Reflection 2: Yours for the Taking?—On Cultural Appropriation in Fashion (Assign 7/12)


Cultural appropriation is the act of one culture "incorporating" aspects of another culture into its
own. This differs from cultural exchanges in which American hip-hop and Bollywood-style dancing might incorporate each other's moves or Korean and Mexican cuisines sharing ingredients and techniques. In cultural appropriation, a dominant group assimilates aspects of a foreign culture or religion without regard to their original use or intent. In other words, parts of one culture might be absorbed into another in insensitive, even offensive, ways, often for their perceived cool factor. For a number of years, the fashion industry has been accused of playing loosely with cultural and spiritual artifacts from around the world. Thus, we've seen everything from Mexico's Day of the Dead to traditional Inuit designs to Japanese kimonos featured on runways and in collections. Cultural appropriation defenders often claim they are simply displaying an appreciation for those cultures and religions—“I’m actually honoring that culture.” But what’s the line between appreciating a culture and disrespecting it? And what obligation, if any, do we have to first educate ourselves? For example, should non-Natives ever wear a headdress? Or should religious symbols ever be worn as fashion accessories? Where should the lines in fashion be drawn? What do you make of cultural appropriation in fashion?

Include at least two of the following in your discussion:

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