment of Indian students living in Australia, including widespread reporting of assaults and racist attacks in some of Australia's biggest cities. KOHLI: These things I think it's really better if the Australian Government really solves it fast and get it nipped in the bud because if it escalates it will just become an irritant. [23]
Sunday, a group of orange-clad Hindu activists, led by the right-wing Shiv Shena party, staged a protest in Amristar. Monday, the Hindu nationalist groups Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad gathered in New Delhi brandishing banners against the swimsuit and calling on the Indian government to take legal action against those who insult the Hindu gods and goddesses. [9] Narinder Nanu/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Activist of the right-wing Hindu party Shiv Sena staged a protest against the swimsuit in Amritsar on Sunday. [9]
Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is revered by the Hindus world over. While the response in our beloved Nepal has been relatively low (it did not even rate a mention in the papers), our southern neighbors have been more vocal in their protest against this act of stupidity (for want of a better word). [1] The Indian public came out on roads and agitated against the Lakshmi photo swimsuit. They observed it is very disturbing to see their sacred goddess being used in such a vulgar fashion exhibition. [11] All Indian fashion designers have condemned the act of promoting Lakshmi as a swimsuit photo wear. [11]
Ms. Burke'''s label was quick to announce a halt in production, vowing that the Lakshmi swimsuit would never make it to stores. [9]
In the meantime some newspapers have published a statement by Ms Blue saying the production and sale of the swimwear had been stopped. [21] Following the outcry over the inappropriate use of the goddess the swimwear label yesterday released a statement apologising for the design. [5] "As a sign of respect, the one-piece (swimwear design) falls into that category, but perhaps the swimwear bottom was a little bit too far." It is not the first time a Northern Rivers company has insulted an Indian custom. [5] Lakshmi was plastered on the backside of a model's swimwear and was reported in Indian media, sparking outrage. [8]
Models wearing colourful swimsuits and bikinis covered in pictures of the goddess took to the catwalk in front of hundreds of people in Sydney last week. [6] To portray the Goddess in any flimsy manner on a fashion magazine would be taken as very offensive to the die hard religious Hindu people. [23] T-shirts are fine, but how can you expect tolerance if our god's picture is on underwear. What for? Fashion! i dont think so for a second. these companies only put hindu god pictures on for publicity. just like a couple of years ago when they started making toilet seats of the same too. Maybe some people who think its pettiness should stand in a hindu persons shoes. I am sure if this was a pic of jesus or islamic inscriptions on there. we will be in for the crusade again. [28]
Consider how cultural appropriation occurs daily in the fashion worldwhether of political figures (Che Guevara, anyone?) or religious symbols (myriad Christian crosses, Jewish stars and the aforementioned Hindu gods and goddesses). These images become reinvented outside of their original meaningsas aesthetic decisions, rather than intentional political or religious or social statementsand it's easy to see why Hindus, or anyone else, might be upset by the appropriation of their spiritual imagery. [15] "But the image of the goddess on the bikini bottom, Hindus would consider that very tasteless. [5]
At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. [23] Whether or not we need religion is really not the issue. I would say not, I do not believe in any god, but some people do & I respect their right to do so, without ridicule. It is inappropriate to put any religious iconography on a piece of swimwear, worn by a 1/2 clad woman. It doesn't matter whether she looks good in it or not. It is essentially mocking & deliberately (or displaying breathtaking ignorance in the act of) belittling someone elses belief. Have some respect for other people & their choices in life, or maybe you are happy for someone to have no respect for you.[28] Regardless of how seriously Lisa Burke and her team are taking the matter, some doubt the apology will have any effect. KOHLI: Where ever she has picked up these pictures from, they have not really come out of nowhere. They would have come through the internet or somewhere and I don't think designers normally tend to just do something without doing their homework. [23]
WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. [23]
SOURCES
