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CRES 280 Map 3: Cultural Appropriation within the Fashion Industry (In…

- - - - Karli Kloss is a white American model who basically posed in yellow face for Vogue's issue that was supposed to celebrate diversity.
        
        When major companies like Vogue choose a white model to portray a Japanese woman instead of an ACTUAL Japanese woman it sends a clear message to models of color that they aren't even fit for roles that actually represent themselves.
        
        Although Karli Kloss did go on social media and apologize for participating in the photoshoot, Vogue didn't apologize or print a retraction. The damage had been done and Vogue doesn't appear to be phased.
        
        In the same month, March 2017, Vogue debuted Gigi Hadid on the cover of Vogue Arabia in a Hijab. This received similar backlash on the media to which Hadid responded saying "Being half-Palestinian, it means the world to me to be on the first-ever cover(s) of Vogue Arabia. "I hope that this magazine will show another layer of the fashion industry's desire to continue to accept, celebrate and incorporate all people & customs and make everyone feel like they have fashion images and moments they can relate to... & learn and grow in doing so,"
        
        “Gigi Hadid Covers Debut 'Vogue' Arabia in a Hijab - Receives Swift and Scathing Backlash.” Mic, https://www.mic.com/articles/170374/gigi-hadid-covers-debut-vogue-arabia-in-a-hijab-receives-swift-and-scathing-backlash.
        
        This clear and blatant appropriation of Japanese culture is yet another example of how the fashion industry views culture as a tool of profit instead of a treasured aspect of identity.
        
        Vogue is perhaps the biggest name internationally in terms of fashion magazines and for them to feature this entire spread of cultural appropriation, it sends the message that they support it.
  - - - Jennifer Lawrence is a white American actress who is portrayed in this campaign as wearing Mexican inspired textiles and seemingly acting as an Escaramuza performer.
        
        Escaramuza is a Mexican tradition with teams of women performing a series of routines inside a lienzo charro, or stadium, at breakneck galloping speeds—all while riding sidesaddle. It's a recognized sport within Mexico and is inspired by the female soldiers of the Mexican Revolution.
        
        Jennifer Lawrence was the most googled person in all of 2014 and since then she has grown in fame. It's safe to say that she's an A list celebrity with a lot of societal sway, so when she's seen participating in cultural appropriation of Mexican traditions it can be misconstrued as acceptable for others to do the same.
      - Traditional Mexican Escaramuza Performance Group
        
        Vogue Article with Stunning Pictures of Escaramuza Riders
      - Estaff, Remezcla. “Dior Faces Backlash for Featuring Jennifer Lawrence as the Face of Its Escaramuza-Inspired Collection.” Remezcla, 14 Nov. 2018, https://remezcla.com/culture/dior-jennifer-lawrence-escaramuza/.
  - - - Jefree Star is a youtube star who has over 16 million subscribers and has launched a successful makeup line. The internet community was outrage when he bought a Chanel boomerang and posted several pictures and a video with it, essentially showing support for this product and what it stands for. This is an example of how high fashion brands can influence people in negative ways and lead them to supporting cultural appropriation.
      - The boomerang cost $1,325 which is an extremely high price for any product, but especially for an object that is traditionally used for sport and hunting. They originated from Australian Aboriginal culture, thus Chanel has been rightly criticized for marking up this cultural symbol for pure profit.
        
        Friedman, Vanessa. “Chanel's Boomerang Comes Back to Hit It.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 May 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/fashion/chanel-boomerang-cultural-appropriation.html.
    - - The term Bantu is a blanket term for the the 300 to 600 ethnic groups within southern Africa. The knotted hairstyle, also known as Zulu knots, can be traced through black history all the way to 1898.
        
        Khloe Kardasian posted a picture of her hair styled with Bantu buns on the instagram with the caption "Bantu Babe". This is yet another example of how the fashion industry shows that cultural appropriation is okay when it's not.
        
        Khloe Kardashian has over 99 million followers and instagram and is known to be highly influential in both the media and fashion industry. When celebrities use their power and influence in these acts of ignorance they seem to support these malpractices which their audiences see and follow.
      - Cornrows
        
        “History tells us cornrows originated in Africa. The intricate braiding of the hair indicated the tribe you belonged to,” explains Atlanta-based cosmetologist, barber, instructor and author Toni Love. “Cornrows on women date back to at least 3000 B.C. and as far back as the nineteenth century for men, particularly in Ethiopia. Warriors and kings were identified by their braided hairstyles.”
        
