There is a fine line between freedom of expression and open disrespect. But who decides it? In this article, we have compiled everything you need to know about cultural appropriation in fashion.
A designer must know the difference between paying respect and exploiting a culture. However, it is surprising to see mainstream designers constantly contributing towards cultural appropriation in the fashion industry.
If you may ask the definition, cultural appropriation in fashion refers to the use of elements of a non-dominant culture in a way that does not respect their original meaning or give credit to their source.
It is not something new but prevailing for decades. For instance, during the 17th century, English and French aristocrats adopted the three-piece suit from the traditional ensemble of Islamic countries. Similarly, English Regency era dandies adapted the Indian churidars into slim-fitting pants.
In 2011, Karl Lagerfeld, the late Creative Director of Chanel created the Paris-Bombay Metiers d’Art collection. Inspiration was taken from the aesthetics of India, saree-esque drapes, anarkalis, and salwar-kameez, sprawled across the runway. In addition, the predominantly white models walked in bindis, naths, maang-tikas, hath-phools, and dreadlocks. However, no one objected to the show. It is not because Chanel did not offend people, but because minority groups did not have a voice back then like they have now. Indeed with the help of social media, minority communities can now express their long-held concerns and feelings.
From Gucci selling $800 turbans on their website to Kim Kardashian’s so-called “exotic” fashion choices, scroll through some of the most questionable cultural appropriation moments captured in the fashion industry in recent times.
Cultural Appropriation in Fashion Shows
Each fashion week, the legacy of luxury giants adopting minorities’ culture resurfaces. We have compiled a list of designers that frequently seem to feature appropriated culture in their collections.
When it comes to Marc Jacobs, cultural appropriation in fashion shows is nothing new. He is constantly under the spotlight for his serious affair with appropriating cultures. The Spring/Summer 2017 show featured mainly white models like Karlie Kloss, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner swarmed across the runway in faux dreadlocks hairdo. Most likely, Marc was unaware that black women get fired from jobs and discriminated against at work for wearing their ethnic styles, including dreadlocks. It caused havoc on the internet as the upset communities called out the designer for using their lifestyle as a trend.
Not even a year later, the designer made another blunder at his Spring/Summer 2018 show. This time it was the head wraps, again, on white models. Viewers were quick to call him out, as the hairstylist for the collection cited the 70s as the inspiration but made no reference to the head wrap’s origins. To clarify, head wraps have served as a uniform for the collective identity of millions of enslaved women.
2. Gucci
One of the infamous examples of cultural appropriation in fashion is when Gucci was under fire for listing Indy Turban for $790 as an accessory on their website. The product debuted during Gucci’s Fall 2018/2019 runway on multiple white models, antagonized the members of the Sikh community. Later, they expressed their frustration over the product by explaining that the Sikh turban is not a hot new accessory for sale but an article of faith for those who practice Sikhism.
Certainly, it was easy for Gucci to put Indy Turbans on the ramp and sell them as a hat. However, many Sikh men and women around the world face violence and mistrust for wearing them.
3. Victoria’s Secret
Next, where do we even begin with Victoria’s Secret? The grand fashion show featuring angel wings, bedazzled lingerie with no plus-size representation, often engages in cultural appropriation that leaves us shaking our heads in dismay.
2010: Wild Things
During their show in 2010, models donned animal print lingerie surrounded by men in sarongs and skirts. All the models both male, and female, were covered with black lines and other patterns. By the way, it was supposed to represent indigenous body art.
2012: Calendar Girls
Similarly, during the 2012 show, angels walked the ramp to represent a month of the year and a holiday associated with it. Karlie Kloss walked down the runway wearing a feather headpiece with suede fringe, leopard-print lingerie for November to represent Thanksgiving. Hurt communities expressed their anger and called out Victoria’s Secret for glorifying the genocide that indigenous people suffered.
