# data[].attributes.headline
Cultural appropriation: everything is culture and it's all appropriated

# data[].attributes.subject
Cultural appropriation: everything is culture and it's all appropriated

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Every cultural exchange is unequal, from the respectfully borrowed to the outright stolen. Just ask Adele. So, from social media shaming to the reactionary backlash, how can identity be policed and who should police it?

Cultural appropriation brings out the worst in everyone. It hurts some people and makes others looks ridiculous. It triggers the excesses of identity politics and kneejerk nastiness from the inevitable backlash. And even when it's debated with civility, there's a nagging doubt that there are more important things to worry about. The uncomfortable truth is that culture can't really be owned. For some that is a tragedy, for others it's offensive or merely a joke - but that doesn't stop it being true. The stink over Adele appearing in a Jamaican-flag bikini and Bantu knots shows how unsophisticated this "debate" can be, exemplified by American critics attacking her with little or no knowledge of the peculiarly British context of why and when she adopted that particular look (and the defence she received in the UK from those pointing exactly those things out).

I'm not arguing that being insensitive about the identity of others is fine or that ignorance is an excuse for a lifetime as an unwitting cog in the mechanics of capitalism. But borrowing and, yes, taking from other cultures just keeps rolling on like "Ol' Man River" (from Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein's culturally appropriated Deep South in 1927's Show Boat). Appropriation is defined as taking something from a less-dominant culture in a way its members find undesirable and offensive - so that its heritage is misused by those in a position of privilege. This is different to a marginalised group adopting something from a dominant culture in a process of assimilation.

Some believe culture is exploited like land or natural resources were exploited by colonialists, but desecrating a landscape is not the same as desecrating an idea. The landscape can be ruined, but the idea remains. Culture is more resilient than stone because it changes. I would say that, wouldn't I? I'm a white man, so I don't know what it's like to have my identity abused and dismantled. If I were a person of colour or a member of a first nation, I might understand the distress caused by the sight of a white catwalk model wearing my culture's treasured clothing.

It would be difficult to find marginalised communities with as much reason to rail against the misuse of their culture as Native Americans. This is a profound issue for such communities - felt as an insult and an injustice. Jacqueline Pata, executive director at The National Congress Of American Indians, told me, "The sports mascot and name issue [the name Washington Redskins is so resented she refuses to say it] creates a stereotype that doesn't represent who we really are. It gets misused by fans." Since speaking to her, this name has now been ditched by Washington, although this was as much to do with the momentum of the BLM movement as a concession to Native Americans.

For every critic of cultural appropriation who makes a reasonable point, there is another absolutist who screams that someone should be fired or humiliated

Some African-Americans feel proprietorial about cornrows and there have been several high-profile shamings of those wearing them, including Kim Kardashian West and Lena Dunham. But in the longue durée of history there is an element of Canute at the tide's edge about this - even if white people were more aware of the historical context (which they should be), would that make wearing cornrows any less offensive or less likely? The new accusation of " blackfishing ", influencers seemingly pretending to be black online, adds a new and ugly cynicism to this terrain.

"I don't find there to be a sophisticated debate about cultural appropriation in the media," British critic and writer Afua Hirsch told me. It's less the act and more the ignorance behind it that is the issue. "I'm often asked to come on TV whenever a pop star wears cornrows and defend the idea that I would like to police their hairstyle. There is little interest in the broader picture of imperial racism and white supremacy that forms the context. So it ends up being a reductive conversation about whether it's OK for white people to do something, which is not my business."

At the more trivial end of the spectrum, Iggy Azalea (fake blackness), Katy Perry (inappropriately Chinese and Japanese), Miley Cyrus (white privilege), Taylor Swift (colonialism), Justin Bieber (fake Latino), Selena Gomez (Hindu disrespect) have all fallen foul of their stylists. The online demands for an apology, for redress, the zero tolerance of anything you don't like, is a perilous path to take. For every critic of cultural appropriation who makes a reasonable point, there is another absolutist who screams that someone should be fired or humiliated, or worse.