        Gabbara, ByPrincess. “Cornrows and Sisterlocks and Their Long History.” EBONY, 17 Dec. 2018, https://www.ebony.com/style/everything-you-need-know-about-cornrows/.
        
        The cultural appropriation of cornrows has been highlighted by celebrities like the Kardashians, Cara Delevingne, Rita Ora and Kristen Stewart wearing them on red carpets or even labeling something else (e.g. Boxer Braids, or KKW braids). The media has supported this by saying they're showing off a new hairstyle when in reality it's been a staple of black culture for centuries.
        
        The Kardashians in particular have a huge amount of cultural power and their fashion choices have been shown to influence thousands across the nation. For instance, a study asked high school teens how the Kardashians had influence their lives and responses came back saying things like When asking students from SCHS about how they feel about the Kardashians and the message they send, we received answers like this, “The Kardashians set a certain body type and beauty, that many teens feel they need to be like” said senior Steven Ross. “They set an unrealistic body goal for normal people, because they have the help of plastic surgery and expensive products.”
        
        This extensive cultural influence is a lot of power that when used for destructive actions like cultural appropriation can lead to their audiences and society as a whole normalizing and becoming comfortable with cultural appropriation.
- - - - The hand-died wool locks were worn by mostly white models when historically dreadlocks have been associated with Jamaican culture. Dreadlocks were originally documented within the Hindu faith and have been seen across the world, but have no roots within American culture. In fact, the Supreme Court ruled that it's not discriminatory to ban dreadlocks within a workplace on the same day that Marc Jacobs sent these models down the runway.
        
        The message felt clear, within America dreadlocks weren't acceptable unless worn for fashion and by white people. Historically, dreadlocks have been a symbol of a spiritual journey but on the runway they were simply an accessory to seem more fashionable.
      - Marc Jacobs commented on Instagram saying, “And all who cry “cultural appropriation” or whatever nonsense about any race of skin color wearing their hair in a particular style or manner – funny how you don’t criticize women of color for straightening their hair. I respect and am inspired by people and how they look. I don’t see color or race- I see people. I’m sorry to read that so many people are so narrow minded...”
        
        This aggressive response from the designer himself further exasperated the situation, especially since no apology was issued for the clear cultural appropriation. So, straight from the designer himself, cultural appropriation is alright.
      - Wagoner, Mackenzie. “The Dreadlocks Debate: How Hair Is Sparking the Conversation of the Moment.” Vogue, Vogue, 26 May 2017, https://www.vogue.com/article/dreadlocks-hair-debate-moment.
    - - Fasanella, Kaleigh. “Marc Jacobs Faces Accusations of Cultural Appropriation for Putting White Models in Head Wraps.” Allure, Allure, 15 Sept. 2017, https://www.allure.com/story/marc-jacobs-head-wraps-appropriation-controversy-spring-2018.
      - Helen Bradley Griebel, a professor at Cornell wrote in an article saying "The simple head rag worn by millions of enslaved women and their descendants has served as a uniform of communal identity; but at its most elaborate, the African American woman's headwrap has functioned as a 'uniform of rebellion' signifying absolute resistance to loss of self-definition,"
        
        The parade of white models walking the runway wearing a cultural symbol sent social media into a storm for good reason. The history of the head wrap as described in the earlier quote was not experienced by any of these women of their ancestors, so why would they try to play this symbol off as a fashion statement? The consistent cultural appropriation by Marc Jacobs is astounding and has lead to some boycotting his brand, but It's still a major name in the fashion industry. Clearly brands don't face the consequences of terrible and repeated cultural appropriation.The fashion industry in this way, supports it.
  - - - White American model
    - - Elsa Hosk walked the runway with a huge Chinese style dragon wrapped around her
        
        Swedish model
      - Adriana Lima was dressed in Chinese inspired elements
        
        Brazilian model
      - Lais Ribeiro also wore what seemed to be a mash-up of Chinese design
        
        "The brand and its creative leads shamelessly cherry-picked imagery, breaking apart aesthetic references from wherever they wanted and stitching them back together again. They're telling us its worldliness. It's not, it's a hack job."
        
