Category: Cultural Appropriation

Feld asserts that the intellectual rights of, That Was Your Mother, should have been collectively held by Alton Rubin and his band the Twisters (35). Unfortunately, it is Paul Simons who enjoys the intellectual property rights of the production. Indeed, because of cultural appropriation, it has become difficult for people from minor cultural groups to claim an infringement of intellectual property rights, because of the use of electronic sampled musical scores. The reason is that the cultural values of the minor groups are incorporated into the values of the dominant races or ethnic societies, thus making it difficult for an artist to claim originality. Even so, it is difficult for the artists of folk music to claim originality, in circumstances where their music has been electronically sampled. The reason is that most of the music is not copyrighted, and is freely available. Indeed, this was an issue that gained the support of the court in Capital Record v Naxos (2005), where the court asserted that the producer has a right to distribute and produce a musical score that is not copyrighted (Jones 116). So, it is possible to assert that cultural appropriation has made it difficult for musicians to enjoy their intellectual property rights, because it has resulted in the loss of originality because of the incorporation of the values and elements of a minor cultural society, into that of the most dominant social groups.

Moreover, some musicians support the sampling of electronic sounds which results in cultural appropriation, by arguing that they do travel a lot, and the use of digitally sampled music is part of their career (Pimentel, n.p). Indeed, through this argument, one can assert that the music producers and artists support cultural appropriation, because of the element of globalization. For instance, one of the producers and musicians who is accused of cultural appropriation is Diplo. This is an artist whose music and production contains elements of Brazilian funk, dance hall, reggae, African pop, and Western music (Pimentel, n.p). While supporting his decision to incorporate the elements of these cultures into his musical production, Diplo denoted that, “he is a white man, and benefits from a sense of zero cultural capital (Pimentel, n.p).” Through this quotation, Diplo meant that as a white man, he had the right to incorporate and use the values of other societies, and should not be criticized for it. Even so, Diplo justifies the notion of cultural appropriation because of the element of globalization. He asserts that because of his ability to music the cultures and values of different regions in his music, he has managed to perform in different countries of the world, and this includes Uganda, and Islamabad, Pakistan (Pimentel, n.p). In this regard, the electronic sampling of music is what defines his career. Therefore, it is possible to assert that in as much as borrowing from others is a controversial stance, and this is because it raises the issue of cultural appropriation, but, on a positive note, it is a driver of globalization in music. It can increase the chances of a musician to financially benefit from other regions because they can get invitations for performances. Diplo is an example of a musician and producer who has financially benefited from his electronically sampled music.

In conclusion, the notion of cultural appropriation is a controversial topic. The reason is that it can negatively affect creativity and the originality of musical production. Besides, it makes it difficult for the minority social group to preserve their identity and cultural values. However, on a positive aspect, cultural appropriation promotes the notion of globalization. This is because it promotes cultural diversity and acceptance, hence, the emergence of the white people wearing the Dashiki, Bindi, and the Rastafarian stripes.    

Artists are crossing cultural lines with music. When they break these limits and take on classes from different societies, fans wonder if artists are celebrating cultural appreciation or cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is the point at which an individual takes components from another culture without paying tribute to their realness and worth.

Post Malone, Ariana Grande, and Bruno Mars, all non-Black artists, are known for performing music like R&B and hip-hop influenced by Black individuals and culture. Azalea’s exhibitions, especially the voice she utilizes while rapping, are a case of allotment. Azalea utilizes an ‘accent,’ an impersonation of a Black inflection by a non-Black individual while rapping, he included.

When an artist attempts to benefit from the music style without indicating admiration for the way of life, they additionally exhibit cultural appropriation. Justin Bieber’s incorporation of the remix of ‘Despacito’ stood apart as a bilingual track that disregarded Spanish culture.

Recognizing cultural appropriation and cultural appropriation in music isn’t in every case simple to characterize. Fans of Bruno Mars discussed whether the artist spoke about Black culture in his music last March. Mars was blamed for social allotment by Seren Sensei yet Black superstars shielded him on Twitter. Sensei blamed Mars for utilizing ‘his racial vagueness to cross classes.’ accordingly, famous people tweeted he has paid reverence to Black culture and brought back specific parts of the way of life’s sound. Mars, whose father is Puerto Rican and Jewish and whose mother is Filipina, frequently credits Michael Jackson and other Black performers as motivations.

Johnson is an enthusiast of K-pop, a classification beginning in Korea that mixes sounds and styles from around the globe including R&B, jazz, and hip-bounce, which are music structures made by Black individuals. K-pop uses these types of music as motivation, however, Johnson is incredulous about the expectations of the class all in. K-pop frequently utilizes significant components of Black culture, such as locks, a haircuts worn by Black individuals, in tasteful structures, Johnson, who is in Temple’s K-pop club, is included. MAMAMOO, a female K-pop band, confronted analysis for sporting blackface in a video for a spread to Mars and Mark Ronson’s tune ‘Uptown Funk. The gathering issued a conciliatory sentiment, yet it isn’t the main band from the class to proper another culture. An individual from the K-pop bunch Blackpink secures a music video for their new melody, ‘Murder this adoration,’ discharged on April 4.

All things considered, this shouldn’t imply that all artists who cross classifications do so insolently. Discovering approaches to respect the way of life they are crossing into can be a route for artists to avoid appropriation. Eminem, a white rapper enlivened by Black music, indicated regard for Black culture by taking into consideration himself when accepting honours and commendations for his music.

References

1. Odyssey. 2019. Cultural Appropriation Vs. Cultural Appreciation. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/cultural-appropriation-vs-cultural-appreciation. [Accessed 01 September 2019].
2. Cultural Appreciation vs. Cultural Appropriation: Why it Matters | Greenheart International. 2019. Cultural Appreciation vs. Cultural Appropriation: Why it Matters | Greenheart International. [ONLINE] Available at: https://greenheart.org/blog/greenheart-international/cultural-appreciation-vs-cultural-appropriation-why-it-matters/. [Accessed 26 August 2019].
3. A Guide To Cultural Appropriation Vs. Appreciation. 2019. A Guide To Cultural Appropriation Vs. Appreciation. [ONLINE] Available at: https://bust.com/style/193076-cultural-appropriation-vs-appreciation.html. [Accessed 27 August 2019].
4. Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation | Muddy Colors. 2019. Cultural Appropriation vs. Appreciation | Muddy Colors. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.muddycolors.com/2019/02/cultural-appropriation-vs-appreciation/. [Accessed 26 August 2019].
5. Scary Mommy. 2019. We Need To Talk About Cultural Appropriation Versus Cultural Appreciation. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.scarymommy.com/cultural-appropriation-versus-appreciation/. [Accessed 26 August 2019]. 

 

Cultural exchange across various continents has become a common occurrence in the current world of progressively rampant globalization supported by rapid advancements in technology and transportation. This cultural exchange has, however, received a lot of criticism in recent years. The phrase cultural appropriation is commonly used and adopted to summarize this surge of cultural exchange disapproval. Cultural appropriation also termed as cultural misappropriation, refers to the adoption of aspects of an outside culture, including symbols, knowledge, and practices without respecting or understanding the original context and culture. Some view it as a type of cultural and social exploitative crime, while others believe cultural appropriation is another form of positive interaction in today’s modernized world (Ziff & Rao 1997).

Cultures have adapted and borrowed ideas from one another since the first developments of civilization. While cultural appropriation is considered unacceptable, it is not primarily the appropriation that is wrong; but then it is the context in which it is applied, the lack of understanding, as well as the double standards that exist behind it that are inappropriate (Young & Brunk 2012). I believe cultural appropriation between cultures can be enjoyable and beneficial. For example, western cultures appreciate and enjoy traditional Chinese dishes like Peking duck, which is continually being modified and reinvented to fit into the Western taste. In turn, China has also developed a favorable taste for Western dishes. The two cultures are borrowing and adapting certain aspects of their food cultures without devaluing or stealing each other’s culture. This essay explains that cultural appropriation is two-way and beneficial between cultures as relates to a traditional Chinese dish known as pecking duck.

I agree that potentially destructive consequences might arise from appropriating the intellectual or physical property of a culture. That is if the goal of the cultural exchange is a detrimental caricature of the ideals of a culture, the mockery of a culture’s beliefs, or when the cultural appropriation results from the theft of a cultural artifact as well as insensitive and disrespectful use of a culture’s sacred symbol. All these activities are unethical, and reprehensible and should be disapproved and condemned. However, cultural appropriation is not entirely negative. It can sometimes come as a form of tribute, admiration, or having the intention to learn and adopt certain interesting values of another culture.

Therefore, I believe authenticity alone is not a sufficient criterion for criticizing or passing negative judgments about cultural appropriation particularly in food or dishes. In the current globalized world, one cannot deny or attack diversity. Globalization has the potential to create exciting uniformity. I think it is good for cultures to connect and share elements of their values and culture, but they should not rename or take over each other’s ideas. I will support my point of view by basing my argument on a traditional Chinese dish known as Peking duck.