Cultural appropriation is appropriation of the now, because even a delineated culture is different today to how it was in 1968, 1918 or 1868

It is dogma, not debate, that speaks of permission and ring-fencing, or as the undiplomatic Lionel Shriver put it, a "look-but-don't-touch" mentality. It dulls the human imagination. Diversity is celebrated but the wrong kind of diversity is branded inexcusable. In some cases calling out cultural appropriation reflects not an offended group or community, but an offended individual who has taken on the offence as a means to assert their sense of who they are. So identity becomes a hoard to be guarded, rather than to be shared and explored. Your particular culture is increasingly fetishised as something that can only be understood by people who are exactly like you, whereas history shows empathy and growth comes from trying to understand people who are not like you - it is the grasp of difference. Of course, the onus should be on the dominant cultures to take the initiative.

Identity is precious and those who feel marginalised may not wish to see theirs dissolve in the deluge of globalisation. "The number-one issue for our youth is identity," said Pata. "It's the identity they create for themselves and they want it respected. Not the identity that has been misinterpreted."

All our identities are in part chosen as well as given and we should be encouraged to go beyond where life dropped us. The danger of self-policed identities is that they limit who we are, where we can go next and turn us in on ourselves. Policing the identities of others is even more problematic.

Cultural appropriation is appropriation of the now, because even a delineated culture is different today to how it was in 1968, 1918 or 1868, let alone any further back. In Western politics it very much suits the strategy of the right to have the left preoccupied with these issues - soaking up headspace, endless hours of binary reductionism on social media and provoking the tuts and derision of those for whom progressive politics is now seen as a bad joke.

It feels as if progressives are winning the culture war but losing the political one, in which power increasingly rests with an activated right (or at least an army of crotchety older white men). The kneejerk backlash can be unedifying, raising the hackles of "common sense" columnists, while the motives behind it sometimes appear questionable too, as writer Nesrine Malik suggests - the outrage provoked by criticism of Jamie Oliver 's "jerk" rice being "a cue for a wider refrain about hysterical chippy minorities".

It feels as if progressives are winning the culture war but losing the political one, in which power increasingly rests with an activated right

A concept such as the welfare state, for example, relies on a culture of reciprocity and common ground. Those who wish to destroy it know that the disruptive power of identity politics, of which cultural appropriation is a part, serves their ends. There should be more diversity of representation and there should be avenues for new or neglected voices to be heard, but making this happen is not mutually exclusive with cultural dissemination - even if it is a dominant culture taking from a marginal one. I would argue that all cultural exchange is unequal at some level, so it is all, ultimately, appropriated. It does not stop voices being heard - that is caused by generations of structural racism, which will only continue to unravel if progressives are in a position to turn policy into action. That still feels a long way off.

It's also not the same as racist stereotyping or exoticism. "Blacking up" is an obvious case of bigotry - some argue the name of the Washington Redskins didn't feel much different - whereas most of the incidents of cultural appropriation that spark digital rage are not about antagonism or mockery. Some are insensitive, others tone deaf, but often they are born of curiosity or a natural process of creativity. One criticism of this is that "dressing up" is itself a product of colonialism. There may be some truth in that, but that doesn't automatically make dressing up immoral. What seems undeniable is that there is a profound ignorance about the relationships between dominant Western cultures and those they subjugated. BLM has, among other things, sparked a welcome interest in this area.

"We as a society are still reluctant to frankly address the fact that black people still experience a penalty for expressing their own culture themselves," says Hirsch. "These experiences are real and have a history which we as a society do not acknowledge."

If you take the views of the more extreme opponents of cultural appropriation to their logical conclusion, you will find similarities to their sworn enemies

All culture - from personal to global - continuously flows downhill along innumerable tributaries and let's hope knowledge of context also leads to a renewed sense of perspective. An identity cannot be very robust if it needs defending against the massed ranks of an 18-year-old white girl in a Chinese prom dress. I came home the other night to find my seven-year-old daughter wearing a bindi after she had seen it on TV. I thought about shaming her on Twitter, but I couldn't find the time between cleaning her teeth and reading Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls (her choice).

The feminist critic bell hooks' often-quoted notion of ethnicity as the "seasoning that can liven up the dull dish that is mainstream white culture" is true, but that truth will not and should not necessarily stop it happening. Thank heavens for spice. Just ask Jamie Oliver.