        Ani. “Writer Accuses 'Victoria's Secret' of Cultural Appropriation.” Business Standard, Business-Standard, 3 Dec. 2016, https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/writer-accuses-victoria-s-secret-of-cultural-appropriation-116120300759_1.html.
        
        Brazilian model
      - Kendall Jenner walked the runway with a tail made of flames with a red backdrop with Chinese symbols on it
        
        White American model
      - Fredette, Meagan, et al. “The 2016 Show Was LITTERED with Cultural Appropriation Thanks to Its ‘The Road Ahead’ Section.” Revelist.com, http://www.revelist.com/style-trends/victorias-secret-cultural-appropriation/10413/the-2016-show-was-littered-with-cultural-appropriation-thanks-to-its-the-road-ahead-section/2.
  - - - Markovinovic, Monika. “Valentino Under Fire For Cultural Appropriation, Once Again.” HuffPost Canada, HuffPost Canada, 18 Jan. 2016, https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/01/18/valentino-cultural-appropriation_n_9009840.html.
        
        "The collection, which was described as "primitive" and "wild," featured clothing and accessories inspired by tribal African motifs, but were donned by mostly white models wearing cornrows during the runway show."
      - The entire show mainly featured white models which not only reinforces the racism within the modeling business but also the clear fact that this show appropriated culture in order to garner attention.
        
        The fashion industry itself is constantly trying to outdo itself with the flashiest most outrageous looks for each season. Again and again fashion houses are seen stealing cultural elements in order to be the best. Each instance and repeated example of this appropriation is more evidence for consumers that stealing another culture is acceptable when it's really the opposite.
    - - "I literally have no more words to talk about the ways these warbonnets have been commodified, separated from the cultures from which they come, and appropriated in advertising, costuming."
        
        Once again the prevelenace of the Native American headdress being used for marketing strategy is appalling. In the article on the blog, Native Appropriations, the writer describes finding the pair of shoes in TJ Maxx. An established American department store chain. The facts are that if this box ended up on the racks of TJ Maxx it was also across the country and had been on other stores' shelves before ending up there. The far reaching influence of brands like Valentino should not be overlooked especially when they commit wrongdoings such as this.
      - Chevalier, Jaima, and Queenahmose. “Valentino Didn't Learn Anything.” Native Appropriations, 23 Mar. 2017, http://nativeappropriations.com/2017/03/valentino-didnt-learn-anything.html.
- - - - Johnny Depp is the perfume's ambassador and is featured playing guitar in the desert with clips of a woman in a wolf skin hood and a man in tribal regalia dancing spliced in.
      - The portrayal of Native Americans as "savage" has sadly been around for decades and with Johnny Depp positioned side by side with presumably Native American actors it supports the idea that he too, is Native American. Depp is not of Native American descent and this entire advertising campaign appropriates Native American culture while also enforcing derogatory terminology.
  - - - Jenner's Promotional Video
      - "She (Jenner) will model the collection, which is inspired by the African savanna, and includes a tribal print dress with a high slit, and a leather fringe minidress."
        
        Marfil, Lorelei. “Kendall Jenner to Star in Mango's 'Tribal Spirit' Campaign.” WWD, WWD, 13 Jan. 2016, https://wwd.com/business-news/media/kendall-jenner-david-sims-mango-tribal-spirit-spring-campaign-10312069/.
      - Kendal Jenner is a white American model so the question arises...Why was she chosen to be the face of an African-inspired line? Why not choose an African model? The clear appropriation of African culture cannot be hidden instead it's reinforced by the selection of a white model.
        
        The selection of a white model over a model of color is a repeating occurrence within the fashion industry. Jenner was chosen to be the face of this entire line rather than someone who's heritage represents the elements the line was inspired by.
  - - - Once again this is an example of a huge brand appropriating African Culture and re-branding it as high-fashion. See below branch for more depth on Batu buns.
    - - Gabbara, ByPrincess. “Everything You Need to Know about Bantu Knots.” EBONY, 17 Dec. 2018, https://www.ebony.com/style/everything-you-need-know-about-bantu-knots/.