The sphere of fashion is often called to order regarding its cultural appropriation. Very quickly, large luxury groups used the term “cultural appreciation” as an excuse to calm things down.
Two diametrically opposed concepts
On the one hand, some luxury homes offer cultural appreciation. They explore Eastern and African cultures in a context of respect and learning. Very quickly, the boundary between admissible and inadmissible is reached.
On the other hand, many renowned fashion houses, such as Yves Saint Laurent and Marc Jacobs, appropriate cultures through their collections. In principle, cultural appropriation is a tool demonstrating a willingness to change representations and to visit other cultures. She wants to further silence Western fashion.
But we first criticize this mechanism of oppression to steal the cultural resources of a minority group in favor of the capitalist system of people in a situation of domination. The problem increases when brands claim to be the authors of the concept, matter and savoir-faire of a civilization.
The cruise collections
The cruise collections are the most striking example of the capitalist and colonial dimension of the industry. The collections are presented during a 15-minute show, whose main themes are travel, exoticism and the Other. We can see that houses that are inspired by oriental cultures, will deploy a lot of content on the craftsmanship and know-how of artisans. They seek to show that unity is strength. However, the savoir-faire of these same craftsmen is always exploited by large luxury groups.
The Western Gaze
In the face of globalization and melting pot, cultures are trying to make everything uniform. Indeed, the Western fashion system still believes itself to be dominant and hegemonic. The Western Gaze is an orientalizing look. From the colonial era, Western fashion granted itself the right to represent in its own way all the peoples of the world. This complex network represents the otherness and exoticism of terms in their international communication.
The luxury and fashion industry has tried to restore its image after all the scandals about cultural appropriation and inclusiveness. Diversity-washing is becoming associated with capitalism. Brands use a communication strategy by making symbolic efforts to include minority groups. They therefore practice tokenism to avoid accusations of discrimination.
The fashion and luxury industry is in the middle of homage or cultural stealing. Brands only use oriental references for their aesthetic value. However, they often forget that the appropriate object can also embody historically discriminated populations and a way to resist oppression. So, there is an invisibility of the symbol of resistance of certain clothes for populations in struggle.
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