Pecking duck describes an iconic Chinese dish that consists of thin, tender roasted pieces of duck meat wrapped in a crispy skin-thin crepe together with sliced cucumbers, spring onions, and sweet bean or hoisin sauce. There is an excellent reason why pecking duck is among the most popular dishes in China. This is because the dish traces its roots back approximately more than 700 years to the nation’s royal lineage. Pecking duck, also termed as Beijing duck or Chinese duck became a popular main dish in the country during the Yuan Dynasty when China was ruled by Mongol empires (1271 to 1378).  

Today I’m here to explain and to make sure people understand a questionable topic that is constantly misunderstood in all communities. Cultural appropriation is something that many don’t understand but many do. It may be intentional at times and other know that they are doing so, but just don’t care enough to stop. First, I’m going to explain what this concept is. Cultural Appropriation is the adoption or use of practices of one culture by members of a different culture. For those who don’t have a clue to what this is, i’m going to explain. Cultural Appropriation is the act of adopting components of an outside, often minority, culture and that includes knowledge, practices, and symbols without understanding its original history and context and in many ways it shows a lack of disrespect for the people that are part of that culture. But, says the EverydayFeminism website, that’s not the whole story. Unlike cultural exchange, in which there is a mutual interchange, appropriation refers to a “dynamic in which members of a dominant culture take elements from a culture of people who have been systematically oppressed and try to make it that dominants group very own”. Many don’t believe in cultural appropriation being a real act but when I say there are so many examples of them there is no one that could prove this deed as untrue and an exaggeration by people of these cultures. This goes from the girls wearing quipaos, which is traditional wear for women, and chopsticks in their head with two ponytails thinking is going to be a cute outfit, to the non-people of color trying to appropriate black culture as if it was their own, to also the couples wearing sombreros and ponchos for Halloween to appear as a Mexican. These things may not be disrespectful and appropriating to you but to the people that you are doing it to, it is. There is counterarguments as to why this isn’t a thing and they use “We are having fun” or “ we should all be together as people” or “no culture created anything”. I’m just here to prove and educate on this topic.

People have been appropriating other cultures from ages but it wasn’t a topic that was talked about often. As people of color started to advertise against it and calling people out who did this act, it started to get more attention. According to the NMAAHC, The term first appeared in print in 1945 and it attributed to the late professor Arthur E. Christy and it’s been a very heated debate ever since. As a term cultural appropriation has its roots in the 20th century, and it is said that “its highest usage coming after 1980” by the knowledge of the NMAAHC. Although the concept of stealing or misusing a culture was on our collective radar from the 19th century. Relating back to the time when it was deemed as acceptable, in the 1930s, an entertainment for white people that started was the Minstrels shows that took place in New York done by white performers with blackened faces and damaged or poor clothing, imitating enslaved Africans. These performances characterized blacks as lazy, ignorant, superstitious, hypersexual, and prone to stealing, weak-minded and timid. One of the many performers that broke through because of his black-faced “character” that people seemed to enjoy so much. Thomas D. Rice was the performer that developed the first popularly known blackface character, “Jim Crow” in 1830. He was known as the “Father of Minstrelsy”. The popularity of these shows lead to an increase in the participation of blackface and a new source of entertainment.

Blackface and the stereotyping of blackness, that is the language, character and hairstyles, into an entertaining character is still as relevant in today’s media. There has been a high amount of “incidents” where there are uses of “black” Halloween costumes by college students across the country. Obviously, we continue to battle against blackface performances but now it is done in a modernized manner that those who are being defied about blackface claim that there was no wrongful intention and it was done in a matter of laughs and giggles. Now it is not something that its is only about the characterization of black people in an offensive manner but about the gentrification of our culture that we so hardly worked to have when we are constantly oppressed. Being constantly shamed for looking a certain way or acting it, so far as to our hair and fashion senses, to our traditional clothing and then making it your fashion statement is by far the best explanation as to why this is wrong.

Now this doesn’t only happen in black culture. It also happens in minority-based cultures around the world. In Asian cultures, people often wear traditional dresses and chopsticks in their hair as a fashion statement when there is a more sentimental meaning behind it. To traditional attires are only worn during certain festivals, ceremonies or religious occasions. Something that belongs to a culture should stay within that culture and if someone outside of that copies it then it automatically makes it cultural appropriation. Kelly Luc, a Chinese writer, wrote an article called “ The appropriation of Chinese culture and the MET gala”, here she talks about how offensive and deceptive it was when the MET gala made their theme “China: Through the Looking Glass”. Luc watched how they depicted Chinese culture in a way where they narrowed down the culture into a few symbols and they made it clear how the culture is seen in the eyes of westerners. The theme was practically designed to create controversy. Matching the theme, evading all the evident stereotypes of Chinese culture, and recognizing all of the involuntary racist micro-aggressions are still at feet. I wouldn’t know how to explain how offensive it is but to citate the words of a Chinese person themselves. Luc says

“How many times have I walked into a restaurant, and had someone undoubtedly greet me with a “Ni Hao?” No, kind waiter. I speak Cantonese, but hello to you, too. No, passing stranger. “Gung Hay Fat Choy” does not mean thank you, and yes, it’s a different language altogether.” and to that she also states, “How many times have I walked into a restaurant, and had someone undoubtedly greet me with a “Ni Hao?” No, kind waiter. I speak Cantonese, but hello to you, too. No, passing stranger. “Gung Hay Fat Choy” does not mean thank you, and yes, it’s a different language altogether.“ She expresses how it makes her feel but just image how it makes other people feel. It just another branch to institutionalized racism.

Another culture that is constantly being appropriated is Middle Eastern culture. While the appropriation of black culture is perhaps the most widely discussed and criticized, there is also widespread appropriation of less vocal minority groups. Artists like Selena Gomez have been accused of appropriating South Asian cultures, while celebrities including Khloe Kardashian and Lady Gaga have misrepresented Islamic clothing. While these cultures do not have the same history of slavery, Jim Crow, and police brutality in the U.S. as African American culture has, they are nevertheless minority groups whose traditions cannot be stolen and corrupted. The use of the bindi, a forehead decoration worn throughout South Asia, simply for fashion purposes takes away from the holiness of the object to many women. Just as people appropriate South Asian cultures, the sexualization and use of Islamic clothing designed for feminine modesty contradicts its intent. There are many reasons that some Muslim women choose to wear the hijab, niqab, abaya, or all three.

Introduction

A series of discriminatory events have brought attention to cultural appropriation in fashion. Many major fashion houses (Gucci, Prada, Dior and more) have been accused at being at the forefront of such appropriation. Cultural appropriation as defined by Cambridge Dictionary states that it 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). Cultural appropriation is often used in academia to discuss the concept as it exists in the realms of many theoretical frameworks. “Often it is used more globally following the issues that arise out of the practice, it equally deals with the aftermath of aggressive colonialism, more specifically power imbalances and race relations” (Cultural Appropriation). In today’s popular culture, the thin line between appropriation and appreciation in fashion is often crossed. Many incidents have recently occurred leaving much to be desired from the fashion industry. Notoriously, an incident within the beauty realm of fashion; popular culture figures like Kim Kardashian and her sisters were seen wearing cornrows rebranded as boxer braids. In other incidents, model sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid, amongst many others, were seen wearing dreadlocks approved by Marc Jacobs in the Spring/Summer 2017 New York Show. Clear evidence of black appropriation within the industry.

As a black female, my position in this research remains neutral. I acknowledge my attachment to these hairstyles (cornrows, dreads, etc.), due to having worn them and understand the potential biases of my attachment. That said, my acknowledgment and acceptance of such hairstyles furthers my understanding of its significance and importance to my community. These hairstyles are more than what meets the eye, they are symbols of resistance, power and freedom. The appropriation of such is too often seen and allowed in the industry without consequence despite its harmful repercussions. This suggests that progressive measures need to be taken beyond the catwalk, but more significantly within executive boardrooms, casting agencies and marketing teams. Moreover, for the purpose of this research, the term ‘industry gatekeepers’ encompasses all parties just mentioned (chief executives, casting agencies and marketing teams). The aim of this research is therefore, to explore how can industry gatekeepers remain at the center of understanding cultural appropriation in black culture, without lapsing into the dichotomy of cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation? Additionally, exploring how can executive powers implement meaningful strategies for avoiding black appropriation (i.e. hairstyles), all the while furthering progressive changes in high fashion (diversity)?

There is an evident disconnect between industry gatekeepers and the runway, subsequently allowing for incidents of cultural appropriation, and even tokenism too occur. While fashion inclusivity and diversity need resolution on the catwalks, exploring and exposing the dynamics in the behind the scenes, can lead to more informed choice, which can influence industry operations. This research serves therefore as a platform to expose such dynamics and spearhead unwavering accountability on the appropriators (industry gatekeepers).

