Lara Raja's Desi Look at Paris Fashion Week Sparks Cultural Debate

Lara Raja's desi-inspired look at Paris Fashion Week, featuring sindoor, sparked online debate over cultural appropriation versus heritage representation in fashion. The CatsEye member wore a canary yellow halter mini dress paired with sindoor, bindi, nose ring, silver jhumkas, and payal for Loewe. Critics called the sindoor performative, while supporters saw it as honoring her Indian roots. Raja, of Tamil descent, said she drew inspiration from Bollywood icon Rekha and her mother, calling sindoor a sacred blessing symbolizing strength. She previously wore a tank top featuring Goddess Lakshmi.