If you take the views of the more extreme opponents of cultural appropriation to their logical conclusion, you will find similarities to their sworn enemies, believing as they do in the right to exclude others from their own fixed culture. No matter where my liberal sympathies lie, the threat of prescribed orthodoxy always lingers like a long shadow on the horizon. That's more worrying than the tectonic plates of multiple cultures rubbing up against each other.

Unlike the gold plundered from a sacred place, culture is not pure. Apply culture to the idea of purity, the great seductive evil of human consciousness. Apply race to purity and see how you feel. Apply it to religion and see how you feel. Not very pleasant, is it? If we can only exist in and guard the cultures we emerged from, from those we resemble, we will shrink into the superficiality of newly contrived tribes. But that's not going to happen. Like nature, culture finds a way, even when we'd rather it didn't.
What is cultural appropriation? Can I be a feminist and listen to hip hop? Men hating women: A look into the psychology of misogyny

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cultural appropriation: everything is culture and it's all appropriated

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cultural appropriation brings out the worst in everyone, from social media shaming to the angry backlash. But how can identity be policed and who should police it?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Borrowing from other cultures isn't just inevitable; it's potentially positive.

Sometime during the early 2000s, big, gold, "door-knocker" hoop earrings started to appeal to me after I'd admired them on girls at school. It didn't faze me that most of the girls who wore these earrings at my high school in St. Louis were black, unlike me. And while it certainly may have occurred to me that I-a semi-preppy dresser-couldn't pull them off, it never occurred to me that I shouldn't.

This was before the term cultural appropriation jumped from academia into the realm of internet outrage and oversensitivity. Self-appointed guardians of culture have proclaimed that Miley Cyrus shouldn't twerk, white girls shouldn't wear cornrows, and Selena Gomez should take off that bindi. Personally, I could happily live without ever seeing Cyrus twerk again, but I still find many of these accusations alarming.

At my house, getting dressed is a daily act of cultural appropriation, and I'm not the least bit sorry about it. I step out of the shower in the morning and pull on a vintage cotton kimono. After moisturizing my face, I smear Lucas Papaw ointment-a tip from an Australian makeup artist-onto my lips before I make coffee with a Bialetti stovetop espresso maker a girlfriend brought back from Italy. Depending on the weather, I may pull on an embroidered floral blouse I bought at a roadside shop in Mexico or a stripey marinière-style shirt-originally inspired by the French, but mine from the surplus store was a standard-issue Russian telnyashka-or my favorite purple pajama pants, a souvenir from a friend's trip to India. I may wear Spanish straw-soled espadrilles (though I'm not from Spain) or Bahian leather sandals (I'm not Brazilian either) and top it off with a favorite piece of jewelry, perhaps a Navajo turquoise ring (also not my heritage).

As I dress in the morning, I deeply appreciate the craftsmanship and design behind these items, as well as the adventures and people they recall. And while I hope I don't offend anyone, I find the alternative-the idea that I ought to stay in the cultural lane I was born into-outrageous. No matter how much I love cable-knit sweaters and Gruyere cheese, I don't want to live in a world where the only cultural inspiration I'm entitled to comes from my roots in Ireland, Switzerland, and Eastern Europe.

There are legitimate reasons to step carefully when dressing ourselves with the clothing, arts, artifacts, or ideas of other cultures. But please, let's banish the idea that appropriating elements from one another's cultures is in itself problematic.

Such borrowing is how we got treasures such as New York pizza and Japanese denim-not to mention how the West got democratic discourse, mathematics, and the calendar. Yet as wave upon wave of shrill accusations of cultural appropriation make their way through the internet outrage cycle, the rhetoric ranges from earnest indignation to patronizing disrespect.

And as we watch artists and celebrities being pilloried and called racist, it's hard not to fear the reach of the cultural-appropriation police, who jealously track who "owns" what and instantly jump on transgressors.