Literature Review and Theory

Theoretical Frameworks

Before diving into the empirical and analytical discussions about black cultural appropriation within the fashion industry, it is important to situate the argument within a theoretical context. First because we will be exploring the ways in which fashion houses appropriate from black culture, subsequently black communities, I will explore theories focusing on the oppression of marginalized groups. Theories within the disciplines of women studies and cultural studies, as this will allow me to regroup multiple facets of oppression. I will focus on the theory of Intersectionality introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw. This theory can be defined as “the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups” (Intersectionality). This theory will allow me to frame the ways in which the appropriation of black communities on the runway is detrimental to the progression of fashion and black culture. It will equally allow me to demonstrate the lack of diversity within industry gatekeepers and its impact on progressive change.

I will also examine theories like cultural essentialism. “Essentialism is the idea that people and things have ‘natural’ characteristics that are inherent and unchanging. Essentialism allows people to categorize, or put individual items or even people into groups, which is an important function of our brains” (Cultural Essentialism: Definition and Video Examples). This theory will allow me to showcase the inherent biases of black culture that industry gatekeepers possess, while contrarily demonstrating the long attachment between the black community and protective hairstyles.

Literature Review

In previous scholarships, there are no discussions holding industry gatekeepers at the forefront of cultural appropriation on the runways. Often the dichotomy between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation overshadows the appropriators. Recent researches have discussed in depth the appropriation of cornrows as well as the impact of media in representation, however, fail to hold accountable the appropriators, in this instance the industry gatekeepers.

Furthermore, few scholars explicitly define the term “cultural appropriation”. In the article, From cultural exchange to transculturation: A review and reconceptualization of cultural appropriation by Richard Rogers, cultural appropriation is defined as “the use of a culture’s symbols, artifacts, genres, rituals or technologies by members of another culture” (Rogers, 2006, p. 474). Similarly, in the article Is Cultural Appropriation braided into Fashion coverage? by Laney Alspaugh, cultural appropriation is defined as “the use of culturally laden images by people with no association with that culture, [that] occurs across the fashion industry. Such appropriation can be practiced without an understanding or appreciation of the originating culture, thereby cheapening the underlying heritage.” (Alspaugh, 2018, p. 6). Rogers definition depicts this idea that cultural appropriation can unilateral, without considering imbalances of power (predominant group taking from a marginalized group). While, Alspaugh definition constrains cultural appropriation within the lens of editorial.

Furthermore, many researchers have conducted their work using framing theory. Framing theory is defined “as a theory of mass communication, [which] refers to how the media packages and presents information to the public.” (Framing Theory, 2001). This meaning, that “the way the topic is presented, the angle chosen, creates a frame for that information. Framing theory [therefore] expands on agenda setting research, as it includes the media telling the audience what aspects of an issue to focus upon” (Alspaugh, 2018, p. 8).

This study will focus on the role industry gatekeepers play within appropriation in fashion. The research will serve to expose the behind the scenes of the industry, while steering away from the dichotomy of appropriation and appreciation. While protective hairstyles worn by black women, and its appropriation have long been studied, there is little insight on the roles industry gatekeepers play in this form of oppression. Additionally, there is no insight on the measures taken to create change on this matter. In order to create change in the fashion industry, change must come from the top down.

References

1. Alspaugh, L. (2019). s Cultural Appropriation Braided into Fashion Coverage? An Examination of American Magazines. Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, 10(1), 6–14. Retrieved from https://www.elon.edu/u/academics/communications/journal/wp-content/uploads/sites/153/2019/05/01_Alspaugh.pdf
2. Bradley, C. (2019, April 12). What Does cultural appropriation Mean? Retrieved from https://www.dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/cultural-appropriation/.
3. Cashmore, E., & Jennings, J. (2001). Racism: essential readings. London: Sage.
4. CULTURAL APPROPRIATION: meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/cultural-appropriation.
5. Cultural Essentialism: Definition and Video Examples. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/cultural-essentialism-definition-examples.html.
6. Demopoulos, A. (2018, October 31). Inside Fashion’s Big Problem With Cultural Appropriation. Retrieved from https://www.thedailybeast.com/fashion-has-a-big-problem-with-cultural-appropriation-but-not-yet-a-solution.
7. Framing Theory. (2012, November 1). Retrieved from https://www.communicationstudies.com/communication-theories/framing-theory.
8. Green, D. N., & Kaiser, S. B. (2017). Fashion and Appropriation. Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, 4(2), 145–150. doi: 10.1386/fspc.4.2.145_2
9. How Inclusive is the Fashion Industry of Today? . (2019, July 16). Retrieved from https://fashinnovation.nyc/how-inclusive-is-the-fashion-industry-of-today/.
10. Intersectionality. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intersectionality.
11. Rogers, R. A. (2006). From Cultural Exchange to Transculturation: A Review and Reconceptualization of Cultural Appropriation. Communication Theory, 16(4), 474–503. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2885.2006.00277.x
12. Wilson, E. (2013, August 7). Fashion’s Blind Spot. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/08/fashion/fashions-blind-spot.html.

Methodology

I was interested in finding out people’s perspectives on cultural appropriation and if they recognized it. Using Perry’s (2002) and Rodriquez’s (2006) methods as an example, I observed as a participant and jotted down field notes of their expressions. Qualitative methods were used to conduct this semi-structured in-depth interview with 4 heterogeneous candidates all aged heterogeneously, ranging from thirty to sixty minutes in length. I interviewed each candidate one by one at my university in a quiet room. I believe that their methods will allow me to cross-reference what has been said by the participants. All participants were tape-recorded and transcribed and coded by me, participants were informed they could withdraw at any time if they wished. They were also informed that personal identities would be changed for discretion. The interviews were coded into categories and then summarised into key themes and themes that emerged together.

Interview Sampling

In Barry’s (2014) studies he used the snowball method which I used to recruit participants. Barry’s method allowed me to self-select who I wanted to interview as I did not want to randomly sample people (Barry, 2014). I selected two white participants (Amy & Amari) and two black (Jess & Jacky) participants as I wanted to seek respondents who met the criteria specified by my research questions. I chose to sample people of different backgrounds as race plays a big part in cultural appropriation, so I wanted to examine their perspectives and see if they challenge what has been said in my literature review. Each participant was shown the campaign advertisement images from Chapter 2, (Figure 1.0, Figure 1.1 & Figure 1.2) whilst I asked them questions about it.

Key Themes

These phenomena are highlighted because I consider them important to my question. Within these themes, there is new knowledge about the world from the perspectives of the participants in my study.

Inclusivity

Giving credit and being more diverse to the culture was an important aspect when the participants viewed the campaign adverts. In each image I showed them, they questioned if the culture was

When I asked Jess (Black British) “How can fashion designers ethically use other’ creative work?” she responded, “Mention the culture they were inspired by…having the right sort of agreements, making paper works and contracts as this will make it a better fashion world”. A sense of gratitude needed to be given to the culture that these fashion brands appropriated from Jess’s view. Similarly, the majority of the participants believed that including more people of color would reduce the negative response to cultural appropriation. Amy (White British) said when asked, “Maybe instead of white [people], maybe include more people of color and stuff like that, to give it more context and [also] should not just appeal to white [people]”.

Unauthorized

One of the most concerning points the participants expressed, was the lack of respect the campaign adverts portrayed in terms of the African textiles. Amy (White British) expressed her view on what she thought cultural appropriation is, she stated, “When a person takes certain aspects of a culture…then uses it for themselves…and just don’t give any credit [to where it came from]”. The key word in this, ‘takes’ is similar to the Cambridge English dictionary definition as the person intends not to give it back.

The majority of the participants felt that it was almost a sign of ‘theft’ as people of higher-class status with authority are almost untouchable, referring to the campaign adverts done by luxurious brands. The participants viewed the campaign images as people using their hegemonic background to appropriate from Africans as Jacky says, “How can one culture who is privileged in a sense steal from a culture that has nothing…because of colonialism”. Jacky suggests that there are core historical connections between designers appropriating from Africa due to what happened to Africans in the past.

Misrepresentation

When it comes to representing African culture within the campaign adverts, the participants were amazed as they considered it as a ‘lack of creativity’. They felt that some of the images I showed them were ‘out of place’ and were seen as more of a ‘fashion statement’ rather than appreciating the culture. For instance, Jacky (Black British) stated: “It is almost like she just looks glorified (refers to the Caucasian model) in comparison to the rest of the tribe”. What Jacky did not understand was why the Caucasian model was praised and was at the forefront of the campaign advert. Similarly, Jess (Black British) comments “I don’t see how it reflects the culture”. Throughout Jess recognizes a new statement being produced from these campaign images that is to be ‘trendy’ in the fashion industry.

