#KimOhNo: Kim Kardashian Sparks Cultural Outrage With ‘Kimono’ Shapewear Line

On Tuesday, Kim Kardashian announced the launch of her newest business venture and it’s already at the center of controversy.

The social media mogul unveiled a women’s shapewear line coined “Kimono,” enthusiastically telling fans how she’s developed the brand over the past year. However, the name quickly sparked criticism over claims of cultural appropriation. 

In Japanese culture, kimonos are a traditional garment typically worn at formal affairs, on special occasions and holidays. And now, Kardashian’s plans to trademark the name have become a trending hashtag on Twitter.

#KimOhNo features tweets from people of all walks of life calling Kardashian out for  “exploitation” of culture for financial gain.

“One is KIMONO. One is Kim shamelessly selling a line of shapewear. Which y’all don’t need,” wrote Tamlyn Tomita, a Japanese American actress, who posted a photo in the traditional dress next to a picture of Kardashian. 

This isn’t Kardashian’s first time under fire for “biting” culture. Last year, the 38-year-old was accused of taking “tribal braids, a popular hairstyle with roots in West Africa and crediting “Bo Derek” as her inspiration.

“Black folks been told y’all about Kim Kardashian stealing culture and profiting off of it and y’all chalked it up as us overacting. #KimOhNo,” another user wrote. 

Although Kardashian hasn’t addressed the controversy, she began using a different hashtag, #KimonoBody to promote the shapewear line. However, users are still dragging the reality star online. Check out what some critics are saying on Twitter.

Retonjah Burdette

Retonjah Burdette is a publicist and published content curator from Atlanta, Georgia. After receiving her Bachelor’s in Public Relations from Georgia Southern University in 2017, Burdette then went on to get field experience with one of the top entertainment PR firms in Atlanta. Since the start of her career, Burdette has worked with a number of actors, authors, entrepreneurs and independent artists. She has secured placements on media outlets such as TV One’s Sister Circle, Good Day Atlanta on FOX, V-103, CBS 46, Kontrol Magazine, KISS 104.1 and Rolling Out to name a few. In addition to her growth in PR, she is currently a writer for Baller Alert, a top platform for news and entertainment. In hopes of bringing the visions of others to life, she launched Girl Avant-Garde in 2019, a creative agency specializing in innovative content, branding and PR in entertainment. Her overall goal is to have autonomy over her creative thought process and to teach branding to new entrepreneurs and others pursuing a career in the public eye.

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