Photograph of Anindya Kusuma Putri wearing a hammer and sickle t-shirt that was uploaded to her Instagram account.

Puteri Indonesia 2015, Anindya Kusuma Putri, has defended her fashion sense after being criticized for a photograph in which she is wearing a hammer and sickle t-shirt. 

Anindya said the t-shirt was a gift from a Vietnamese friend she met during an exchange program when she was in college.

“The t-shirt was given to me four years ago,” Anindya told Tempo today.

She said a gift exchange was customary between exchange students. Gifts often came in the form of a souvenir – in this case, a t-shirt bearing the communist hammer and sickle logo.

“I wore it out of respect for my friend in Vietnam,” Anindya said.

But she realized that the t-shirt might be controversial as communism is a taboo topic in Indonesia.

“I have to be more careful with what I wear because I am now a public figure,” she said.

Anindya reiterated that she does not support communism in any form whatsoever.

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