Moreover, Amari (White British) had a different view on these images as she said, “You can be inspired by different cultures, can’t you? I wouldn’t say that is cultural appropriation”. For Amari being inspired by different cultures meant interpreting ideas differently and presenting ideas how you want, as she felt this shouldn’t affect the culture. Most participants explained that they depicted the campaign images as impersonating what African textiles look like but showing people that ‘we can do better’ referring to the Western world.

Conversely, Amari did not think so and expressed that she was oblivious to what was happening within the images. I noticed that the black participants could easily see what was ‘incorrect’ in the images, whereas the white participants were more hesitant when asked a question. All participants suggested that the reason for the campaign adverts was merely for consumers to keep up with recent trends in fashion, not to appreciate African cultures. Amy explains, “Using elements of African culture to be seen as ‘cool’ or identifying as something you want to be for a day or two…is disrespectful”.

Discussion

Results from my research highlighted a new perspective from the outside world, as my findings suggested that the participants were inconsistent with how they reacted towards cultural appropriation that incorporated African fashion. As they contradicted themselves it was difficult to pinpoint their values throughout the research. Furthermore, results from previous theories suggest that people in society may not see cultural appropriation as displeasing (Young, 2008, p.135). This point relates well to my research because even though cultural appropriation has a negative connotation towards the participants, it did not seem to impact them physically.

My results provide research support that brings forth post-blacks being suppressed due to historical suffering (Tulloch, 2015), imperialist refashioning of the ‘otherness’ tradition, lifestyle, and culture (Hook, 2014), and lastly whites finding components of being black and identifying it as ‘cool’ (Perry, 2002). All these concepts apply to my findings as some participants felt that appropriating from African cultures is seen as a norm in the twenty-first century as they viewed it as a ‘condition view’ because they have been so used to it.

Additionally, I found that cultural appropriation that encountered African textiles is not apparent to everyone in society. One of the white participants stated that she was oblivious to cultural appropriation and she only went off what she has been taught and told by the mass media. My findings conflicted with Rodriquez (2006) as he suggested that Caucasian people refuse to acknowledge the impact of black inequalities (Rodriquez, 2006). Scholars need to be mindful because what is portrayed in the mass media can easily be interpreted differently by people in society.

Limitations

The research I carried out does have limits because I conducted in-depth interviews with 4 participants. Thus, additional research should be done to accumulate more perspectives and interpretations.

My position as the interviewer may have affected the participant’s perspective, by saying things, they knew would please me. The third limitation of my findings would be just interviewing one gender, as a male’s perspective would have been interesting to bring forward.

Practical Implication and Further Research

My findings suggest that Africa was a broad topic as some participants found it difficult to describe the campaign images. Suggestions for further research would be to narrow down the topic to one type of textiles in Africa or a particular country in Africa. As this essay has accumulated previous research that links with my results; further research would need to be conducted to find opposing research to balance out my findings.

Conclusion

To conclude, when reflecting on the authority the Western world has over African cultures, several points have been reviewed.

Firstly, cultural influences have allowed creative designers and artists to consider various cultures, and it may also prove beneficial for the majority of the creative designers; as they are influenced by different cultures to formulate new designs (Ziff & Rao, 1997, p.3). Conversely, as cultural appropriation involves race, class, ethnicity, and nationality it brings forth to my attention the political issues that surpass ‘taking’ from Africans and exploiting them is viewed as normal (Ziff & Rao 1997, p.4-5). The creative domain is problematic because it degrades African culture and seeks to take advantage of the sentimental attributes of the culture. I can also identify cultural influences as appreciating cultural values and surroundings, which is known as cultural borrowing. With that in mind, the culture’s surroundings are protected and not mistreated, allowing creative designers to use elements of the culture by giving credit to them, and showing that they were inspired by the culture (Geczy, 2013, p.9).

Secondly, although the term cultural appropriation may be new to some people in the twenty-first century, many researchers found evidence that the term was connected to colonial power during the nineteenth century (Jones & Manda, 2006). Colonialism allowed people from hegemonic backgrounds to appropriate from Africans which is presented in the fashion we see today. During the time of imperialism, the imperialists dominated Africans, as researchers found that the imperialists took charge of African culture, for example, African lifestyle and traditions were refashioned which led to colonialism (Hook, 2014). Due to the possession of African textiles in ownership of the Western world, suggests that the cultural meaning of African textiles was reconstructed into something modern that people can financially gain from (Figure 1.0 & Figure 1.1).

In contrast, African textiles are symbolic of the culture and have cultural meanings that tell a story (Perani & Wolff, 1999, p.28). It could be argued that the Western world disorientated the cultural meaning of African textiles.

Thirdly, the mass media contributes to cultural appropriation heavily especially how people in society interpret certain African styles in fashion (Thompson, 2000). Researchers have found that advertising can change the way people in society view aspects of cultural appropriation as the people controlling the mass media have the power to remove people’s values due to their authority.

African culture when displayed in the media or campaign adverts is misrepresented as the media gives false and misleading styles of how Africans dress (Hook, 2014). An example of the misrepresentation would be the use of Caucasian models interpreting what African textiles look like (Figure 1.0-1.2).

One major concern that abruptly came up was why the Caucasian model was seen at the forefront of all 3 campaign adverts. When conducting the in-depth interviews, participants were confused as to why the Caucasian model had to be at the front, the participants then went on to state that, it was almost as if the Caucasian model was ‘glorified’ and the rest of the models were people of color were just objects (Hooks, 2014).

Fourthly, as previously mentioned in Chapter 3, my findings from the in-depth interview allowed me to generate new perspectives to support this study. During the interviews, 3 out of 4 participants had only heard about the term cultural appropriation in the last four years. For some participants the term was still new to them, suggesting that cultural appropriation was not noticed during the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. However, the term has now emerged and is more apparent in the twenty-first century.

Conversely, this could suggest that people in society are unaware of how harmful cultural appropriation can be to cultures, or it may suggest that people are just ignorant and don’t care (Rodriquez, 2006).

My case studies and in-depth interviews did show a change in people’s perceptions; however, it was not homogeneous as people agreed and disagreed with certain images that represented cultural appropriation. Furthermore, it would be unfair not to point out that some researcher’s theories related to my findings could suggest that the Western world relies on African fashion to move forward and stay superior in the fashion industry (Geczy, 2013, p.10).

Finally, to prevent cultural implications and ethical issues, the better alternative would be to educate people in society about cultural appropriation, allowing people in society to be aware of the term (Blair, 1993).   

Methodology

I was interested in finding out people’s perspectives on cultural appropriation and if they recognized it. Using Perry’s (2002) and Rodriquez’s (2006) methods as an example, I observed as a participant and jotted down field notes of their expressions. Qualitative methods were used to conduct this semi-structured in-depth interview with 4 heterogeneous candidates all aged heterogeneously, ranging from thirty to sixty minutes in length. I interviewed each candidate one by one at my university in a quiet room. I believe that their methods will allow me to cross-reference what has been said by the participants. All participants were tape-recorded and transcribed and coded by me, participants were informed they could withdraw at any time if they wished. They were also informed that personal identities would be changed for discretion. The interviews were coded into categories and then summarised into key themes and themes that emerged together.

Interview Sampling

In Barry’s (2014) studies he used the snowball method which I used to recruit participants. Barry’s method allowed me to self-select who I wanted to interview as I did not want to randomly sample people (Barry, 2014). I selected two white participants (Amy & Amari) and two black (Jess & Jacky) participants as I wanted to seek respondents who met the criteria specified by my research questions. I chose to sample people of different backgrounds as race plays a big part in cultural appropriation, so I wanted to examine their perspectives and see if they challenge what has been said in my literature review. Each participant was shown the campaign advertisement images from Chapter 2, (Figure 1.0, Figure 1.1 & Figure 1.2) whilst I asked them questions about it.

Key Themes

These phenomena are highlighted because I consider them important to my question. Within these themes, there is new knowledge about the world from the perspectives of the participants in my study.

Inclusivity

Giving credit and being more diverse to the culture was an important aspect when the participants viewed the campaign adverts. In each image I showed them, they questioned if the culture was

When I asked Jess (Black British) “How can fashion designers ethically use other’ creative work?” she responded, “Mention the culture they were inspired by…having the right sort of agreements, making paper works and contracts as this will make it a better fashion world”. A sense of gratitude needed to be given to the culture that these fashion brands appropriated from Jess’s view. Similarly, the majority of the participants believed that including more people of color would reduce the negative response to cultural appropriation. Amy (White British) said when asked, “Maybe instead of white [people], maybe include more people of color and stuff like that, to give it more context and [also] should not just appeal to white [people]”.

Unauthorized

One of the most concerning points the participants expressed, was the lack of respect the campaign adverts portrayed in terms of the African textiles. Amy (White British) expressed her view on what she thought cultural appropriation is, she stated, “When a person takes certain aspects of a culture…then uses it for themselves…and just don’t give any credit [to where it came from]”. The key word in this, ‘takes’ is similar to the Cambridge English dictionary definition as the person intends not to give it back.