1. Aussie Design hurts Hindu Sentiments, Australian Nepali
2. Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Pulled (PICS) Burning Flag Protests
3. Lisa Blue Swimsuit Bearing Image of Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Engenders International Furor at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week - Intelligence - Racked National
4. Lisa Blue Apologizes for Lakshmi Swimsuits - News - FashionEtc.com
5. Bikini designer sparks Hindu anger | NSW News | Breaking State News in New South Wales | Northern Star
6. Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests - Telegraph
7. Oz designer sued for Lakshmi bikini - Hindustan Times
8. Fashion week design sparks Indian outrage | CNNGo.com
9. Lisa Blue's Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Sparks Outrage - India Real Time - WSJ
10. Hindu Swimsuit Goddess Outrage - India - Fox Nation
11. Lisa Blue 'Lakshmi' Swimsuit Causes Outrage Among Hindus
12. Lisa Burke sparked outrage for using Hindu goddess Lakshmi on bikinis | Herald Sun
13. Upset Hindus ask apology from Australian Fashion Week organizers also over Lakshmi trivialization
14. Aussie flag burned over image of goddess | thetelegraph.com.au
15. Swimsuit Featuring Hindu Goddess Causes Outrage And Anger | The Frisky
16. A Closer Look at Why This Swimsuit Has Some Indians Burning Australian Flags Fashionista: Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice
17. This Swimsuit Depicting the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Prompted Death Threats, Flag Burning -- The Cut
18. Lakshmi Swimsuit Photo: Lisa Burke Apologizes For Lakshmi Image | NowPublic News Coverage
19. Goddess swimsuit maker runs for cover - The Standard
20. AFP: Indian court takes up Australia 'goddess' swimwear
21. BBC News - Indian fury over Australia swimwear images of Laxmi
22. Hindus outraged by Aussie swimwear featuring goddess Lakshmi
23. Radio Australia:Asia Pacific:Story:Australian swimwear tests relations with India
24. Hindu Goddess Print On Swimsuit Causes Shitstorm
25. The Spoof : Hindu Godess of wealth on Aussie swimwear "boomerangs"! funny satire story
26. Hindu goddess on bikini: Oz fashion firm cancels production
27. Lucknow HC takes up Lisa Blue bikini case as a PIL - The Times of India
28. Lisa Blue swimming costume sparks outrage among Hindus : MYDaily UK
29. Designer gets lesson in cossie culture - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
30. Nude Gods a no-no | Deccan Chronicle
May-11-2011
Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests
(topic overview)- Secular Nepal has overpowered Hindu Nepal, analysts presume. (More...)
- The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. (More...)
- At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. (More...)
- WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. (More...)
The photographs were from a fashion show in Sydney last week that saw models take to the catwalk in swimsuits and bikinis covered in images of Lakshmi, the goddess of light, prosperity and fertility. [7] One design featured Lakshmi - Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity and one of the religion's most worshipped deities - in a seated position, plastered across the backside of a catwalk model. [12] Lakshmi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, fertility and courage. She is worshipped every day by Hindus and her image is considered to be sacred. [6] Judging from the activity on Blue's Facebookpage, there is a small but vocal group that remains unsatisfied by the apology. Rather than focusing on the easy ignorance and acquisitiveness that more plausibly lies behind the decision to use a Hindu goddess on a really ugly bathing suit, they compare it to using images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary on condoms and underwear. [24]
An Australian brand of swimwear bearing references to the revered Hindu Goddess Laskshmi has earned the flak of a top Indian court. [11] In an earlier protest statement, Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, asked the swimwear manufacturer and RAFW organizers to publicly apologize and immediately recall all swimwear which showed the Hindu goddess. [14]
May 10 2011 ncddee said. Sorry, religion is the biggest excuse for war that there ever was! Moslems calling for jihad over a mention of mohammed, now this hindu goddess in the wrong place, it used to be catholics who got upset about things. noone expected the spanish inquisition! Or the protestant burning catholics etc.etc. We have to face the fact that humans are programmed to violence and willingly use religion as an excuse to do so. [28] The controversy stems from the "inappropriate" use of Lakshmi's image, which is highly revered in the Hindu religion. [4] "The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand." [5] Byron Bay-based yoga instructor John Ogilvie studied Hinduism for 30 years. "There is a lot of clothing like that in India with images of the Goddess Lakshmi," he said. [5]
