Pharrell receives backlash over cultural appropriation
His Adidas line is said to “trivialize” Hindu traditions
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CELEBRITY Pharrell Williams
Pharrell is under fire for cultural appropriation with his recent collaboration with Adidas. The line is called Hu Holi, and is inspired by the Hindu celebrations in India and Nepal. The collection features brightly colored tracksuits and sneakers.
"For Spring/Summer 2018, Adidas Originals and Pharrell Williams take a trip to northern India to honor the ancient spiritual Holi Festival and to celebrate the unity of color. The resulting collection leverages a breakthrough powder-dyeing technique to create truly one-of-a-kind pieces," the website says of the line.
The president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, Rajan Zed, disapproved of the line. In a statement, Zed wrote that both Pharrell and Adidas "should have done some homework before taking Hinduism concepts frivolously" and that they are "trivializing" Hindu beliefs, traditions, concepts, and symbols in order "to make a fashion statement and sell shoes for mercantile greed."
This is not the first time Pharrell has been accused of cultural appropriation. In 2014, he wore an Indian headdress on the cover of Elle UK. After the incident, he issued a formal apology, stating that he "respects and honors every kind of race, background and culture. I am genuinely sorry."
Pharrell and Adidas have yet to respond to the complaints.