The majority of the participants felt that it was almost a sign of ‘theft’ as people of higher-class status with authority are almost untouchable, referring to the campaign adverts done by luxurious brands. The participants viewed the campaign images as people using their hegemonic background to appropriate from Africans as Jacky says, “How can one culture who is privileged in a sense steal from a culture that has nothing…because of colonialism”. Jacky suggests that there are core historical connections between designers appropriating from Africa due to what happened to Africans in the past.

Misrepresentation

When it comes to representing African culture within the campaign adverts, the participants were amazed as they considered it as a ‘lack of creativity’. They felt that some of the images I showed them were ‘out of place’ and were seen as more of a ‘fashion statement’ rather than appreciating the culture. For instance, Jacky (Black British) stated: “It is almost like she just looks glorified (refers to the Caucasian model) in comparison to the rest of the tribe”. What Jacky did not understand was why the Caucasian model was praised and was at the forefront of the campaign advert. Similarly, Jess (Black British) comments “I don’t see how it reflects the culture”. Throughout Jess recognizes a new statement being produced from these campaign images that is to be ‘trendy’ in the fashion industry.

Moreover, Amari (White British) had a different view on these images as she said, “You can be inspired by different cultures, can’t you? I wouldn’t say that is cultural appropriation”. For Amari being inspired by different cultures meant interpreting ideas differently and presenting ideas how you want, as she felt this shouldn’t affect the culture. Most participants explained that they depicted the campaign images as impersonating what African textiles look like but showing people that ‘we can do better’ referring to the Western world.

Conversely, Amari did not think so and expressed that she was oblivious to what was happening within the images. I noticed that the black participants could easily see what was ‘incorrect’ in the images, whereas the white participants were more hesitant when asked a question. All participants suggested that the reason for the campaign adverts was merely for consumers to keep up with recent trends in fashion, not to appreciate African cultures. Amy explains, “Using elements of African culture to be seen as ‘cool’ or identifying as something you want to be for a day or two…is disrespectful”.

Discussion

Results from my research highlighted a new perspective from the outside world, as my findings suggested that the participants were inconsistent with how they reacted towards cultural appropriation that incorporated African fashion. As they contradicted themselves it was difficult to pinpoint their values throughout the research. Furthermore, results from previous theories suggest that people in society may not see cultural appropriation as displeasing (Young, 2008, p.135). This point relates well to my research because even though cultural appropriation has a negative connotation towards the participants, it did not seem to impact them physically.

My results provide research support that brings forth post-blacks being suppressed due to historical suffering (Tulloch, 2015), imperialist refashioning of the ‘otherness’ tradition, lifestyle, and culture (Hook, 2014), and lastly whites finding components of being black and identifying it as ‘cool’ (Perry, 2002). All these concepts apply to my findings as some participants felt that appropriating from African cultures is seen as a norm in the twenty-first century as they viewed it as a ‘condition view’ because they have been so used to it.

Additionally, I found that cultural appropriation that encountered African textiles is not apparent to everyone in society. One of the white participants stated that she was oblivious to cultural appropriation and she only went off what she has been taught and told by the mass media. My findings conflicted with Rodriquez (2006) as he suggested that Caucasian people refuse to acknowledge the impact of black inequalities (Rodriquez, 2006). Scholars need to be mindful because what is portrayed in the mass media can easily be interpreted differently by people in society.

Limitations

The research I carried out does have limits because I conducted in-depth interviews with 4 participants. Thus, additional research should be done to accumulate more perspectives and interpretations.

My position as the interviewer may have affected the participant’s perspective, by saying things, they knew would please me. The third limitation of my findings would be just interviewing one gender, as a male’s perspective would have been interesting to bring forward.

Practical Implication and Further Research

My findings suggest that Africa was a broad topic as some participants found it difficult to describe the campaign images. Suggestions for further research would be to narrow down the topic to one type of textiles in Africa or a particular country in Africa. As this essay has accumulated previous research that links with my results; further research would need to be conducted to find opposing research to balance out my findings.

Conclusion

To conclude, when reflecting on the authority the Western world has over African cultures, several points have been reviewed.

Firstly, cultural influences have allowed creative designers and artists to consider various cultures, and it may also prove beneficial for the majority of the creative designers; as they are influenced by different cultures to formulate new designs (Ziff & Rao, 1997, p.3). Conversely, as cultural appropriation involves race, class, ethnicity, and nationality it brings forth to my attention the political issues that surpass ‘taking’ from Africans and exploiting them is viewed as normal (Ziff & Rao 1997, p.4-5). The creative domain is problematic because it degrades African culture and seeks to take advantage of the sentimental attributes of the culture. I can also identify cultural influences as appreciating cultural values and surroundings, which is known as cultural borrowing. With that in mind, the culture’s surroundings are protected and not mistreated, allowing creative designers to use elements of the culture by giving credit to them, and showing that they were inspired by the culture (Geczy, 2013, p.9).

Secondly, although the term cultural appropriation may be new to some people in the twenty-first century, many researchers found evidence that the term was connected to colonial power during the nineteenth century (Jones & Manda, 2006). Colonialism allowed people from hegemonic backgrounds to appropriate from Africans which is presented in the fashion we see today. During the time of imperialism, the imperialists dominated Africans, as researchers found that the imperialists took charge of African culture, for example, African lifestyle and traditions were refashioned which led to colonialism (Hook, 2014). Due to the possession of African textiles in ownership of the Western world, suggests that the cultural meaning of African textiles was reconstructed into something modern that people can financially gain from (Figure 1.0 & Figure 1.1).

In contrast, African textiles are symbolic of the culture and have cultural meanings that tell a story (Perani & Wolff, 1999, p.28). It could be argued that the Western world disorientated the cultural meaning of African textiles.

Thirdly, the mass media contributes to cultural appropriation heavily especially how people in society interpret certain African styles in fashion (Thompson, 2000). Researchers have found that advertising can change the way people in society view aspects of cultural appropriation as the people controlling the mass media have the power to remove people’s values due to their authority.

African culture when displayed in the media or campaign adverts is misrepresented as the media gives false and misleading styles of how Africans dress (Hook, 2014). An example of the misrepresentation would be the use of Caucasian models interpreting what African textiles look like (Figure 1.0-1.2).

One major concern that abruptly came up was why the Caucasian model was seen at the forefront of all 3 campaign adverts. When conducting the in-depth interviews, participants were confused as to why the Caucasian model had to be at the front, the participants then went on to state that, it was almost as if the Caucasian model was ‘glorified’ and the rest of the models were people of color were just objects (Hooks, 2014).

Fourthly, as previously mentioned in Chapter 3, my findings from the in-depth interview allowed me to generate new perspectives to support this study. During the interviews, 3 out of 4 participants had only heard about the term cultural appropriation in the last four years. For some participants the term was still new to them, suggesting that cultural appropriation was not noticed during the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. However, the term has now emerged and is more apparent in the twenty-first century.

Conversely, this could suggest that people in society are unaware of how harmful cultural appropriation can be to cultures, or it may suggest that people are just ignorant and don’t care (Rodriquez, 2006).

My case studies and in-depth interviews did show a change in people’s perceptions; however, it was not homogeneous as people agreed and disagreed with certain images that represented cultural appropriation. Furthermore, it would be unfair not to point out that some researcher’s theories related to my findings could suggest that the Western world relies on African fashion to move forward and stay superior in the fashion industry (Geczy, 2013, p.10).

Finally, to prevent cultural implications and ethical issues, the better alternative would be to educate people in society about cultural appropriation, allowing people in society to be aware of the term (Blair, 1993).   

Should the use of cultural codes and garments within the Western fashion industry be regarded as a legitimate source of inspiration or a blunt theft of cultural richness for the commercial use? Should culture be legally protected? Should Western designer limit their inspiration sources to the West?

INTRODUCTION

Style is an outlet for inventive articulation and an impression of individual and social character. Fashion designers progressively utilize cultural codes and garments as inspiration for their designs. Past media studies took a gander at social assignment and discovered its place in style through conventional news sources, for example, TV and magazines.

This examination utilized a two dimensional investigation of internet based life impressions and looked into articles. Discoveries show in general that the tone of tweets accentuating social allotment was negative, with many featuring famous people, design and discourse on the idea. Paper articles on the point were commonly negative, underlining style originators and culture.

This paper aims to assess whether or not the incorporation of different cultures within fashion is in fact cultural appropriation and should ultimately be protected by law. The paper aims to uncover the link between culture and identity within the context of fashion and social media, and point to the effects of brand’s misjudgements. Ultimately, the aim is to understand if cultural appropriation there is, if it has clear effect on brand’s financial revenue, and if, so if brands should reassess their scope of conduct when it comes to design.

