Kim Kardashian launches her 'Kimono' underwear, and Twitter rages

Yes the word kimono contains her first name. But appropriating a garment so richly steeped in history and culture seems to be a new misstep for the star. Twitter is on fire and not just from the Japanese.

This Tuesday, Kim Kardashian proudly announced on Instagram the launch of her brand new collection of shapewear: briefs, bras and even cut-out briefs for slit skirts. Adapted to all morphologies and all skin tones, the new collection nevertheless had enough to satisfy a maximum of women looking for sheathing underwear: from size XXS to 4XL and in 9 different shades. It was without counting on the name chosen by the American star for this collection: Kimono Solutionwear. A reference to his name but especially to the traditional Japanese dress that made Internet users jump.

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#KimOhNo

It didn't take long for the canvas to ignite. On Twitter, many Internet users deplore the choice of the name of Kim Kardashian's new brand with blows of "my kimono is not your underwear" or "it hurts the Japanese spirit". Thus crying out for cultural appropriation. This is not the first time that the star has paid the price, by the way. She had already been pinned for wearing braids, Indian jewelry or even wearing brown makeup to create a blackface.

The kimono has been the traditional Japanese dress for centuries. It is worn on all major occasions and even at official ceremonies. This is to say why making it a brand of shaping underwear may seem insulting to the Japanese. And in order to denounce his new idea, the hashtag #KimOhNo has been around the web since Tuesday.

Hi Kim, this is me wearing my mother’s Kimono that was inherited from her. Kimono is a Japanese traditional culture. Please stop using its name for your brand. As @mihoimiofficial suggested, it more makes sense to name Kimno instead. #KimOhNo #kimono pic.twitter.com/v5PAPl8tpL

But the star didn't stop there. She even went so far as to register the trademarks "kimono", "kimono body", "kimono intimates" and "kimono world", according to the Los Angeles Times. They are currently awaiting revision. Even the kimono.com website is now entirely dedicated to this brand.

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A name all the more absurd as the traditional kimono goes against what the brand sells. “The aesthetic of the kimono is graceful, elegant and soft. It does not overtly reveal the body or hug the figure. It wraps the woman wearing it so that she is not exposed,” Professor Sheila Cliffe of Jumonji Women's University told the BBC. In short, the complete opposite of a collection of tight-fitting underwear.