Cultural Appropriation has been and continues to be a cultural issue in the fashion industry in our society. As I continue to dig deeper into the fashion world, it is clear that cultural appropriation has been brought to light and has received the utmost attention in the media over the years. First and foremost it is important to understand what cultural appropriation is. The term can be defined in many ways, however, according to BBC, “cultural appropriation is when a tradition, such as clothing or a hairstyle, is taken from a group’s culture and used in a different way” (BBC News).
Time after time, big designer brands, celebrities, stylists, fashion in television and movies, and holidays such as Halloween have continuously been involved in the use of cultural appropriation, which not only brings down our society but the actual people at hand. Evidently, it is critical to realize why cultural appropriation can negatively impact people because it reinforces racism along with superiority/entitlement by appropriating from a minority.
One important instance of cultural appropriation in regards to Vogue Magazine was directed towards their diversity issue (Soh). The magazine featured the model Karlie Kloss dressed as a Geisha to ultimately represent Japanese fashion (Samelson). Although the shoot was determined to celebrate diversity, both Kloss and Vogue were instantly scrutinized for “yellowfacing” and being insensitive (Samelson). Whether Vogue or Kloss were unintentionally participating in cultural appropriation, viewers took it to offense regardless. Another important instance involved Gucci in which the brand decided to dress models in turban headwear during fashion week (Soh). Because Gucci did not give credit to the culture, their fashion show was deemed problematic (Soh). Dr. Serken Delice, a lecturer at the London College of Fashion discussed the idea of brands wanting to use popular celebrities to model their clothes in order to get the audience’s full attention (Soh). Yet, this ultimately deems to be questionable because it does provide acknowledgment to the original culture.
There are many more examples that exist to support the problem of cultural appropriation in regard to fashion and the industry behind it. But it is also interesting to think about what this all truly means. If people are not doing it intentionally does it count? Fashion is supposed to be a version of self-expression and a way to express creativity but where does the line draw and can our society figure out a solution to inspire instead of appropriate. The only way to move forward and proceed with caution is if these stereotypes and representations of culture in regard to race and gender end and instead move with grace, sensitivity, and credit.
References
BBC, News. “Cultural Appropriation: What Is It and What Does It Mean? - Cbbc Newsround.” BBC News, BBC, 1 Sept. 2020, www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/48868704.
Samelson, Chelsea. “Why Karlie Kloss Was Accused of ‘Cultural APPROPRIATION’ in 'Vogue'.” Medium, Medium, 21 Feb. 2017,
Soh, Stephanie. “Does Fashion Have a Cultural Appropriation Problem?” BBC News, BBC, 22 Nov. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-46297329.
Hey Nadia, this is such a tricky and interesting issue. I think, first and foremost, we’ve seen models get blamed for cultural appropriation during campaigns or runways. If they are successful and influential, is it their duty to uphold their own beliefs? If a model is trying to make ends meat, should we be asking them to turn down a paycheck? Or upset a fashion house, a crew and an agency? I’m not sure what to think about this, but I do think we’ve begun to look more at the models and less at the publication (in print media). It is always very frustrating when we see blatant appropriation rear its ugly head, making me question wether we have learned…
It is difficult to draw the line between appropriation and appreciation, and despite intentions which are hard to prove there still might be consequences which could have been avoided had the creator been more respectful or careful. I think designers have a responsibility to research and understand the culture they are appreciating and the recognize the impact it may have.
I really liked this blog post and believe that this topic is extremely important in today’s world. I think there is a very fine line between appropriation and appreciation and I think your post does a good job of bringing this up. I agree with Kim that a lot of cultural appropriation gets justified because people believe that the designers have good intentions. However, I do think that because this topic is much more prominent now that designers will think twice before putting out work that could be deemed as cultural appropriation.
I really liked this blog post and it addresses such an important issue in our world today. And you asked a very good question when you said where do we draw the line between appropriation and appreciation. This is something that doesn't have a clear answer but makes me think a lot. Great post.
I like that you started off your page with this article, as I think it sets the tone and theme for a lot of your following posts. I especially like when you said, "whether Vogue or Kloss were unintentionally participating in cultural appropriation, viewers took it to offense," because I think a lot of cultural appropriation gets justified by white people and designers through "having good intentions." Intention can be completely ignorant of the impact of culturally insensitive statements, especially when they are magnified and mass produced on the cover of vogue for everyone to see and potentially mimic.