An Australian swimwear brand was in trouble recently after putting Goddess Lakshmi on its collection. [30]
The one-piece swimsuit featured a picture of the Goddess Lakshimi. That provoked protests in India, where Australian flags were burnt. [29] Over the weekend, demonstrators in Amritsar, in Punjab, took to the streets and burned the Australian flag in protest, waving photographs of the offensive swimsuit and demanding that all of the garments be recalled. [10]
In response to the suit, members of right-wing Hindi group Shiv Sena burned the Australian flag, believing that it is inappropriate to use Hindu deities or concepts for commercial usage. [15]
The Australian swimwear company which triggered the controversy apologised to the Hindu community. [27] Its offending to print the bikini with Godess image. but at the same time burning the flag is no answer to it. its mixing the religion and patriotism. for the first few comments in the thread - well ppl i know wht Indians did is not a decent way of responding back, but if it was few Australians who did the bikini thing. there were few Indians who burnt the flag. if you think that because of one person the whole Ausi community is being judged. i guess you are also doing the same. [12] For Indians, the images have specific religious connotations, but Westerners, more often than not, just see '''pretty Indian pictures,''' as The Times of India piece put it. This may be why Indian book covers sometimes get an ���Indian makeover��� when they are distributed abroad. [9] WILSON: Nalin Kohli says the latest controversy comes at a time when relations between Australia and India are already being tested After critical media attention of poor treatment of Indian students living in Australia, including widespread reporting of assaults and racist attacks in some of Australia's biggest cities. KOHLI: These things I think it's really better if the Australian Government really solves it fast and get it nipped in the bud because if it escalates it will just become an irritant. [23]
Sunday, a group of orange-clad Hindu activists, led by the right-wing Shiv Shena party, staged a protest in Amristar. Monday, the Hindu nationalist groups Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad gathered in New Delhi brandishing banners against the swimsuit and calling on the Indian government to take legal action against those who insult the Hindu gods and goddesses. [9] Narinder Nanu/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Activist of the right-wing Hindu party Shiv Sena staged a protest against the swimsuit in Amritsar on Sunday. [9]
Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and is revered by the Hindus world over. While the response in our beloved Nepal has been relatively low (it did not even rate a mention in the papers), our southern neighbors have been more vocal in their protest against this act of stupidity (for want of a better word). [1] The Indian public came out on roads and agitated against the Lakshmi photo swimsuit. They observed it is very disturbing to see their sacred goddess being used in such a vulgar fashion exhibition. [11] All Indian fashion designers have condemned the act of promoting Lakshmi as a swimsuit photo wear. [11]
Ms. Burke'''s label was quick to announce a halt in production, vowing that the Lakshmi swimsuit would never make it to stores. [9]
In the meantime some newspapers have published a statement by Ms Blue saying the production and sale of the swimwear had been stopped. [21] Following the outcry over the inappropriate use of the goddess the swimwear label yesterday released a statement apologising for the design. [5] "As a sign of respect, the one-piece (swimwear design) falls into that category, but perhaps the swimwear bottom was a little bit too far." It is not the first time a Northern Rivers company has insulted an Indian custom. [5] Lakshmi was plastered on the backside of a model's swimwear and was reported in Indian media, sparking outrage. [8]
Models wearing colourful swimsuits and bikinis covered in pictures of the goddess took to the catwalk in front of hundreds of people in Sydney last week. [6] To portray the Goddess in any flimsy manner on a fashion magazine would be taken as very offensive to the die hard religious Hindu people. [23] T-shirts are fine, but how can you expect tolerance if our god's picture is on underwear. What for? Fashion! i dont think so for a second. these companies only put hindu god pictures on for publicity. just like a couple of years ago when they started making toilet seats of the same too. Maybe some people who think its pettiness should stand in a hindu persons shoes. I am sure if this was a pic of jesus or islamic inscriptions on there. we will be in for the crusade again. [28]