2016: Road Ahead
Again in their Road Ahead segment of the 2016 show, designers drew inspiration from traditional Chinese prints to create flowy capes, thigh-high boots, oversized jackets, traditional jewelry, headdresses, and halter-neck crop tops. Chinese viewers took their anger to social media. They bashed the show for using traditional prints in making lingerie. Also, using a fully feathered dragon that represents good luck, strength, and health in Chinese culture as a prop wrapped around Elsa Hosk’s torso.
Cultural Appropriation in Fashion Magazines
1. Vogue Arabia
In March 2017, Vogue Arabia launched their very first issue featuring a veiled Gigi Hadid. The much-awaited launch provoked cries of cultural appropriation from the audience. They expected a woman more relevant to the Middle East community on the cover. Muslim women across the globe face violence, hate, and discrimination for wearing a hijab. Consequently, fans called out Gigi for using hijab as a mere fashion accessory for the shoot.
2. Harper’s Bazaar China
Singer, songwriter and business mogul Rihanna posed for Harper’s Bazaar China August issue in 2019. She appeared in a vibrant blue gown with pleated, avant-garde sleeves, a hairstyle like that of traditional Chinese style, eyebrows blocked, and lips painted red just at the center. As a result, it garnered mixed reactions from the audience. While some Twitterati accused her of appropriating Chinese culture, others called it an appreciation of culture.
Harper’s Bazaar China shared images from the shoot on their Instagram handle and revealed the concept behind the cover. It was a western-style icon-meets-eastern aesthetic. In this case, it was not cultural appropriation because the entire team behind Harper’s Bazaar China was Chinese and was credited in both Rihanna and Harper bazaar China’s Instagram post.
Cultural Appropriation at Music Festivals
Coachella
The Coachella Festival is an annual music and arts festival held in California. Festival-goers and celebrities often dress in bindis, feathered headdresses, cornrows, henna tattoos, and war paints for “Coachella lewks” for Instagram likes. For the most part, these looks are drawn from someone else’s culture with no regard for their historical significance.
Cultural Appropriation in Music Videos & Performances
1. Hymn For The Weekend- Coldplay ft. Beyonce
British rock band Coldplay’s Hymn for the Weekend music video has now surpassed over one billion views on YouTube. Filmed during the festival of Holi, Chris Martin traveled through the narrow streets of Mumbai in a tuk-tuk. As a result, a handful of people described it as appreciating our culture, many of them accused it of cultural appropriation because of the stereotypical depiction of India as a country of narrow lanes, Sadhus, elephants, and snake-charmers.
Perhaps the band could have immersed themselves in Indian culture and paid homage without dressing Beyoncé in a traditional ensemble. Above all, Queen Bey did not even travel to India for the shoot.
2. Come and Get it- Selena Gomez
In 2013, Selena Gomez performedCome & Get It at MTV Movie Awards. She made her entry in a veil, donning a bindi as an accessory for her performance. In addition to bindi, she also incorporated a little Bollywood dance routine into her choreography. Offended Indian fans expressed their disappointment on the internet. Indeed, bindiis not to be casually adorned for indecent performances or as a fashion accessory.
Cultural Appropriation in Fashion by Celebrities
1. Kylie Jenner
The youngest sibling of the Kardashian-Jenner “Klan” has always been in the news for various reasons. Last year, Twitter users accused Kylie of cultural appropriation. She posted a picture from an old photo shoot where her platinum blonde hair was styled in twists (a protective style in the African-American culture). Eventually, Kylie deleted it from her Instagram after receiving backlash.
2. Kim Kardashian
Recently, Kim Kardashian posted a few pictures from her latest campaign for her brand KKW-Beauty. Fans accused her of misappropriating religious symbols by sporting Om earrings. Users took their anger to Twitter and explained that Hinduism is not an aesthetic. In the meantime, it isn’t the first time users accused her of appropriating Indian culture. In 2019, Kim shared a picture where she styled a maang-tika (traditionally worn by brides) with a crop top and a skirt.
