Lakshmi swimwear`s Australian designer Lisa lived in a mud hut in India

Lisa Burke, whose depiction of the image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear in a recent Sydney fashion show upset Hindus worldwide, has reportedly lived in a mud hut in India.

Nevada: Lisa Burke, Australian designer-owner of Lisa Blue Swimwear label, whose depiction of the image of Goddess Lakshmi on swimwear in a recent Sydney fashion show upset Hindus worldwide, has reportedly lived in a mud hut in India.

An article in a past issue of Marie Claire (Australia) fashion magazine, talking about her swimwear collection, says that the bold prints and striking styles in the range are inspired by her own experiences, "like...living in a mud hut in India..." Her biography posted on Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) (where Lakshmi swimwear was displayed) website, points out: "Over the years Lisa``s life has encompassed a lot of study and travel...and time spent living in India. These rich experiences have inspired Lisa in her collections as she draws on her past in developing the label." Esteemed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that in view of her time spent and inspirational experience in India, Burke should have known better the significance of Goddess Lakshmi and how highly revered she was in Hinduism. Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued that it was even more bothersome for the devotees to learn that the person who lived among them and thus understood their feelings and got her "rich experience" living in India, later on inappropriately used Goddess Lakshmi apparently to push her swimwear for mercantile greed. It was simply repugnant; Rajan Zed said and added that Australian Government and New South Wales Government, who were partners of RAFW this year, should distance themselves from such events in the future. ANI