CHAPTER 1: DEFINING CULTURAL APPROPRIATION

In looking into the topic, it is important to comprehend a few aspects of social appropriation. Per Ziff and Rao (1997, p. 35), social appropriation alludes ‘to the taking of licen.sed innovation, social expression, or curios’ and applying it to a random culture. Design has regularly proven a method for self-expression and a huge part of social personality.

For instance, Antony (2010) analyzed the significance of the bindi in Hindu culture, which has rcently turned out to be in vogue in prominent style culture. What is important in status and marriage in conventional Indian culture has turned out to be trendy among a youthful and non-Indian populace (Antony, 2010).

Celebrities, models, prevalent standard film stars, or unscripted television characters, have come into the spotlight for a few cases that delivered inquiries of allotment of culture. On the other side of the issue, Green and Kaiser express that these superstars utilize the issue to attract regard for themselves ‘and the items they would like to sell’ (2017, p. 146).

Another aspect of culural appropriation as characterized by Rogers is that the training ‘is engaged with the digestion and abuse of minimized and colonized societies and in the survival of subjected societies and their protection from predominant societies’ (2006, p. 474).

Social personalities emerge through social practice, fantasies and ceremonies. For some, individuals, style speaks to convention. Design may likewise demonstrate riches, class status and occupation. Style and apparel capacity to strengthen social belief systems and social personality (Antony, 2010). Things being what they are, if apparel is noteworthy to a specific culture’s idenity, where is its place in prevalent design and patterns? Design is regularly observed as shallow, which incenses individuals worried about keeping up customs and regarding legacy (Thompson and Haykto, 1997). Green and Kaiser (2017) expressed that ‘apportionment has been a pinion in the design machine insofar as individuals have occupied with exchange and conveyed diversely,’ yet ‘it has as of late progressed toward becoming foregrounded in popular culture and broad communications’ (p. 145).

CHAPTER 2: DEFINING THE NATURE OF A TREND

Past examinations demonstrate how various types of social orders express culture in various ways—through sustenance, exercises, music, all are characteristic of culture, as show in Roger (2006’s) investigation of social antiques and Antony’s (2010) contemplate on Hindu convention and marriage. Style has been an enormous piece of articulation of culture. This could be in the pieces of clothing themselves, the production of garments, or embellishments that convey a social noteworthiness (Antony, 2010). Carriere includes that culture as an idea may be ‘a summed up term for the different standards and qualities inside a given society’ (2013; p. 272).

Matthes in 2016 stated that social appointment was regularly a ‘distortion, abuse, a burglary of the narratives, styles, and material legacy of individuals who have been truly commanded and remain socially underestimated’ (p. 343). A case of this would be the utilization of specific frill critical to one culture and decreased to a negligible design adornment in another .A case of this phenomenon could be the utilization of the conventional Native American hats as a type of cap or the utilization of dream catchers as tattoos. Social assignment as an idea comes down to the utilization of the social curios without understanding its social centrality. Parisi includes that a case of this would be the manner by which ‘overwhelming society appropriates, to a great extent through broad communications ‘covers’ of African-American work’ (1991, p. 127). A few investigations found that social antiques fill in as social property.Coombe contends that culture is property and ‘social property is a fundamental component of individuals’ personalities’ (1993, p. 264). Culture is explicit to the advancement of personality and frequently the significance is lost in interpretation when adjusted to another culture.Similarly, Green and Kaiser (2017) said ‘the two makers and shoppers of design have since quite a while ago communicated an interest with distinction, ‘fascinating,’ vagueness, and vulnerability through style-style dress’ (p. 145). Coombe likewise said ‘innovation’ is at fault for assignment since it ‘appropriates otherness, comprises non-Western expressions in its own mage… denying specific chronicles, neighborhood settings, and indigenous implications’ (1993, p.256).

CHAPTER 3: CULTURE, AS A DIGITAL IDENTITY

With the advancement of new media stages and social cooperation, its effect on individuals and their correspondence consistently evolving. Basic race and culture hypotheses have examined this wonder as it advances even moreover with the development of gathering correspondence. The hypothesis likewise has a huge influence in the correspondence among individual and culture in this investigation, as it delivered basic talk of social allocation ideas via web-based networking media. Basic hypothesis, at its base, is the ‘scrutinize of innovation and the improvements and foundations related with present day society’ (Elliot and Calhoun, 2003, pg. 1) In this investigation, it is particularly significant in view of its ‘evaluate of craftsmanship and culture, specifically the buyer culture, promoting, the media and different types of pop culture’ (Elliot and Calhoun, 2003, pg.1). So also, Kellner (2003) said there would new research in the territories as society persistently grown new advances and types of correspondence.

Culture and communication are tightly intertwined because “one takes ‘culture’ as the artifacts…the way in which people live their lives, the context of human behavior…it is intimately bound up withcommunication” (pg. 2). This theory creates a framework that applies to the development of society and new technologies. Anguiano and Castaneda (2014) described critical race theory as essential for “examining how race and ethnicity operate within the context of communication practices and experiences” (pg. 108). CRT has looked at how the study of race “bring forward important questions” that drive the research in culture and race studies. It is important to acknowledge how social media has developed in its creation of easy communication for users and their outreach. Twitter, at the time of this study, has more than 68 million followers and continues to have one of the fastest developing platforms (Fiergman, 2017).

A significant method to see how social allocation exists is by perceiving how it spreads. As observed in past investigations, the media assumes an enormous job in propagating generalizations, sexual orientation jobs and social affectability (or absence of). Portrayals of different races, societies and ways of life is significant in separating the social obstructions that exist. Barbour (2015) found in his investigation of the ‘When Captain American was an Indian’ comic that the utilization of symbols for the symbolism depicted played perilously cliché, with the end goal that the being ‘Indian’ was ‘transmitted by means of key and conspicuous symbols’ and that ‘the symbols bear little precision and separate from authenticity’ (p. 270).

Taking symbols and pictures from a culture is regularly observed as approaches to benefit off of these individual parts of different societies. Maeve Eberhardt and Kara Freeman (2015) found that when it came to taking parts of culture, it was normal to discover larger part races ‘co-selecting’ other social structures and ‘then getting a charge out of more benefit than those whose inventive powers at first delivered them’ (p. 306)

Within the media industry, presentation to online networking and direct access to review and collaborating with one another and good examples has a compelling influence of finding a spot in the public arena. Croucher (2011) found that the web would likewise assume a significant job in the social improvement process. As to, Croucher found that the web additionally served ‘guard their gathering personality’ (2011, p. 262). Correspondingly, a few investigations find that the Internet, just as other media, presented individuals to pictures of culture, striking superstars and good examples. For kids, as Boden (2006) discovered, good examples and ‘VIPs are social creations that epitomize social sorts’ (p. 290). Presentation to these pictures shape what we accept and how to connect. The Internet, TV, print media, all are wellsprings of ‘data for kids about the job of design and the utilization of picture’ (Boden, 2006, p. 289).

Eberhardt et. al (2015) likewise noticed that these good examples and famous people ‘are effectively developing in these settings a persona that isn’t themselves’ (p. 304). In their investigation of hip-jump symbol Iggy Azalea, Eberhardt et al. discovered that the white rapper ‘speaks to an outrageous and risky occasion of… the appointment of dark social structures by whites’ (2015, p. 309). Azalea additionally created her ‘open persona around what is alluring and wanted of African-American female bodies in the standard without pondering… the battles of the lived encounters of African-American ladies’ (Eberhardt et al., 2015, p. 320). Additionally, Vejlgaard said that ‘for centuries,women in India and Indian settlers… have utilized henna to beautify their hands’ and an a portrayal of culture, however after a model lifted it up, it moved toward becoming promoted in the US and removed from the first gathering of individuals it was made by (p. 31). Cultural identiy isn’t frequently made for benefit yet rather holds significance. That is lost in interpretation when it is appropriated by outsiders of that said culture.

BILIOGRAPHY

1. Amed, I., Berg, A., Kappelmark, S., Hedrich, S., Andersson, J., Drageset, M., & Young, R. (2017). The State of Fashion – 2018, 1-45
2. Anguiano, C., & Castaneda, M. (2014). Forging a Path: Past and Present Scope of Critical Race Theory and Latina/o Critical Race Theory in Communication Studies. Review of Communication, 14(2), 107-124.
3. Barbour, C. (2015). When Captain America Was an Indian: Heroic Masculinity, National Identity, and Appropriation. The Journal of Popular Culture, 48(2), 269-281. Berry, A. (2011, October 12). Urban Outfitters Taken to Task for Faux ‘Navajo’ Products. Time. Retrieved from newsfeed.time.com/2011/10/12/urban-outfitters-taken-totask-for-faux-navajo-products Brannon, E. L., & Divita, L. (2015).
4. Brown, Michael F. ‘Heritage Trouble: Recent Work on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Property.’ International Journal of Cultural Property, vol. 12, 2005, pp. 40-61. Accessed 27 Oct. 2016.
5. Camilli, D. (2000, December 30). How low did we go?: 2000: A year of inanity, absurdity, stupidity and just plain craziness. The Gazette. Retrieved from Lexis Nexis Academic.
6. Fashion Forecasting (4th ed.). New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing Boden, S. (2006). Dedicated followers of fashion? The influence of popular culture on children’s social identities. Media, Culture & Society, 28(2), 289-298. doi:10.1177/0163443706061690
7. Shand, Peter. ‘Scenes from the Colonial Catwalk: Cultural Appropriation, Intellectual Property Rights, and Fashion.’ Cultural Analysis, vol. 3, 2002, pp. 47-88.
8. Vejlgaard, H. (2008). Anatomy of a Trend. Confetti Publishing.