In the 21st century, cultural appropriation-like globalization-isn't just inevitable; it's potentially positive. We have to stop guarding cultures and subcultures in efforts to preserve them. It's naïve, paternalistic, and counterproductive. Plus, it's just not how culture or creativity work. The exchange of ideas, styles, and traditions is one of the tenets and joys of a modern, multicultural society.

So how do we move past the finger pointing and coexist in a way that's both creatively open and culturally sensitive? In a word, carefully.
1. Blackface Is Never Okay
This is painfully obvious. Don't dress up as an ethnic stereotype. Someone else's culture or race-or an offensive idea of it-should never be a costume or the butt of a joke.

You probably don't need an example, but U.S. fraternity parties are rife with them. Sports teams such as the Washington Redskins, and their fanbases, continue to fight to keep bigoted names and images as mascots- perpetuating negative stereotypes and pouring salt into old wounds. Time to move on.
2. It's Important to Pay Homage to Artistry and Ideas, and Acknowledge Their Origins
Cultural appropriation was at the heart of this year's Costume Institute exhibition, " China: Through the Looking Glass," at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. There was a great deal of hand-wringing in advance of the gala celebrating the exhibition's opening-a glitzy event for the fashion industry that many expected to be a minefield for accidental racism (and a goldmine for the cultural-appropriation police).

Instead, the red carpet showcased some splendid examples of cultural appropriation done right. Among the evening's best-dressed was Rihanna, who navigated the theme with aplomb in a fur-trimmed robe by Guo Pei, a Beijing-based Chinese couturier whose work was also part of the Met's exhibition. Rihanna's gown was "imperial yellow," a shade reserved for the emperors of ancient Chinese dynasties, and perfectly appropriate for pop stars in the 21st century. Rihanna could have worn a Western interpretation, like this stunning Yves Saint Laurent dress Tom Ford designed for the label in 2004, but she won the night by rightfully shining the spotlight on a design from China.
3. Don't Adopt Sacred Artifacts as Accessories

When Victoria's Secret sent Karlie Kloss down the runway in a fringed suede bikini, turquoise jewelry, and a feathered headdress-essentially a "sexy Indian" costume-many called out the underwear company for insensitivity to Native Americans, and they were right.

Adding insult to injury, a war bonnet like the one Kloss wore has spiritual and ceremonial significance, with only certain members of the tribe having earned the right to wear feathers through honor-worthy achievements and acts of bravery.

"This is analogous to casually wearing a Purple Heart or Medal of Honor that was not earned," Simon Moya-Smith, a journalist of the Oglala Lakota Nation, told MTV.

For this reason, some music-festival organizers have prohibited feather headdresses. As The Guardian points out, it's anyone's right to dress like an idiot at a festival, but someone else's sacred object shouldn't be a casual accessory. ( Urban Outfitters, take note.)
4. Remember That Culture Is Fluid
"It's not fair to ask any culture to freeze itself in time and live as though they were a museum diorama," says Susan Scafidi, a lawyer and the author of Who Owns Culture?: Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law. "Cultural appropriation can sometimes be the savior of a cultural product that has faded away."

Today, for example, the most popular blue jeans in the U.S.-arguably the cultural home, if not the origin of the blue jean-are made of stretchy, synthetic-based fabrics that the inventor Levi Strauss (an immigrant from Bavaria) wouldn't recognize. Meanwhile, Japanese designers have preserved "heritage" American workwear and Ivy League style by using original creations as a jumping-off point for their own interpretations, as W. David Marx writes in Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style:

America may have provided the raw forms for Japan's fashion explosion, but these items soon became decoupled from their origin ... More importantly, the Japanese built new and profound layers of meaning on top of American style-and in the process, protected and strengthened the original for the benefit of all. As we will see, Japanese fashion is no longer a simple copy of American clothing, but a nuanced, culturally rich tradition of its own.

Not to mention the ne plus ultra for many American denim-heads.
5. Don't Forget That Appropriation Is No Substitute for Diversity
At Paris Fashion Week earlier this month, the Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli sent out a collection they acknowledged was heavily influenced by Africa.

"The real problem was the hair," wrote Alyssa Vingan at Fashionista, pointing out that the white models wore cornrows, a style more common for those with African hair, "thereby appropriating African culture."

