Sentenced to Purgatory: The Controversial Use of Religious Garments in Fashion
On Tuesday morning, Interview Magazine dropped their latest cover star: Rihanna.
Rihanna typically gets a lot of attention. This time, it was in a different way.
Smeared on the front page is Rihanna, pictured wearing a Catholic nun's headdress. Paired with a half-buttoned blouse and bold blue eyeshadow, it looked like a love child of Moulin Rouge and The Sound of Music.
Image Courtesy: Interview Magazine / Nadia Lee Cohen
Users flooded the magazine post's comment section with their thoughts of distaste and offense. Why would such an influential magazine pose Rihanna on their front cover wearing a religious headdress?
"I mean, why? Millions of concepts and ended choosing this one," wrote one user.
"I'm tired of Christianity being mocked and belittled," wrote another.
Thousands of other comments shaming Rihanna and the magazine can be found under the picture. However, the post has over 1.5 million likes and is the sole post pinned on Interview's page. For reference, Interview Magazine has 1.2 million followers, meaning the like count surpassed the number of people who even follow the page.
This isn't the first time religious garments and symbols have been used in fashion. The 2018 Met Gala, whose theme was "Heavenly Bodies," was one event filled with religious garments. Celebrities adorned with crosses, robes, headdresses, and religious symbols flooded the red carpet. And again–Rihanna was dressed head to toe in Maison Margiela, complete with a robe and a Papal: the traditional headdress for a pope. Kim Kardashian wore a golden Versace gown with a large cross on it. Chadwick Boseman also wore Versace, an all-white outfit that resembled a priest's chasuble, complete with golden crosses and embellishments. Even Jared Leto wore a literal stole (the colorful "robes" priests wear around their necks).
Dolce and Gabbana did a religiously themed show with their FW14 and SS23 collections, featuring pictures of Jesus on sweaters; Blumarine SS23 featured a cross-shaped "shirt" (although it resembles more of a bra) and hundreds of other crosses dotted throughout the collection.
Image Courtesy: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com (Blumarine SS23 Look1)
There is the ever-famous Chrome Hearts, whose signature symbol is an Iron Cross. However, their use of the cross is very intentional. When Stark started designing, he was creating leather accessories for motorcyclists. Within biker communities, the Iron Cross has been used as a symbol of bravery and heroism, picking up popularity in the 1940s and 50s.
But how did we become so desensitized to religious symbols being used in incorrect and offensive ways?
They are not just symbols of Catholicism, either.
Symbols like the Hamsa, Evil Eye, and even Buddha have been exploited in the name of fashion.
Walk into any Forever 21 or Urban Outfitters, and I'm sure you'll find a delicate gold necklace with a hamsa pendant hanging from it or a Buddha image smeared onto a t-shirt with the word "peace" above it. Our favorite girl–Rihanna–was caught in another religious backlash for posting a topless Instagram photo while wearing a pendant depicting the Hindu god Ganesha.
Coach, Swarovski, Michael Kors, and countless other designers have used the evil eye as an accessory, a design, an embellishment, you name it. Chanel even made a gown with a verse from the Quran printed on it.
Image Courtesy: Gerard Julien / AFP via Getty Images (Chanel SS94)
All of these symbols, Catholics and Buddhists alike, hold precise and powerful meanings in their respective religions. If they are going to use it, they should be using it with intention.
But isn't that exactly what Interview was doing? Maybe not for the right intentions, but they certainly had intention.
The stark contrast of the Catholic headdress with Rihanna's very sexual makeup and clothing was certain to be controversial–drawing attention and gathering polarizing crowds. And it certainly worked; as I said before, the post gained more likes than the account has followers– in the span of 12 hours. Controversy is necessary for relevancy and readability in the media world today. A good controversial moment is sure to gain some hate, but it will more than likely get more attention, popularity, and money for the magazine itself.
Some designers like John Galliano (Margiela's creative director) and Jean Paul Gaultier have stated that inspiration comes from their catholic background, Gaultier evening calling his SS07 couture "an ode to catholicism." But how far is too far, and when does inspiration become appropriation?
Religion is meant to be taken seriously and formally. The cross represents sacrifice and atonement; a Nun represents devotion and purity; the Evil Eye is meant to ward off evil intentions, but only if used properly, and the Quran is a sacred text. None of these things should be manipulated to represent anything other than their respective religions.
Gathering inspiration from these religions is certainly unavoidable, as human beings draw inspiration from their life experiences, and religion is a heavy part of many people's lives. Pulling modest styles and rich colors and textures from Catholicism is entirely different than dressing a superstar as a half-naked Nun on the cover of a magazine founded by Andy Warhol.
While many fans remain unhappy with Rihanna, they should instead turn their attention to the creative director of the shoot, as they are the ones in charge of the concept and execution. Just because Rihanna posed in the costume doesn't mean it was her idea, but it does likely mean she's okay with it.
Religion, whether used for purity or popularity, is an integral part of our society. It may be time we take a step back and consider: how far is too far?
Strike Out,
Haley Dockendorff
Boca Raton
Haley Dockendorff is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca. Loud and proud, this Virgo loves writing just about anything that will cause a bit of commotion. If you can't find her, she's probably somewhere on a beach with a camera in hand. You can reach her at haleydockendorff143@gmail.com
