When I was a reporter at The Phoenix New Times in 2017, Yandy told me that the costumes were “intended to pay homage to the Native American community , not to offend.” A representative from the company implied that linking the costumes to the sexual assault of Indigenous women was “problematic” and akin to slut-shaming . "To say that women choosing to wear a costume or dress in a certain manner directly results in the rape of women, especially women of a specific culture, is victim-blaming, disheartening and problematic at best," Yandy said at the time. "At Yandy, we strive to empower all women to 'Own your sexy' and support our customer to be comfortable in their skin and in what they wear, no matter what that may look like. Dressing in a certain manner does not condone rape. Period."