Swimsuit designer Lisa Blue outrages Hindus by depicting goddess Lakshmi on skimpy bathing suits

A swimwear runway show crossed the line from sexy to sacrilegious, according to a group of outraged Hindus.Designer Lisa Burke, chief designer of the line Lisa Blue Swimwear, said she had no idea that when she sent models down the runway at Australian Rosemount Fashion Week in a skimpy suits depicting the goddess Lakshmi that she would cause such offense.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed said in a statement that he was appalled to see images of the goddess Lakshmi, who was highly revered in Hinduism, on a swimwear displayed by a model at a fashion show.

Igniting controversy: Model wearing a bathing suit depicting image of the Hindu sacred goddess Lakshmi causes such an outcry, the designer yanked the suits (Getty).

“Lakshmi was meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not for pushing swimwear in fashion shows for mercantile greed of an apparel company,” Zed said.

Designer Burke quickly yanked the designs featuring the Hindu goddess and issued an apology on Facebook.

“The image of Goddess Lakshmi will not appear on any piece of Lisa Blue swimwear for the new season, with a halt put on all production of the new range and pieces shown on the runway from last week removed,” the brand wrote in a statement. “The use of images of Goddess Lakshmi was not in any way a measure of calculated risk taking, simply it was a desire to celebrate different cultures and share that through our brand.”

“This range will never be available for sale in any stockists or retail outlets anywhere in the world,” she continued. “We apologise to the Hindu community and take this matter very seriously.”