Model Adriana Lima has been hit with a wave of backlash following a controversial photo she posted to Instagram. Lima was accused of committing cultural appropriation in a recent photo, and many commenters noted that the supermodel pulled off the look poorly to boot.
Adriana Lima Under Fire For Hairstyle
Adriana Lima finds herself both in hot water and a subject of mockery after a recent photo she posted to Instagram. In the picture, Lima wears a white blazer with no visible top beneath it. Her eye makeup is bold and vibrant, but it’s Lima’s caption, as well as her hairstyle, that many critics have latched onto.
In the caption, Lima wrote, “Bringing a little of my urban/chic spirit to life this am,” followed by giving her crew credit for their help with her makeup, hair, and styling. She then credited herself with the artistic direction. That caption, combined with the fact that Lima’s hair was styled in cornrows, was what got some people hopping mad. Lima’s cornrows, which could be her real hair or perhaps a wig, come complete with “baby hairs” which swirl down the supermodel’s forehead along her hairline.
The Comments Were Swift And Unforgiving
Naturally, there were some compliments on the look, but the vast majority of comments were negative. One woman wrote, “Adriana, what is an urban spirit?” This person was likely referring to the fact that Lima’s look seems to be inspired by Black fashion and beauty trends, for which the phrase “urban” is often used as a synonym.
Others focused on the quality of the look as well as the implications made by the caption. “What is going on here? The low-quality baggy wig? The braided hair? Or you yourself named as ‘creative direction’ and identifying this as ‘urban’….. big miss,” another commenter added. Another asked why Lima, who was clearly inspired by Black fashion, didn’t hire a Black hairstylist, adding, “this looks tragic, love.”
Why She’s Being Compared To Shemar Moore
Yet another sniped, “It’s the cultural appropriation for me. This doesn’t do anyone any good.” One surprising comparison came up again and again: many commenters, particularly on Twitter, insisted the Brazilian-born model looked like Shemar Moore.
If you’ll recall, Shemar Moore wore a braided wig for his role in Tyler Perry’s Diary Of A Mad Black Woman, a look that was panned by pretty much everyone who saw the film.
Lima has previously talked about her mixed-race heritage. Coming from the melting pot of Brazil, she lists African, Japanese, Portuguese, and Swiss as her various ethnicities. While the hair is definitely not extremely well done, it seems a bit unfair to accuse the multi-ethnic model of appropriating a culture that she claims as her own.