Rihanna Accused Of Cultural Appropriation For Putting Models In Braids For Fashion Show

Rihanna has been hit with pretty intense backlash to her Savage x Fenty fashion show for putting some of the models and dancers in braids.

Models of all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities walked the runway for the fashion mogul's 2021 show.

However, loads of people have taken issue with seeing models who aren't black wearing braids, saying it amounts to cultural appropriation.

Models Vanessa Hudgens and Emily Ratajkowski came in for particular criticism for the way their hair was styled.

One person wrote: "Now why the hell did Rihanna have white dancers in braids on the Fenty x Savage show..."

Another added: "Rihanna really loves putting non black ppl in braids for her Fenty whatever show and then call it 'mad ethnic right now'.

"Literally just saw Vanessa Hudgens in feed-in type long a** braids like ik those were done by a Nigerian hand most def."

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Rihanna's Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 Presented by Amazon Prime Video

A third said: "Yoooo I'm sorry but Vanessa hudgens in those braids in the fenty show had me BELLY LAUGHING."

This issue is nothing new and non-black people who wear braids have faced large amounts of criticism when they debut the hairstyle.

St Clair Detrick-Jules, author of My Beautiful Black Hair, told the Guardian: "For the producers of Rihanna's fashion show to fashion white models with distinctively Black braids kind of feels exhausting.

"We've been making some headway with educating non-Black women about how deep our connections are to our hair - yet here come the producers wilfully ignoring all the easily accessible information online explaining what cultural appropriation is and why it's harmful."

It will no doubt be a sting in the side of Rihanna, who has previously said her Savage x Fenty shows are meant to be inclusive of everyone.

She told James Corden that she doesn't 'care what size you are, what race you are, what religion you come from. I want you to feel like you are represented here'.

Topics: Entertainment, Celebrity, Rihanna

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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