Cultural appropriation is a crime in the fashion industry that many fashion designers can be considered guilty of. It is defined as “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing an understanding or respect the culture” by the Cambridge dictionary. One of the perpetrators of this act being Valentino through his Spring 2016 collection; inspired by tribal African motifs from which the collection derives its name – ‘Wild Africa’. Another being Jacobs through the use of pastel coloured dreads to model his garments. The list is infinite. I would like to explore how easily the line between fashion and cultural appropriation can be crossed whilst placing a main focus on Valentino’s collection in order to ultimately come to a conclusion to this matter. What is cultural appropriation?

The use of culture to influence fashion can go one of two ways. At one end of the spectrum is appreciation for one’s culture and tradition whilst at the other end lies cultural appropriation. Though being a very subjective topic, cultural appropriation can be seen as one of the biggest offences in fashion. The models of Marc Jacobs cyber goth inspired show wearing candy-coloured dreadlocks. This was described by critics as ‘problematic’ as the majority of the models were white. Jacobs responded to this saying “All who cry ‘cultural appropriation’ or whatever nonsense about any race of skin colour wearing their hair in a particular style or manner – funny how you don’t criticize women of colour for straightening their hair.”. Being a person of colour myself I found this very ignorant and insensitive as no respect was shown for the various cultures from which dreads originated from. Open further research I found that dreadlocks originated in Africa and was first worn by the Masai tribesmen of Kenya where many warriors would wear them in battle often dyeing their roots red.

Valentino’s 2016 ad-campaign is no different, featuring a line-up of predominantly white models wearing cornrows and dreadlocks wrapped into buns to showcase pieces inspired by ‘Wild Africa’[footnoteRef:1]. These pieces captivate the quality of the African prints and materials created by the locals, yet these locals can only be seen as a background for the western models. This sets an uncomfortable dynamic throughout the campaign as the models take to the front leaving the natives as a backdrop. It seems like the sampling of culture in this case only goes one way as it is mainly the models profiting in this scenario. The collection fearlessly takes African motifs and combines them with Grecian components, exhibiting the belief that parts of rich cultures can be borrowed and made into luxury goods without any consequences. This campaign was closely followed with an African-themed spring runway show in 2016, again showing a mainly white line-up of models[footnoteRef:2] clutching designer handbags whilst modelling bone necklaces, Masai beading, Kikuyu textiles, feathers and fringed jackets hand-painted with geometric designs made to look ‘primitive, tribal, spiritual, yet regal’. [1: According to creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli] [2: Only 8 of 87 being black according to the ‘Daily Life’ magazine]

There is an obvious African influence behind the collection but I feel like it is not properly reflected by Valentino. It has always been a good thing to embrace different cultures, as it inspires open-mindness to the way we dress. But personally, it comes across improper when designers use these cultures to make money by taking certain clothing styles and hairdos and using privileged models to showcase them. I disagree with this as I feel that it tends to make the original owners of these styles anonymous; I feel that they need be included in order to create a well-rounded product. There is no question that the flowing nature of the fishnet inspired dress and the vibrant colours of the Masai beads are beautiful, but more credit needs to be given to the creators so that they too can benefit from what they made. Same with the intricate geometric patterns of the bag, it represents the African culture which many people (including me) are proud of. In this sense the people of Africa should also be represented in order for this collection to be considered as appreciation rather than cultural appropriation. [3: A Kenyan fabric originally made from animal skin]

The power of mobile phones has had a big impact on how cultural appropriation is now addressed. In the past, incidents such as cultural appropriation may have been overlooked and buried deep under to never be talked about again. But now, social media has given people a voice to speak up and voice their opinions about matters like this. A spectator, frustrated by the lack of black representation of the collection said “How are you going to use African culture as your ‘inspiration’ yet not even attempt to have African women represented on your runway?”[footnoteRef:4]. It is easy to understand where she is coming from, but I feel like that with a topic as subjective as cultural appropriation, not everyone can be pleased. Stella McCartney responded to this saying “the pieces were about celebrating a unique textile craftsmanship, its culture and highlighting its heritage,”. It is difficult to decide on who is right or wrong in this scenario which brings about the question. Is it cultural appropriation? Well, everyone has their own opinion so a conclusion will never be drawn to this matter. But something that is certain is the fact that social media has been a catalyst in helping this matter come to the surface. [4: Said by Amarachi Nwosu (@AmaraWorldWide) October 2, 2017]

This collection was created by Celine for her Autumn/Winter collection. It takes inspiration from the popular ‘Ghana Must Go’ bags commonly used in both Nigeria and Ghana. The term “Ghana Must Go” has a negative connotation by Ghanaians who moved to Nigeria during its Oil Boom. This is because during the 1980s they where kicked out with no warning and so were forced to pack their belongings in those bags instead of the usual suitcases as a result of the time constraint. This rose tensions between Ghanaians and Nigerians. Nowadays ‘Ghana must Go’ bags are used widely by both Nigerian and Ghanaians. The use of this item to inspire Celine’s collection is very creative, creating chequered patterns that can be used in garments.

Conclusion

From the various sources that I accessed I was able to see different instances in which a country’s culture has inspired a garment. I believe that there is no harm in this and it is therefore not cultural appropriation from that perspective. However, in many cases owners of the culture are disregarded as they watch western designers take their culture and make money from it. Valentino’s collection where white models took to the front of the ‘Wild Africa’ collection whilst locals were only visible in the background. Now this, in my opinion is cultural appropriation. Why couldn’t the owners of the neat cornrows, intricate African designs and beautiful beading be the main focus of the campaign? The Cambridge dictionary described cultural appropriation as. “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing an understanding or respect the culture”. But, I feel it goes a lot more deeper than this ; especially with social media as I previously described. I have concluded that cultural appropriation is different for many scenarios and that sometimes people can exaggerate their views on this matter which makes it very subjective to each individual.

Bibliography

Books

1. Brown Kopano. Soul Thieves
2. The Appropriation and Misrepresentation of African American Popular Culture. City: Alabama, 2014.
3. Young James. The Ethics of Cultural Appropriation. City: Blackwell Publishing ltd, 2012

Websites

1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-46297329 ,BBC news, 24/04/2019
2. http://checkoutafrica.com/cultural-appropriation-african-style-compliment-insult/ , Mariam Tijani, 24/04/2019
3. http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/37002/1/marc-jacobs-admits-ss17-dreadlocks-were-insensitive-cultural-appropriation, Dominic Canogan, 01/05/2019
4. https://jamaicans.com/dreadlocks/ Rastafari, 01/05/2019
5. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/stella-mccartney-cultural-appropriation , Jamie Fieldman, 08/05/2019
6. http://www.dailylife.com.au/dl-fashion/fashion-coverage/whats-with-valentinos-africa-inspired-ad-campaign-20160111-gm3qkd.html ,Kathleen Lee Joe, 08/05/2019
7. https://acclaimmag.com/style/cultural-appropriation-in-fashion-is-nothing-new/#1, Kish Lal, 08/05/2019
8. https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/stella-mccartney-cultural-appropriation_ ,Jamie Feldman, 16/05/2019
9. http://www.dailylife.com.au/dl-fashion/fashion-coverage/whats-with-valentinos-africa-inspired-ad-campaign-20160111-gm3qkd.html ,22/05/2019
10. http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/26895/1/valentino-show-inspired-by-wild-africa-sparks-controversy ,22/05/2019

There is a fine line that separates cultural appropriation from appreciation. In the fashion industry, this has been a controversial issue for a while now between models and the message that they are sending, on the runway and on magazines, by wearing cultural symbols as fashion items. The media has brought this issue into the light and shown a wide variety of views that society has on this topic; however, this is not a new occurrence, this subject dates back to the history of colonization, imperialism and white supremacy. First came the Europeans during the Enlightenment ages, then the Americans, and these colonial powers not only exchanged natural resources but also cultural resources. The fashion industry and big names in it have been called out for taking inspirations from certain cultures and using them as a fashion statement, not taking into account their value to certain civilizations. This upsets individuals who feel like the fashion industry is stereotyping their nations and customs. There should be no excuses for designers to steal from cultures and profit from those designs when there is no meaningful background incorporated.

