Elle UK Under Fire Over Pharrell Fearthered Headdress

The UK edition of Elle has come under fire for its latest cover, which features Pharrell Williams sporting a feathered headdress.

Thousands of social media users have branded the photo 'disrespectful' and 'racist' because the traditional feather headpiece is a sacred symbol for Native Americans.

Within hours of the July issue's release, people had taken to both Pharrell's and the Elle UK Facebook pages, sharing their anger with the hashtag 'nothappy', in reference to the singer's recent hit, Happy.

Disrespectful? The UK edition of Elle has come under fire from Native Americans for its latest cover, which features Pharrell Williams sporting a feathered headdress

One user wrote: 'Bad move Elle... very disrespectful, he has no business wearing that.'

Another posted: 'Please stop your stylists from exploiting native culture on photo shoots. You should know better.'

And from a third furious user: 'Are you kidding me? This is the most disturbing overtly racist, disrespectful cooptation of a cultural object.'

Pharrell Williams in the controversial Elle UK magazine cover

Others took the opportunity to educate about the meaning of a feather headdress.

One Facebook user, Ruth Rose, explained: 'The headdress is sacred, it was worn by those who were revered and chosen to lead the people. It's not meant to be a fancy headdress for trendsetting.'

Another, Eric Garcia, likened it to a misuse of the Medal of Honor, America's highest military honor.

'The warbonnet is equivalent to the Medal of Honor,' he wrote. 'Would you appreciate it if a foreign nation had photos of people with that medal on?'

The image is a second, limited-edition cover that has been published in addition to one featuring Keira Knightley.

It was initially posted on the Elle UK website with the words: '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.' 

A safer fashion statement: Pharrell pictured on stage in New York City last night in the Vivienne Westwood hat that he has become famous for wearing

And while the publication is yet to respond to MailOnline's request for comment, those particular words have since been removed.

 

William has however issued an apology through his publicist.

"I respect and honor every kind of race,background and culture.I am genuinely sorry"

 

Retailers Victoria's Secret, Urban Outfitters and H&M, as well as the band No Doubt have apologised in recent years for using Native American dress as fashion statements.

And a Chanel show in December last year was branded an 'offensive mockery' for dressing models in feather headdresses.

Musician Pharrell Williams: 'I am genuinely sorry'