Cultural appropriation in fashion: what is it and can it be prevented? (2024)

Cultural appropriation: The term has been used more and more in recentyears, but the practice of cultural appropriation has been around for muchlonger. Kunstmuseum Den Haag zooms in on the phenomenon in the newexhibition 'Global Wardrobe - the worldwide fashion connection', but thesubject is also often discussed during talks about diversity andinclusivity in the fashion world. Therefore: What is it, where is the linebetween appropriation and appreciation and how can it be preventedaccording to experts?

First of all: What is cultural appropriation? The Kunstmuseum Den Haagrefers to it in the press release surrounding the exhibition as 'copying'from other cultures, often without correct reference to the source. In atalk at Digital Fashion Week Europe last July, writer, curator and activistJanice Deul described the phenomenon as using symbols from other culturespurely for aesthetic reasons without considering the meaning of the items.Often this also involves using elements of marginalized cultures.

In recent years, fashion houses and brands have been increasinglycriticized for using symbols, prints and garments from other cultures. Thusthe recent examples of Isabel Marant and Louis Vuitton come to mind. Mexicoaccused fashion designer Isabel Marant in 2020 of commercially exploitingseveral traditional Mexican indigenous designs in a collection. Thedesigner was already accused of the same in 2015. Not much later, Marantapologized for the cultural appropriation of the patterns. The designeradmitted that the Purepecha patterns have indeed been used as inspirationand that in the future she will 'honor the sources of inspiration used'.

Louis Vuitton withdrew a scarf inspired by the Palestinian keffiyeh fromthe website in June 2021 after criticism on social media. The keffiyeh isseen as a symbol of Palestinian nationalism. The traditional black andwhite pattern of the Keffiyeh was changed to blue and the brandincorporated its own monogram into the scarf. Price tag? $705. Also, thetiming of the item was very unfortunate, as several bombings had takenplace in Palestine at the time.

However, examples go back much further. Think, for example, of 1994,when Karl Lagerfeld used a verse from the Koran as a print on a corset inthe Chanel summer collection. The brand apologized and Lagerfeld said hethought the verse was an Indian love poem inspired by the Taj Mahal. Thecollection contained three dresses with verses on them, Chanel promised toburn them.

In the new exhibition, which can be seen from 9 October to 16 January2022, the Kunstmuseum shows that for a long time it was normal to useclothing items, traditional costumes and symbols from other cultures underthe guise of 'appreciation and inspiration'. For example, the 'Japaneserock', a dressing gown, which was worn by wealthy men in the seventeenthcentury and was seen as a status symbol. But also the Kashmir scarf and theturban. It also happened that clothing that was worn by a man in India orChina, for example, was put on by a woman in Europe. In the 1920s, manyWestern European women wore a men's coat from China that functioned as anevening coat for them. “Valued for the handicrafts, the decorations and thesplendor of colours, but almost certainly without the understanding of thesymbolism in Chinese embroidery,” according to a report from theKunstmuseum. The 1970s were also full of cultural appropriation withclothing from Afghanistan, for example, that was worn by hippies. Socultural appropriation in fashion goes back much further than we mightthink, it just wasn't called that.

Preventing cultural appropriation? “It can only be avoided withcooperation”

Where in one case a Minister of Culture (Alejandra Frausto of Mexico)writes a letter to a brand, another chooses to sell the licenses of, forexample, their name or the well-known patterns and to claim license incomefrom fashion houses. Take the Maasai, for example, an African tribe thatlives in Tanzania and Kenya. In 2011, Kim Jones, who spent his childhood inKenya, used prints linked to Maasai culture in his Louis Vuitton debut.It's not the first time the Maasai's name or prints have been used infashion.

Two years before Jones' debut at Louis Vuitton, 9 elders of the tribedecided to form an organization called the Maasai IP Initiative Trust Ltd(MIPI) to fight back. MIPI takes their cultural heritage into their ownhands and starts a clear and professional process whereby commercial usersof their culture can apply for a license. Proceeds from the licenses shouldhelp support the Maasai community in health, education and repurchase ofthe right to water and land to graze animals. FashionUnited has contactedMIPI and inquired about how often the organization has been successful, butto date have not received a reply.

To take it one step further: Is it possible to sue when a communityexperiences cultural appropriation? FashionUnited calls Nine Bennink fromKöster Advocaten in Haarlem. When asked, Bennink answers that there is aprocedural option when it comes to cultural appropriation. This concernscopyright that can be reverted to. “Most communities have not registered atrademark, but copyright already exists the moment something is made,without registration.” Communities could therefore file a lawsuit and alsowin, the lawyer says. Such a lawsuit is anything but desirable for fashionhouses. “The cost of losing face to a fashion house is many times greaterthan offering a community compensation or paying licensing fees.” How muchsuch a license should cost is a gray area, as there is no standard for it.What Bennink is sure about is that fashion houses are starting to be muchmore careful with cultural heritage, partly because it causes reputationaldamage and the fact that communities can actually win in court. “Copyrightis a tool for communities to address a social problem.” Bennink sees itmainly as a means that is used for this. “But the social pressure and thepossible loss of face that the fashion house can suffer are in fact alsopowerful tools.” since there is no standard for it. What Bennink is sureabout is that fashion houses are starting to be much more careful withcultural heritage, partly because it causes reputational damage and thefact that communities can actually win in court.

'Equal collaboration is the only way to prevent cultural appropriationin fashion'

The only real way to combat cultural appropriation? There are more sidesto that. First of all, other people's heritage is not meant to be simplycopied for purely aesthetic reasons. Secondly, if one wants to make use ofcultural heritage, it is important that one knows the meaning and contextof the elements and treats them with respect. It would help if designersand brands tell the story of these elements and thus also impart thisknowledge to the public. In addition, and perhaps the most important point,connecting and equal partnerships can be entered into with a communitywhere the craft is performed locally and, of course, paid fairly, accordingto the Kunstmuseum.

Time, then, to turn cultural appropriation into cultural appreciation,whereby the use of other people's heritage is accounted for, a fair priceis paid for its use and makers and carriers delve into the heritage of anitem. Does this mean that makers and carriers should only seek inspirationwithin their own heritage? Certainly not. Is there room for improvement inthe fashion world? Absolutely.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.NL,translated and edited to English by Kelly Press.