London church sparks controversy for hosting 'satanic' fashion show

A London-area church drew controversy earlier this week after its building was used for a fashion show that incorporated heavy occult and satanic symbolism.

St. Andrew's Church in Holborn has reportedly issued an apology after its altar was used as a runway for what appeared to be an occult-themed show on Monday evening as part of the London fashion week.

The fashion show involved models wearing inverted crosses, devil horns and vampire costumes that were created by Turkish designer Dilara Findikoglu for her Spring/Summer 2018 collection.

One model had her mouth covered in bone-like make-up, while others had their faces painted in large symbols that seemed to be inspired by witchcraft, according to Daily Mail. Among the models seen on the catwalk that night were rapper Brooke Candy and drag artist Violet Chachki.

The Anglican church's altar was reportedly covered with an assortment of tarot card and Masonic-inspired imagery, including the square and compass, as well as the all-seeing eye inside a hexagram.

Dr. Adrian Hilton from the Archbishop Cranmer blog described the church's decision to host the event as "bizarre."

"How can the Church ask godparents to reject Satan in its liturgy of christening when it's hosting this sort of event? There are people dressed up of Lucifer! There are women and men walking around with demonic symbols," Hilton told Premier.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Diocese of London apologized for permitting the event, saying it did not know about the content of the fashion show before it took place.

"The parish of St Andrew's has always supported London Fashion Week. We took this booking in good faith and were not aware of the content or design before the show took place," the statement read.

"This was obviously a mistake, and the content of this show does not reflect the Christian faith of the Church. We will be looking at our booking processes going forward to ensure this does not happen again," it continued.

Findikoglu, who grew up with Muslim parents in Istanbul, is considered to be an up-and-comer in the fashion industry. She gained attention two years ago at Central Saint Martins when she held a guerrilla presentation for the students whose work were not featured in the official press show.

She had admitted to constantly wanting to explore and being fascinated with parapsychology, the occult and "magic stuff," which is evident in her unusual designs.

Some of her work can be found in Selfridges in London and have been worn by celebrities such as Rihanna and FKA Twiggs.