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When a white model wearing a turban stepped out on Gucci's fall '18 runway last February www.thetopsneaker.com , many people castigated the brand for what they deemed to be appropriation of Sikh culture and religion.Now the luxury fashion brand is facing renewed criticism for the same Indy Full Turban, which was recently spotted on Nordstrom's website at a retail price of nearly $800. (The product is now marked as sold out on Nordstrom.com.)The bright blue headpiece — donned by a couple models at the show — was styled like the traditional headwear worn by Sikhs, whose roots are in South Asia. The item holds deep religious significance for members of the Sikh community.In response, think tank Sikh Coalition wrote on Twitter, "The Sikh turban is not just a fashion accessory, but it's also a sacred religious article of faith. We hope more can be done to recognize this critical context." (According to the coalition, there are upwards of 25 million Sikhs around the world, with about 500,000 living in the United States.)/twitter.com/sikh_coalition/status/1128754082011807745Other users were enraged."This is beyond aggravating," wrote Aasees Kaur, whose username is @SouthernSikh. "Did someone at Gucci even bother to figure out what a dastaar (turban) means to Sikhs? Did it cross your minds to consider the history behind our identity? My people are discriminated against, even killed, for wearing a turban."/twitter.com/SouthernSikh/status/1128298714697801729Taran Parmar (@Tarankparmar) added, "The turban is one of the most important and symbolic articles of faith for Sikhs Cheap Yeezy , and you're selling it as a fashion accessory to make money? This isn't the first time you've come under fire for cultural appropriation. Do better."/twitter.com/Tarankparmar/status/1128411421585182720The Italian label also faced criticism in early February when social media caught wind of a turtleneck black wool balaclava sweater that, when pulled up over the wearer's nose, highlighted red lips that served as an opening for the mouth. The piece, which was part of a line of balaclava knitwear in Gucci's fall '18 collection, was said to evoke blackface and even led to pledges to boycott the brand.A week after the allegations, Gucci launched a series of long-term initiatives designed to foster cultural diversity. President and CEO Marco Bizzarri said the company accepted "full accountability for this incident, which has clearly exposed shortfalls in our ongoing strategic approach to embedding diversity and inclusion in both our organization and in our activities."FN has reached out to Gucci for comment.Watch FN's interview with these top shoe players.Want more?Is the Gucci Ban Over After Blackface Controversy? Snoop Dogg Wants to KnowGucci Pledges to Launch Initiatives That Foster Cultural Diversity Following Blackface AccusationsBlackface in Gucci, Prada: Are Fashion Brands Out of Touch With the New Reality? As JCPenney forges ahead with plans to resuscitate its struggling business, insiders suggest Wall Street’s patience and consumers’ interest are both dwindling quickly.“They need a total overhaul,” said Jane Hali, CEO of Jane Hali & Associates. “The experience in-store is terrible. The experience online is not good. They don’t have the best product. It’s a real problem. And now, it has become a branding situation because they haven’t been relevant for such a long time.”Both Hali and B. Riley FBR analyst Jeff Van Sinderen estimate the firm’s sharp downturn started around 2011 when it hired former CEO Ron Johnson, who was expected to revive the faltering department store after working his magic at Apple Inc. and Target Corp. Instead, however Cheap Yeezy From China , Johnson’s bold moves were said to have alienated the company’s core customers and eventually fueled a further decline of the business. JCPenney’s share price reportedly dipped more than 50 percent with Johnson at the helm and the chain has been floundering with a series of C-suite shakeups and retail missteps ever since.“The biggest hurdle is their reputation – that’s No. 1,” said Hali. “You’re talking about at least 12 to 15 years of problems. The consumer lost confidence. I stopped covering them as a stock because my clients have lost faith in them. [What’s more], the customer lost faith in JCPenney before the Street did.”Under CEO Jane Soltau — who took the helm in October, roughly four months after her predecessor Marvin Ellison departed for Lowe’s — the company has engaged in a turnaround strategy that sees it ditching a few dozen underperforming stores and bringing in fresh talent from retailers such as Target and Michaels. In January, it also announced the hiring of a chief transformation officer, specifically tasked with developing the company’s strategic initiatives aimed at overhauling the 116-year-old business.Still, Van Sinderen cast JCPenney — saddled with about $4 billion in debt at the end of fiscal 2018 — as among retail’s “toughest major turnarounds.” (The company also had $333 million in cash on the balance sheet at the fiscal year’s end as well as substantial real estate value, which Van Sinderen noted would offset some debt.)“Aside from the ongoing challenges of the broader retail backdrop and department stores in particular, the company needs to drive improvement in EBITDA over the next roughly 18 months in order to handle its debt load,” Van Sinderen explained. “Merchandising needs to improve, and JCP needs to gain relevance with the target consumer. None of these things are easy.”Where customers are concerned, Hali also sees significant obstacles for the company — including its apparent hyper focus on the Boomer generation “which is spending less money in [retail].”Hali said the company should put more resources behind luring a younger cohort by taking a stance on issues such as sustainability and carrying more eco-friendly lines that resonate with Gen Z.“JCPenney could probably [also] have some online partners, where they could have contemporary lines that they represent online — which would get their [digital] business going,” she added. “The stores are [also] much too big and the only way to get down [that] square footage is to rent out space — and that could be done with restaurants Cheap Yeezy 350 , entertainment and fitness.”Among the things the department store has going for it, experts point to its partnership with beauty industry standout Sephora. However, despite product offerings from successful brands such as Nike, insiders have suggested its assortment lacks appropriate editing.“The company’s new CEO has merchandising expertise and we believe that she can have a positive impact on product content, which had gotten weak and irrelevant in some key areas,” Van Sinderen noted.When JCPenney reported fourth-quarter results in February, it said it planned to close 27 more stores amid slumping sales and profits. Its Q4 revenues were down 10 percent to $3.67 billion, missing the $3.79 billion analysts had predicted. Adjusted profits had also taken a tumble, sinking more than 60 percent over the comparable period to $57 million, or 18 cents per share.Since slipping below $2 last year, the firm’s share price has continued to hover there — only climbing to $2.02 in September.Watch the video below with Keds' CMO.