Victoria's Secret: Shaming the Native American headdress?

(Getty Images)

Is it OK to wear a sexy Native American headdress? Not any more, as Gwen Stefani and now Victoria's Secret have issued apologies for sexing up the historic cultural symbol in the past fortnight.

At the annual fashion show of Victoria's Secret, model Karlie Kloss took to the runway wearing a floor-length feathered headdress - a historic sign of respect in the Native American community.

The use of the headdress, which was matched with leopard print underwear and high-heels, drew strong criticism from Navajo Nation spokesman Erny Zah: "We have gone through the atrocities to survive and ensure our way of life continues. Any mockery, whether it's Halloween, Victoria's Secret - they are spitting on us. They are spitting on our culture, and it's upsetting."