Karlie Kloss appeared in a photoshoot for Vogue's March diversity issue, and the photos came out yesterday. Kloss was dressed as a geisha, and a lot of people are not happy.
The supermodel's photos are for the spread titled "Spirited Away," and it was shot by Vogue photographer Mikael Jansson and styled by Phyllis Posnick, Buzzfeed said. Jansson posted Kloss' photo on Instagram yesterday and captioned "Karlie Kloss in Japan, 2017. Vogue Magazine, unpublished."
Kloss' Geisha Photos Made A Lot Of People Angry
One photo features a sumo wrestler, and another with Kloss sporting a long crown of black hair, while still another photo shows her walking down the stairs of a tea house - all while Kloss was dressed as a geisha. These photos clearly made a lot of people angry.
People called out Kloss and Vogue, and asked why the geisha model is white. Some people accused Vogue of cultural appropriation and whitewashing, citing other examples of white women being cast as Asians. A lot of people took to Twitter to express their dismay about the photoshoot, saying that there are a lot of Japanese models who are more deserving to do the geisha photoshoot than Kloss.
Kloss Apologized For Participating In A Shoot That Was "Not Culturally Sensitive"
On Wednesday, Kloss tweeted an apology, saying she is truly sorry for participating in a shoot that was not culturally sensitive, Variety said. "These images appropriate a culture that is not my own and I am truly sorry for participating in a shoot that was not culturally sensitive," the supermodel said.
"My goal is, and always will be, to empower and inspire women. I will ensure my future shoots and projects reflect that mission," Kloss added. Vogue is yet to comment on this issue.