How to Do it Right?
Even though it is a simple notion to grasp, many people still believe that the ability to express themselves in henna stickersand Amazon-boughtbindis is more essential than considering the culture they are stealing. We can avoid cultural appropriation in fashion if designers and celebrities embrace the history behind their inspiration. Also, they must work with the artists from the said community and give them due credit. For instance, take a peek at a couple of cultural appreciation moments captured in the fashion industry.
1. Christian Louboutin x Sabyasachi
In 2017, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Christian Louboutin teamed up to create a limited-edition collection of shoes and bags, namely “Candy Store” for men and women. Classic Christian Louboutin styles were reinterpreted and handcrafted in the most exquisite silk fabrics embellished with zardozi from Sabyasachi’s collection. Truly the shoes and bags were each of a kind and made-to-measure.
2. Kim Kardashian West x Vogue India
In 2018, Kim Kardashian appeared on the cover of Vogue India and wore various traditional Indian ensembles custom-made by some of the top Indian designers like Anita Dongre, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Anamika Khanna, and more. Moreover, Anaita Shroff Adajania, Fashion Director for Vogue India, styled each look.
To summarize, it is not difficult to avoid cultural appropriation in fashion. Fashion is all about creativity. Our travels, and foreign experiences always positively impact creativity. But fashion designing is also a responsibility, especially when you have the opportunity to educate your community about another community that has been oppressed in the past.
Therefore, the persistent stealing of cultures means one of two things: either designers and celebrities do not know, or they do not care to know. What is your take on this? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below or tweeting @shilpa1ahuja.
Akarshi Srivastava
Akarshi is a Fashion Journalist at ShilpaAhuja.com. She has completed her bachelor’s degree in Fashion Design from Amity University, Mumbai, and is originally from Mumbai itself. Prior to ShilpaAhuja.com, she worked with an e-commerce fashion brand where she interned as a fashion designer and also led the social media marketing team for the company. She loves fashion, blogging, sketching, baking, and traveling. When she’s not writing, she loves to read about astronomy.
It also happened that clothing that was worn by a man in India or China, for example, was put on by a woman in Europe. In the 1920s, many Western European women wore a men's coat from China that functioned as an evening coat for them.
'Appropriation' refers to making certain choices that may hurt people belonging to a certain race, ethnicity, community, etc. For instance, if you wear the traditional attire of another country simply to make a fashionable statement, it is appropriating that culture.
If you may ask the definition, cultural appropriation in fashion refers to the use of elements of a non-dominant culture in a way that does not respect their original meaning or give credit to their source.
An easy way to remember the difference between Cultural Appropriation and Cultural Appreciation is to remember that Cultural Appreciation is about honoring a culture whereas Cultural Appropriation is dishonoring or demeaning a culture.
Gucci is under fire once again for cultural appropriation. The Italian fashion house is being criticized for selling a headscarf for $790 called “Indy Full Turban,” with many on social media claiming the accessory and its name are insensitive toward the Sikh culture.
How can I keep my brand from being guilty of cultural appropriation? Consulting people who are well versed in the culture you want to incorporate design from, or hiring the artists from the tribe to create designs for your brand would ensure that the designs were unique and not plagiarized for profit.
Cultural appropriation takes place when members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way. To fully understand its consequences, though, we need to make sure we have a working definition of culture itself.
If you do so in a manner that is appropriately respectful of the manner of usage of the clothing in the originating culture of course you can. The difference between appropriation and appreciation is respect.
Cultural fashion – some may know it as traditional fashion – gets inspiration from one's heritage and upbringing. Clothing and accessories falling under the category of cultural fashion evoke a sense of nostalgia while showing off pride for a rich culture.
The clothes we wear tell stories of our culture and our heritage – things that can't easily be shrugged on and taken off at will. Tradition is also passed down in the creation and construction of our clothes.