Cultural Appropriation is a topic that has spiraled the fashion world for some time now and has caused major commotion. According to the Cambridge dictionary culture 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 their culture (Brucculieri).” This issue can be defined as taking an item that has significance to one’s culture or heritage and essentially stealing its ideas for a different purpose. It can vary from wearing something as simple as a hair piece with an exotic dress that is well known in certain cultures, and using them as costumes instead of taking into account their relevance to a society. I-D Magazine interviewed individuals in the fashion, photography, art, and music industry, and got their opinions on what culture appropriation is. A Chinese photographer said, “When I see artists diving into Chinese culture and kind of using it in a way where I ask, does this have anything to do with your narrative, or is this merely an accessory, a trend to your work (i-D).” He describes how culture appropriation is when he questions whether fashion pieces are intended to highlight a civilization’s background or if it has no deep meaning and is solely used as a fashion statement. The moment that fashion takes particular items from a society and removes its ethnic significance, is when the debate on culture appropriation comes into play.

The difference that divides cultural appropriation and appreciation is a very narrow distinction, and a simple piece of clothing that may seem harmless can cause chaos and pass that thin line. Both culture appreciation and appropriation come from the idea of gathering inspiration from a certain society and expanding on that concept; however, appreciation usually involves working with individuals from that culture and contributing to them, while appropriation is mostly involved with high fashion brands stereotyping and labeling the society that they target. In an interview with I-D Vice, World renown model, Winnie Harlow opens up about her view on cultural appreciation and appropriation, she says “It’s one thing for someone to wear braids and go, I created this. When obviously it’s a style that originated in Africa. It’s another thing for people to copy my skin. (Weinstock).” As a prominent figure in the modeling and fashion industry, Harlow is very familiar with this matter since it is an issue that is gaining more awareness from both the public, and individuals in the industry that she works in. She explained how appropriation and appreciation are very different but can be easily mistaken with one another. Harlow uses the comparison of people copying certain styles which has to do with appreciation for the culture and how that differs from copying a specific attribute of a person and calling it their own, which has to do with appropriation. These two topics can easily be confused with one another and as this issue widens, the fashion industry has to set the bar from what can be considered offensive to someone’s culture and what can be considered as embracing their background.

Well known names in the Fashion industry are embracing the idea of using trademarks from societies as fashion, and essentially spreading the message to their audience across the globe that this “trend” of cultural appropriation can be seen as respectable. Fashion does have a cultural appropriation problem, it may not be a designer’s intention to offend anyone, but sometimes art can have many different meanings to different people depending on an individuals past and culture. A huge question that well known fashion designers are asked is if certain styles are simply embracing different heritages through accessories and clothes or offending their heritages by not taking into account the cultural background that item may come with. Designers may see a bright colored top with a certain pattern as inspiration for a fashion piece; however, the case sometimes might be that the top may have a meaningful history behind it to a certain civilization. In a TEDx Talk, Monica Bota-Moisin challenges the fashion industries behavior regarding Cultural appropriation in fashion pieces. After seeing Adele wear a blouse with a traditional Romanian pattern to advertise for Tom Ford, she asks herself “How was it possible to commercialize a design that is so similar to an element of identity to a community and put a brand label on it” (Boța-Moisin). Bota-Moisin is projecting her concern on how brands can simply turn an attribute from a civilization which may have historical and moral background, and turn it into a fashion statement. This question that she communicates to the audience, is exactly what makes up the issue of Cultural Appropriation.

The power of the media, enables the quick spreading of socially unacceptable events in the fashion business and these events can cause detrimental effects to certain individuals and hurt a brands reputation. There have been multiple cases where world renowned models and companies have offended the public because of their fashion choices and the message they are sending to their audience across the globe. These occurrences can vary from magazines to fashion shows and even clothing sold in stores. The Victoria’s Secret annual fashion show brings people from all over the world and the models display high fashion clothing items while walking down the runway. In 2012, American model, Karlie Kloss was featured in the Victoria’s secret fashion show and wore leopard print lingerie with fringe details, along with turquoise jewelry and a war bonnet (Brugeras). Native American communities were not pleased when they saw her dressed up like that and felt like Kloss and the designers were disrespecting their culture and civilization. They used stereotypical native American accessories but showed no relations to the background of these cultures and simply used them as a fashion piece. The design removed all of the sentimental and historical value that come with those pieces and turned it into lingerie and accessories to be broadcasted for the whole world to see. This is only one of the several cases of cultural appropriation that occur in fashion industry.

Other events similar to the Victoria’s Secret show scandal have occurred to numerous prominent names in industry. During the 2015 Met Gala, another major annual fashion event that is broadcasted and watched all over the globe, commotion started over celebrities and what they wore. The theme was the influence that China had on Western fashion, featuring looks from prestigious brands such as Alexander McQueen, Chanel, and Christian Dior. Many individuals were upset because “celebrities dressed in oriental-inspired outfits that nodded to Asian culture but many people took issue with the fact that hardly any guests chose to wear garments made by Chinese designers” (Young). They were wearing traditional Chinese patters and passed that off as oriental but did not truly connect with the culture. This brought attention to the public eye because society did not see this as embracing their civilization, but instead as offending Chinese backgrounds. The Met Gala is made for displaying unique and beautiful fashion; therefore, influential celebrities promoting this behavior is not right message that they should be sending to society.

Social media has also played a big role in raising awareness for this topic and calling out models and celebrities when they cross the line. In 2014, Victoria’s Secret angel, Alessandra Ambrosio posted a picture on Instagram of her wearing a Native American feathered headdress and captioned it “becoming more inspired for @Coachella with this amazing Native American head piece #feathers.” Coachella is a world known annual music festival in California that several famous individuals are seen at and people tend to dress up as a way of expressing themselves through fashion. Many fans criticized Ambrosio’s post and mentioned how it was offensive to the Native American culture and one commenter wrote “’If you had any knowledge of the culture, you would know how disrespectful this is” (Teen Vogue Staff). That headdress has a symbolic meaning to millions of Native Americans and she is broadcasting it as an accessory to a music festival, which clearly offends their society. Although this wasn’t published on the cover of a magazine or broadcasted on a worldwide show, it still had the same effect on individuals which goes to show that no matter the gravity of the situation, cultural appropriation is not something that should be tolerated.

Huge names in the fashion business continue to face accusations of cultural appropriation due to their questionable fashion choices displayed to the public. This leaves designers with a hard task to execute a design that shows beauty through diversity but also wont offend any individuals or civilizations by doing so. Giving credit to cultures that their design is based on can make all the difference. Not only would individuals in that society feel respected since there would be a more personal meaning to the designs, but it will also be saving a lot of energy and avoiding backlash from those individuals. By digging deeper into the historical background of the society and applying it to the fashion piece, this would give it a more profound meaning which would not only unfold the culture’s history but also highlight the profound beauty in the design. In an interview with ABC, Mr. Denham illustrates how to avoid being accused of cultural appropriation. Denham says, “For it not to be cultural appropriation, there has to be recognition, respect, reward or recompense. You have to ask yourself which people benefited from this product — did someone receive an income from it’ (Khopkar). He describes the important aspects that play a role in validating whether a design can be considered as culture appropriation and that it is not only important to reference and respect the society that a designer is inspired by, but to also view the outcome of the whole situation. If a designer is stealing an idea that originated in another culture and is profiting from that design without any recognition to the society that inspired them, there is a problem. However, if they give credit to the culture or find a way to give the design a deeper meaning than just fabric and accessories, they are saving themselves from a lot of hate and backlash. By taking precautions and thinking deeply about the several details that play a role in establishing a design, culture appropriation accusations can be prevented.

How an individual chooses to view these issues can change the whole perspective on cultural appropriation and shift it to appreciation. Taking inspiration from cultures and incorporating them in designs may be seen as a part of the artistic and innovative element of fashion. Stylist and editor of an Australian high fashion publication, Megha Kapoor, says ‘Borrowing from other cultures is inherently a part of the creative process’ (Khopkar). The beauty of art and fashion is that the meaning can change based on the point of view. While one person might see an Arabic dress on the cover of Vogue as cultural appropriation and offensive, another individual might view that as embracing the beauty of the Arabic culture. Although using elements from different cultures in fashion can be seen as supporting that society, there has to be a way that connects back to the civilization in a meaningful way because cultures should not just be seen as fashion statements. Just because designers might find a way to make a societies symbol a beautiful design, does not make it right to steal a part of that society and make a profit from simply displaying the symbol.

As cultural appropriation continues to occur in the fashion world and among several individuals, the number of cases will only grow and thus bring awareness of this societal issue. Simply because influential models and world renowned designers make it seem socially acceptable, does not make it tolerable in society. This issue affects members of certain cultures who are being offended by the fashion industry by using their historical background and degrading its meaning. Although they might sound alike, appreciation and appropriation of a culture are polar opposites, separated by a fine line, that once passed can lead to chaos. Individuals must remember to appreciate art and culture and not appropriate them, when it comes to fashion.