Cultural Appropriation

In the fashion industry, many top leading designers have faced accusations of cultural appropriation. Cases of Cultural appropriation spark hot and passionate debates because borrowing stylistic elements from other cultures is offensive to the holders of such cultures. The disregard or interpretation of the cultural significance of the borrowed styles can have drastic consequences both economically and culturally even if it done unintentionally.

In 2016, Gucci was in trouble for showing white models wearing the Sikh-style turbans, and in 2017, Vogue faced a backlash for a photo in which a model by the name Kloss Karlie was seen dressed as a geisha. Geisha are Japanese women who entertain people by performing the Japanese classical traditions of art, singing, and dance and are uniquely set apart by their oshiroi makeup and wearing of kimono

There's a thin line between what is cultural appropriation and appreciation and the number of times the fashion industry has collectively gotten it right is massively outweighed by the times it has gotten it wrong. There are many reasons that this happens. It may be because the designers are uneducated about this kind of subject or there is a misunderstanding during the inspiration process. For example, in 2011, Urban Outfitters issued Navajo-themed items which made headlines because they caused some disquiet in the Navajo Nation. In 2015, Isabel Marant, a French designer was accused of copying the traditional costume of the Mixe people, an indigenous Mexican community.

However, it doesn’t matter which it is. This is because modern consumers are being bombarded by these kinds of stuff from certain high fashion brand collections that should know better. So what should designers do? Cultural appropriation may not stop soon but it is good to keep calling it out as some have been doing. This has made some designers more aware of the accusations and they have changed their ways.

Designers need to ensure that before they borrow any style from any given culture, the people from that culture should be consulted and their consent sought. If possible, they can be made to be part of the production process to show that their culture is appreciated and they can also benefit from it.