Karlie Kloss apologizes for Geisha Vogue photo shoot

Karlie Kloss apologized on Wednesday for a controversial Japanese-inspired photoshoot for Vogue in which she posed as a geisha, with dark black hair and a pale face. See the model’s apology below for the

pictures, which many are deeming racist and culturally insensitive.

The shoot appeared in Vogue’s recent “diversity” issue, which was designed to celebrate women of different body shapes and ethnicities. But in the process, the photos of Kloss, dressed in traditional geisha garments, had the opposite effect and were called racist. In one image, the 24-year-old model, sporting dark hair and a yellowish hue, posed alongside a sumo wrestler. And in another picture, Kloss was standing on the stairs of a tea house wearing a flowered kimono.

After the photos emerged, however, both Kloss and Vogue were accused of racism for running the images in the “diversity” issue, which featured an Asian model on its cover with Kloss. The magazine quickly removed the photos from its website after the “yellow face” images were assailed for being racist and culturally insensitive.

Following the criticism, Kloss took to social media to apologize for the controversial photos. “These images appropriate a culture that is not my own and I am truly sorry for participating in a shoot that was not culturally sensitive,” Kloss noted. She continued, “My goal is, and always will be, to empower and inspire women. I will ensure my future shoots and projects reflect that mission.” Vogue has yet to comment on the issue.