For example, appreciating and sharing the culture being celebrated by wearing culturally appropriate clothing at a celebrated event — as opposed to appropriation, such as going to a music festival wearing a costume the imitates a culture that is solely intended to get attention or likes on social media.
There is no such thing as cultural appropriation. To “appropriate” means to steal. To take something away so it can't be used or enjoyed by the person or persons who created it. You wearing clothes from another culture does not take.
Fear of cultural appropriation inhibits the inspiration necessary for others to create new things. We must build on the towering achievements of all those who have gone before us.
Mexico has accused the international fashion brands Zara, Anthropologie and Patowl of cultural appropriation, claiming they used patterns from indigenous groups in their designs without any benefit to the communities.
Orange and Navy Blue are traditional Sikh Khalsa colors, also worn on days of religious observance or special commemorative events. Blue is the color of the warrior and of protection. Royal blue or navy blue turbans are common among Sikh ministers and Gyanis, especially in India. Orange represents wisdom. •
The sari transcends socio-economic divisions and is seen as an egalitarian garment. For those with no ties to the sari, the question of cultural appropriation often arises. It can't speak on behalf of all of India, but 95% of respondents in our survey suggested that Indians are open to anyone wearing the sari.
Fashion designer Peter Nygard charged in Montreal with sexual assault. The 80-year-old Canadian who founded a company that expanded internationally, also faces criminal charges in Toronto and New York City.
Decolonizing fashion is the practice of dismantling and reorienting the structures and systems that the industry (much like our economy itself) was built upon.
It's not, yes, that's correct, but that's simplifying things. Some people call it racist because it's close to the territory of cultural appropriation. However, it doesn't fall into that category. It's not racist to dress up as a character.
An example of appropriation would be using newspapers as rags for cleaning windows. Thus, designs become versatile. Appropriation of a design for a new use is likely to create new sales and possibly even new markets for a product.
Urban Outfitters has long attracted controversy for what many see as cultural appropriation, including for selling Palestinian-style keffiyehs as “anti-war woven scarf” and a range of tchotchkes, duvet covers and clothing featuring the Hindu god Ganesh, which was taken down after complaints according to the ...
Cross-cultural design focuses on understanding how design can be informed and influenced by cultures and their nuances. The practice of designing for cross-cultural considerations encompasses tailoring and adapting design elements, such as images, color, and layouts, to support customer and business needs.
The braids are worn as a way for African women to re-claim a cultural symbol that was banned or frowned upon for decades. The braids are seen as a symbol of African culture. It may add to a history of colonialization where white people would take from black people without due credit or asking for permission.
You can wear your hair in any way you like. You can twist, plait, braid.. your choice. Cultural appropriation is not the doing of the thing, it's the pretending as though the thing ORIGINATED with you, as if there was never the thing before you did it.
Generally, it is not cultural appropriation to wear henna. So long as the henna is worn with the right intention, it can be a form of cultural appreciation in which the wearer understands the origin of the art and supports the cultures of which it hails.
In short, you will not be viewed as 'stealing' Japanese culture if you wear a kimono and you are respectful when doing so. In fact, many Japanese would be pleased to see you wear a kimono as it demonstrates your passion for Japanese culture.
In general, there are religious, cultural, symbolic messages when you wear a certain clothing. If you are wearing it only for show or superficially, without a sincerity to the culture behind it, it is offensive.
The following are not cultural appropriation: Wearing a Sari within the Indian subcontinent. Regardless of the race/home culture of the wearer, wearing a traditional dress in its place of origin is generally accepted.
Fashion, can be conceptualised as something that is popular among a group of people whilst culture, is a way of life shared by a group of people. Culture and Fashion naturally overlap where Fashion can be an expression of culture or a culture in and of itself.
Fashion trends are greatly influenced by the era, the people that live there, their beliefs, and the culture of that time and place. A particular historical culture is reflected in the clothing and accessories that designers and manufacturers create. Then, it adopts the style of the area.