Consider how cultural appropriation occurs daily in the fashion worldwhether of political figures (Che Guevara, anyone?) or religious symbols (myriad Christian crosses, Jewish stars and the aforementioned Hindu gods and goddesses). These images become reinvented outside of their original meaningsas aesthetic decisions, rather than intentional political or religious or social statementsand it's easy to see why Hindus, or anyone else, might be upset by the appropriation of their spiritual imagery. [15] "But the image of the goddess on the bikini bottom, Hindus would consider that very tasteless. [5]
At other time there are special temples which are dedicate to Goddess Lakshmi so people can go and pray there and ask for wealth and richness. [23] Whether or not we need religion is really not the issue. I would say not, I do not believe in any god, but some people do & I respect their right to do so, without ridicule. It is inappropriate to put any religious iconography on a piece of swimwear, worn by a 1/2 clad woman. It doesn't matter whether she looks good in it or not. It is essentially mocking & deliberately (or displaying breathtaking ignorance in the act of) belittling someone elses belief. Have some respect for other people & their choices in life, or maybe you are happy for someone to have no respect for you.[28] Regardless of how seriously Lisa Burke and her team are taking the matter, some doubt the apology will have any effect. KOHLI: Where ever she has picked up these pictures from, they have not really come out of nowhere. They would have come through the internet or somewhere and I don't think designers normally tend to just do something without doing their homework. [23]
WILSON: The swimsuit design triggered protests in the streets of India which included the burning of Australia flag. [23]
SOURCES
1. Aussie Design hurts Hindu Sentiments, Australian Nepali
2. Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Pulled (PICS) Burning Flag Protests
3. Lisa Blue Swimsuit Bearing Image of Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Engenders International Furor at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week - Intelligence - Racked National
4. Lisa Blue Apologizes for Lakshmi Swimsuits - News - FashionEtc.com
5. Bikini designer sparks Hindu anger | NSW News | Breaking State News in New South Wales | Northern Star
6. Hindu goddess swimsuits at Australian Fashion Week spark angry protests - Telegraph
7. Oz designer sued for Lakshmi bikini - Hindustan Times
8. Fashion week design sparks Indian outrage | CNNGo.com
9. Lisa Blue's Hindu Goddess Swimsuit Sparks Outrage - India Real Time - WSJ
10. Hindu Swimsuit Goddess Outrage - India - Fox Nation
11. Lisa Blue 'Lakshmi' Swimsuit Causes Outrage Among Hindus
12. Lisa Burke sparked outrage for using Hindu goddess Lakshmi on bikinis | Herald Sun
13. Upset Hindus ask apology from Australian Fashion Week organizers also over Lakshmi trivialization
14. Aussie flag burned over image of goddess | thetelegraph.com.au
15. Swimsuit Featuring Hindu Goddess Causes Outrage And Anger | The Frisky
16. A Closer Look at Why This Swimsuit Has Some Indians Burning Australian Flags Fashionista: Fashion Industry News, Designers, Runway Shows, Style Advice
17. This Swimsuit Depicting the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi Prompted Death Threats, Flag Burning -- The Cut
18. Lakshmi Swimsuit Photo: Lisa Burke Apologizes For Lakshmi Image | NowPublic News Coverage
19. Goddess swimsuit maker runs for cover - The Standard
20. AFP: Indian court takes up Australia 'goddess' swimwear
21. BBC News - Indian fury over Australia swimwear images of Laxmi
22. Hindus outraged by Aussie swimwear featuring goddess Lakshmi
23. Radio Australia:Asia Pacific:Story:Australian swimwear tests relations with India
24. Hindu Goddess Print On Swimsuit Causes Shitstorm
25. The Spoof : Hindu Godess of wealth on Aussie swimwear "boomerangs"! funny satire story
26. Hindu goddess on bikini: Oz fashion firm cancels production
27. Lucknow HC takes up Lisa Blue bikini case as a PIL - The Times of India
28. Lisa Blue swimming costume sparks outrage among Hindus : MYDaily UK
29. Designer gets lesson in cossie culture - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
30. Nude Gods a no-no | Deccan Chronicle
Don't they ever learn from past mistakes ? I think these people have sh1t for brains. Saying you are ignorant just does not cut it. Just plain stupidity, that's all there is to it.
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