The Flaming Lips were recently at the centre of a headdress controversy, and now Pharrell Williams has become the latest big-name musician to cause an uproar for wearing traditional First Nations garb.
The "Happy" hit-maker is the cover star of Elle's July issue in the UK. In the cover photograph, the singer-producer is shown wearing a feather headdress, as seen above.
The photo quickly sparked a backlash, with Twitter users employing the hashtag "#NotHappy." As of press time, the photo on Facebook has received almost 1,200 comments, many of which address the controversy.
It hasn't taken long for Pharrell to apologize, since he issued a statement through his publicist to say, "I respect and honor every kind of race, background and culture. I am genuinely sorry."
A blurb on Elle's website inadvertently copped responsibility for the blunder. It reads, "We persuaded ELLE Style Award winner Pharrell to trade his Vivienne Westwood mountie hat for a native American feather headdress in his best ever shoot."
This blurb has since been edited to remove the headdress reference.
The "Happy" hit-maker is the cover star of Elle's July issue in the UK. In the cover photograph, the singer-producer is shown wearing a feather headdress, as seen above.
The photo quickly sparked a backlash, with Twitter users employing the hashtag "#NotHappy." As of press time, the photo on Facebook has received almost 1,200 comments, many of which address the controversy.
It hasn't taken long for Pharrell to apologize, since he issued a statement through his publicist to say, "I respect and honor every kind of race, background and culture. I am genuinely sorry."
A blurb on Elle's website inadvertently copped responsibility for the blunder. It reads, "We persuaded ELLE Style Award winner Pharrell to trade his Vivienne Westwood mountie hat for a native American feather headdress in his best ever shoot."
This blurb has since been edited to remove the headdress reference.
