A Canadian-born influencer has been accused of cultural appropriation after a tone-deaf post in which she bragged about receiving a brand new Rolex watch from her partner.
Cindy Kilian, 28, who goes by Cindy online and has 1.3 million followers TikToktook to Instagram this week to share a series of photos of her posing in a hotel room in Japan.
In the images, she wore a pink kimono with a colorful floral pattern while waving a hand fan.
She also showed off a gold Rolex watch on her wrist, which she revealed was gifted to her by her partner.
It looked like Cindy was channeling a Japanese Geisha, something she alluded to in the caption.
“Kimono girl, you better work for that Rolex,” she wrote.
Canadian-born influencer Cindy Kilian has been accused of cultural appropriation after a tone-deaf post in which she bragged about getting a brand new Rolex watch from her partner
Some of her followers have challenged her on Facebook group Tea Time for ‘dressing up in a cultural outfit’ in exchange for a watch.
“Am I the only one shocked that she posted this?” one person wondered.
“So another random girl trying to be different for the gram and using a culture like random KINK? sounds about WHY to me!’ another wrote.
“This is NASSSTYYYY.”
“You shouldn’t comment on racial issues if you’re not part of that race,” a third commented.
“I’m shocked that she thinks this is appropriate to post publicly,” one person added.
Geisha are performing artists and entertainers who are trained in traditional Japanese performing arts styles, such as dance, music and singing, as well as being skilled conversationalists and presenters.
They entertain at parties known as ozashiki, often for the amusement of wealthy clientele, but also perform on stages and at festivals.
Cindy shared a series of photos on Instagram this week of her posing in a hotel room in Japan
“Kimono girl you better work for that Rolex,” she captioned the images
Cindy was born in Canada where she obtained a degree in Fashion Arts School before moving to Australia seven years ago at the age of 22.
Speaking about the Ellefluential podcast in 2024, Cindy revealed that she worked in the real estate industry Down Under before discovering her passion for content creation.
‘I worked in real estate for a while, but then suddenly I was scrolling through TikTok every day and I thought, “I think I can do this.” she said.
‘I love being in front of the camera.’
Cindy has since parlayed her social media success into her own brand, Resort and Rich.
She also talked about the importance of self-confidence and not bothering ‘trolls’ on the podcast.
‘You are you. You are so powerful because you are just you and that sister is your superpower,” she continued.
Some of her followers challenged her on Facebook group Tea Time for ‘dressing up in a cultural outfit’ in exchange for a watch’
“As soon as you start trying to let these other people’s thoughts and opinions about you rule your mind and all that, why? They are not relevant.’
“They’re someone who’s trolling you online or they just have their own opinions, which is fine, but don’t let it change the person you’re supposed to be.”
She continued, “You just have to be secure in yourself – everything you’ve done in your life, take all of that and put it into yourself to become the best version of yourself.
“That’s the most powerful thing about you: showing your personality.”