Hailey Bieber's Rhode waist chain sparks cultural tug-of-war; Indian and Black communities clash over its cultural origins

Time of India

a day ago

Hailey Bieber is often hailed as a trendsetter, but when it comes to fashion, nothing is ever truly original, as most trends are recycled. Recently, the supermodel and skincare mogul set the internet ablaze after sharing sizzling photos of herself in a black bikini. But this time, it wasn't the bikini making headlines. What really caught attention was the waist chain she wore, which doubled as a holder for her Rhode lip balm.
After lip balm holder phone cases, we now have lip balm waist chains, and the internet couldn't stop talking. However, as the look went viral, a heated debate broke out on X (formerly Twitter), with Black and Indian communities calling out cultural appropriation and pointing to the waist chain's deep cultural roots.
Hailey Bieber debuts 'Lemontini ballerini'
The Rhode Skin founder debuted her latest line of beauty accessories in a July 2 Instagram post captioned 'lemontini ballerini,' featuring a series of sun-kissed photos of herself modelling the new drop. Alongside a lemon-yellow phone case designed to hold lip gloss, a matching peptide lip tint, and a pouch, Hailey also sported a metallic gold belt-style belly chain, styled as both a bikini accessory and a functional lip gloss holder.
Great idea, right? Some fans even joked that it could double as a discreet tampon holder. But the real controversy didn't come from the design—it came from the cultural context. As the post went viral, many users pointed out that waist chains hold cultural significance, particularly in Indian traditions. However, that claim was quickly challenged by members of the Black community, who argued that the adornment is deeply rooted in their own culture, too.
Hailey's waist chain starts cultural appropriation debate on X
When one person claimed, 'You guys didn't invent waist chains; please, let's be real. We Indians (Tamils) have been wearing arunakodi since birth. And Kamarband have been part of our culture for centuries,' a counter-comment quickly followed: 'Waist chains/beads also exist in African culture. Which you'd know if you took five seconds to research instead of causing Black people to get hate thrown at them so you can defend Hailey Bieber.'
Another user sarcastically added, 'Hailey Bieber was in fact thinking about Tamils when making her waist chain, 100%.'
hailey bieber was in fact thinking about tamils when making her waist chain 100% https://t.co/iiGAX6NZSr
The argument escalated further with one person writing, 'Context: Hailey Bieber is a white woman and is capitalising off of stuff that isn't hers. Waist chains and beads are found in both Asia and Africa. A Black person said, 'If I speak,' and OP had to prove that 'Black people don't own everything!!!'—even though nobody said they did.'
context: hailey bieber is a white women and is capitalizing off of shit that isn't hers, waist chains/beads r found in both asia and africa and a black person said 'if i speak' and op had to prove that 'black ppl don't own everything!!!' even tho nobody said they did pic.twitter.com/sPzL8Dq6Ta
One user simply wrote, "Why can't two cultures co-exist."
What started as a fashion moment quickly turned into a full-blown debate over cultural ownership and appropriation.
Meanwhile, several users also noted that waist chains have long been a staple in the jewellery market, with countless small business owners, including white creators, selling similar pieces for years. Some argued that the accessory isn't new or exclusive to one community and questioned why the outrage is only surfacing now.
While the debate continues to heat up online, it's worth noting that Hailey hasn't officially launched the product yet. As of now, she has not addressed the backlash or commented on the cultural appropriation claims.