Cultural Appropriation and Appreciation by Sarah Silverwood
Cultural appropriation is a controversial and frequent issue within the fashion industry. From the likes of Loewe to Marc Jacobs, many fashion houses have fallen victim to this issue. Cultural appropriation is defined as ‘the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture.’ (1) Cultural appreciation is the opposite to appropriation - designers must reflect on past experiences, cultural elements and history to create garments without causing offence. An example of cultural appreciation is the work of Nigerian designer, Kenneth Ize, who utilises Aso Oke fabric – fabric which is used historically by the Yoruba people of West Africa. (2) With more immigrants leaving their homes to find greater opportunities elsewhere, it’s important that brands must utilise cultural literacy.
Cultural
Appropriation
Comme
des Garcons found themselves receiving backlash after white models were wearing
lace-front cornrow wigs during their autumn winter 2020 menswear show. The
wigs, which were synonymous with hairstyles sported in the black community,
were supposedly influenced by Ancient Egyptians, hairdresser Julien d’Ys stated
on Instagram. (3) The brand later apologised in a statement stating: ‘The
inspiration for the headpieces for Comme des Garçons menswear FW'20 show was
the look of an Egyptian prince. It was never ever our intention to disrespect
or hurt anyone - we deeply and sincerely apologise for any offence it has
caused.’ (4)
The
work of the brand’s creative director, Rei Kawakubo, is often regarded as being
avant-garde, with many of her pieces having a deeper meaning on a second
glance. However, to some who are simply a casual viewer, those deeper meanings
may not be received – causing misconceptions. Like mentioned previously, it is
vital that brands have cultural literacy to understand that the casual viewer
does not consider the subtle meanings when browsing for garments.
By
using the artificial wigs, consumers are given a stark reminder to the brands
diversity issue – not only is there a lack of Egyptian models using in the
autumn winter 2020 show, overall, the Japanese brand has a history of refusing
to case African models. Kawakubo once declared that in her work ‘There's no
reference point. If anything, I avoid any reference points.’ (5) However, due
to her consistent use of African items, consumers may feel as though the brand
is becoming ignorant. By picking items from a different culture without
incorporating members and their struggles into the work, it further indicates a
lack of awareness by the brand. Whilst the brand expressed that their
intentions were not to create harm, it highlights a lack of cultural literacy.
Cultural
Appreciation
Oskar
Metsavaht is a designer who has been praised for his spring 2016 runway
collection. Metsavaht, a former doctor and UNESCO Goodwill ambassador, visited
the Ashaninka tribe and participated in their rituals to gain an understanding
of their culture and history. For viewers, Oskar’s immersive experience
translates tastefully in the garments. There is a difference to those who
simply view images and videos of the culture they are trying to incorporate, to
those who fully immerse themselves within the culture. Furthermore, the
designer uses his platform to give back to the Ashaninka tribe – royalties from
the collection were given to the tribe. (6)
References:
(1) https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cultural-appropriation
(2) https://bellafricana.com/the-history-of-asooke-cloth-weaving/
(3) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7d_RujHnx3/?utm_source=ig_embed
(5) https://www.dezeen.com/2019/05/09/rei-kawakubo-comme-des-garcons-interview/
(6) https://qz.com/520363/borrowing-from-other-cultures-is-not-inherently-racist/
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