We will not blame you for assuming Carrie Bradshaw is quite the fashion encyclopedia. Her love for clothes and shoes has been a constant in the show Sex and the City, the two subsequent films and the reboot 'And Just Like That. (AJLT)'. So, why is the character - brought to life by actor Sarah Jessica Parker - receiving flak for her sartorial understanding now? Assuming that since Carrie has lived in Manhattan for many years now, where there is a large Indian diaspora, in the recent episode of AJLT, when she appeared wide-eyed and puzzled after learning about the existence of the festival of Diwali - that it is known as the 'festival of lights' - it vexed viewers. She has a scene with her realtor friend Seema, wherein the two go to a 'sari shop' in New York's Soho to buy something for Diwali. But ostensibly, it is a shop filled with lehengas and other ethnic Indian wear. Interestingly, while the word 'lehenga' is never really uttered, Carrie ends up buying just that - in fact, a Falguni Shane Peacock number. The pictures flooded social media before, and are being shared again; take a look. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sarah J. P. Bradshaw 👠 (@sarah.j.p.bradshaw) While there is nothing wrong with the look, what stands out, perhaps, is the fact that for a character with a sound understanding of fashion and little understanding of Indian festivals the flower details on her head are a tad over-the-top (no one dresses like that for Diwali). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sarah J. P. Bradshaw 👠 (@sarah.j.p.bradshaw) Prior to this, we have not really seen Parker's Bradshaw interacting with a brown person. So, when she raises the question of "cultural appropriation" - a hot topic in the West - Seema explains that it is "cultural appreciation" since she has been invited to an Indian function and has to wear something ethnic. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Carrie Bradshaw (@carriebradshaw_sexandthecity) Hollywood has always been accused of tokenism - that is when you put a person of colour in a scene or a story just to show 'diversity' and 'woke-ness', without giving them anything meaningful to do, or simply stereotyping them. This sari-lehenga fiasco plays out like that. We wish Bradshaw knew her Indian clothes, her sari from her lehenga, and had actually chosen a Diwali look for herself, without any of that appropriation/appreciation narrative. 📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don't miss out on the latest updates!
