Goddess bikinis spark Indian outrage
India has become outraged after a Byron Bay swimsuit designer unveiled his latest goddess-inspired collection.
The skimpy swimsuit print created by label Lisa Blue depicts the Hindu goddess Lakshmi, and was paraded at Australian Fashion Week.
Furious Indians in Amritsar waved placards and burned the Australian flag in protest of the outfit, while media in India expressed dismay at the use of the goddess ofwealth and beauty.
The fashion label's creator, Lisa Burke, issued an apology on Saturday.
"This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world," Ms Burke posted on the label's Facebook page.
"We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously."
The apology failed to placate protesters, who continued demonstrations across the weekend.
The president of the Universal Society of Hinduism said that deities deserved respect, according to the North India Times.
"Lakshmi was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company," president Rajan Zed said.
Ms Burke was forced to issue another apology, which read: "We would like to offer an apology to anyone we may have offended and advise that the image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed".
"Lisa Blue has been born out of a love of conservation, spirituality and a respect for all people. At no time would we ever have intended that the brand would cause offence. The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand," she posted in another statement on the label's website.