Being an essential part of society, culture has huge impacts on the people of that society. Therefore, culture influence dressing of the people greatly. For instance, if the climate of an area is warm then people of that area prefer to wear light clothes like lawn or cotton.
Fashion is a non-verbal communication that can represent one's political and religious beliefs, gender identity, occupation, and essence. Whether intentional or not, the way that you dress can send a message to others about how you view yourself and how you want to be seen.
People living in different parts of the world wear different types of clothes because it depends upon the place they live, the condition of that place and also based on their culture. That is, we can identify a person's culture from the clothes worn by him/ her.
Depending on how they are used, clothes can be combined and worn to reveal a part of our identity. It is fair to say that clothing and fashion are forms of communication that are exclusive to human beings. Through them, we convey our tastes and lifestyles, and acquire a sense of belonging to a group.
'Appropriation' refers to making certain choices that may hurt people belonging to a certain race, ethnicity, community, etc. For instance, if you wear the traditional attire of another country simply to make a fashionable statement, it is appropriating that culture.
To this day, many people attend music festivals wearing Native American headdresses although they are not Native Americans.Similarly, people have worn blackface as part of a Halloween costume. These are both examples of cultural appropriation, and it can cause a great deal of warranted offense.
Cultural exchange and mutual respect are necessary preconditions for moving from cultural appropriation to cultural appreciation. In an equal platform, such as an art classroom, we can celebrate our own culture and introduce it to others.
Often this also involves using elements of marginalized cultures. In recent years, fashion houses and brands have been increasingly criticized for using symbols, prints and garments from other cultures. Thus the recent examples of Isabel Marant and Louis Vuitton come to mind.
Wearing a bandana is not considered cultural appropriation. Many different cultures and ethnic groups wore bandanas for various reasons. White or lighter-skinned peoples are also a big part of the bandana's history, making it socially and culturally acceptable to wear.
So, if you're not of Native American origin, heritage or culture, it could be considered culturally appropriative to get a tattoo that either depicts Native Americans or any of the Native American symbolism.
Examples include sports teams using Native American tribal names or images as mascots; people not from the originating culture wearing jewelry or fashion that incorporates religious symbols such as the medicine wheel, or wearing items of deep cultural significance and status that must be earned, such as a war bonnet, ...
Cultural appropriation is the adoption of an element or elements of one culture by members of another culture. This can be controversial when members of a dominant culture appropriate from disadvantaged minority cultures.
Dolce & Gabbana trivialising Chinese culture in a campaign in 2018. Gucci pulling a jumper that resembles blackface in 2019. Commes Des Garçons using cornrow wigs on white models in 2020.
In the form of yoga as exercise, using postures (asanas) derived from medieval Haṭha yoga, it has become a widespread fitness practice across the western world. Yoga as exercise, along with the use that some make of symbols such as Om ॐ, has been described as cultural appropriation.
Generally, wearing waist beads is not cultural appropriation. Instead, wearing them can be a form of cultural appreciation, where you have learnt about the culture which they stem from, respect the origins, and do not benefit from appropriating African culture.
Let's consider Andy Warhol's "Campbell's Soup Can" series (1961). It is probably one of the best-known examples of appropriation art. The images of Campbell soup cans are clearly appropriated. He copied the original labels exactly but filled up the entire picture plane with their iconic appearance.
Among the most famous pop artists, Roy Lichtenstein became known for appropriating pictures from comics books with paintings such as Masterpiece (1962) or Drowning Girl (1963) and from famous artists such as Picasso or Matisse.
Artists who are known for creating appropriation art will use the familiarity of their subjects to grab the viewer's attention. Andy Warhol's Can Campbell's Soup Can (1962) is a great example of this. Warhol uses his lunch staple of 20 years, Campbell's Soup, as inspiration, but copied the labels exactly.
Introduction: My name is Duane Harber, I am a modern, clever, handsome, fair, agreeable, inexpensive, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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