According to Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of cultural appropriation is “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.” Cultural appropriation has become such a big deal in fashion and the music industry since the 1950s.
In fashion, many designers put their models in certain jewelry pieces, hairstyles, and designs. During Paris Fashion Week, COMME des GARÇONS (also known as CDG) had their models wear cornrow wigs as they walked down the runway. This offended people of African descent, because many felt that the designers and the models wore wigs without learning about the history of cornrows. Historically, cornrows represented one’s tribe, age, status, or religious beliefs.
Another incident was during the annual Victoria’s Secret Show in 2012, where models were seen wearing lingerie with Native American headdresses. In Native American culture, headdresses are worn by male leaders or used in ceremonial occasions.
People have made music videos wearing clothes from cultures that are not their own. An example is Iggy Azalea in her music video “Bounce”, who can be seen wearing traditional Indian clothing. Ishaan Chaudhry, a fan of the rapper, commented under the video saying, “Meh… that’s what these westerners do. Visit 1 or 2 worst slums of India and shoot a video. Lol I never saw an elephant roaming in the streets.”
In fashion, many designers put their models in certain jewelry pieces, hairstyles, and designs. During Paris Fashion Week, COMME des GARÇONS (also known as CDG) had their models wear cornrow wigs as they walked down the runway. This offended people of African descent, because many felt that the designers and the models wore wigs without learning about the history of cornrows. Historically, cornrows represented one’s tribe, age, status, or religious beliefs.
Another incident was during the annual Victoria’s Secret Show in 2012, where models were seen wearing lingerie with Native American headdresses. In Native American culture, headdresses are worn by male leaders or used in ceremonial occasions.
People have made music videos wearing clothes from cultures that are not their own. An example is Iggy Azalea in her music video “Bounce”, who can be seen wearing traditional Indian clothing. Ishaan Chaudhry, a fan of the rapper, commented under the video saying, “Meh… that’s what these westerners do. Visit 1 or 2 worst slums of India and shoot a video. Lol I never saw an elephant roaming in the streets.”
Korean stylists often put K-Pop idols in cornrows or dreads. When Chan, a member of Stray Kids wore cornrows in his hair for a performance, many fans accused him of only wearing the hairstyle to fit into the “hard” or “ethnic” stereotype.
Personally, I think that this shouldn’t be an issue if these artists and models know the history of these clothes and respect that. I think they also need to wear the clothes correctly. For example, if you want to wear an Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional dress), wear the pants with it, and stop sexualizing the dress. Or if you want to wear cornrows, know the importance of the hairstyle and make sure that the reason you want cornrows is not to be cool or to fit a certain image. |