In a recent video that went viral, the African American actress Amandla Stenberg offered an eloquent discourse on the complex cultural context of cornrows. But the real problem at Valentino was not the hair; it was the conspicuous absence of women of color on the runway. Lack of diversity is an issue for the entire industry, but the problem was particularly visible at Valentino, where the designers talked the talk of multicultural acceptance:

"The message is tolerance," Piccioli told Vogue, "and the beauty that comes out of cross-cultural expression."

If that's the point, the faces on the catwalk-regardless of their hairstyle-should reflect it.
6. Engage With Other Cultures on More Than an Aesthetic Level
"What would America be like if we loved black people as much as we love black culture?" asks Stenberg in the aforementioned video, a particularly salient point in an America coming to terms with an epidemic of police violence against young black men.

The rapper and TV personality Nicki Minaj echoed the message in The New York Times Magazine, in reference to Miley Cyrus, who criticized Minaj's comments about being overlooked for the Video Music Awards because of her race.

''Come on, you can't want the good without the bad," Minaj said. "If you want to enjoy our culture and our lifestyle, bond with us, dance with us, have fun with us, twerk with us, rap with us, then you should also want to know what affects us, what is bothering us, what we feel is unfair to us. You shouldn't not want to know that.''

Cherry-picking cultural elements, whether dance moves or print designs, without engaging with their creators or the cultures that gave rise to them not only creates the potential for misappropriation; it also misses an opportunity for art to perpetuate real, world-changing progress.
7. Treat a Cultural Exchange Like Any Other Creative Collaboration-Give Credit, and Consider Royalties
Co-branded collaborations are common business deals in today's fashion industry, and that's just how Oskar Metsavaht, the founder and creative director of the popular Brazilian sportswear brand Osklen, treated his dealings with the Asháninka tribe for Osklen's Spring 2016 collection.

Francisco Piyako, an Asháninka representative, told Quartz the tribe will get royalties from Osklen's spring 2016 collection, as well as a heightened public awareness of their continued struggle to protect land against illegal loggers and environmental degradation.

In return, Metsavaht returned from his visit with the Asháninka with motifs and concepts for Osklen's spring 2016 collection: Tattoos were reproportioned as a print on silk organza; the striking "Amazon red" of a forest plant accented the collection; and women's fabric slings for carrying children reappeared in the crisscross shape of a dress. Metsavaht's photographs of the Amazon forest, the Asháninka, and wild animals also appeared on garments, as well as Osklen's website.

"Sharing values, sharing visions, sharing the economics, I think it's the easiest way to work," Metsavaht said. "This is the magic of style. It's the magic of art. It's the magic of the design."

And it's a magic that I'd be happy to appropriate for my closet.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
wave of shrill accusations of cultural appropriation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
reach of the cultural-appropriation police

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
african american actress amandla stenberg

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Dos and Don'ts of Cultural Appropriation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Borrowing from other cultures isn't just inevitable; it's potentially positive.

# data[].attributes.body
Haiii

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Here's Why Cultural Appropriation Can Be So Harmful-and How You Can Prevent It

# data[].attributes.headline
Cultural Appropriation Can Be So Harmful

# data[].attributes.subject
Cultural Appropriation Can Be So Harmful

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Cultural appropriation means using a racial, religious, or social group's customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits without authority or right. It's taking those cultural identities and pretending they are part of your background.

In the United States, cultural appropriation looks like pop stars dressing up as Geisha girls, social media influencers donning Native American headdresses, and White people wearing cornrows, dreadlocks, or box braids.

The term came to use around the 1980s in academic circles to discuss problems with colonialism and disparities between minority and majority groups. By 2020, the phrase was widespread, with celebrities, politicians, and regular people being called out on social media for acts of cultural appropriation.

Here's what you need to know about cultural appropriation, why it can be harmful, and how to steer clear of it. We'll also explain the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation and how to bridge the gap between the two.

What Is Cultural Appropriation?

Cultural appropriation is the practice of using or taking something from another culture without giving proper recognition or respect to that culture, Mia Moody-Ramirez, PhD, professor and chair of the department of journalism, public relations, and new media at Baylor University, told Health.

But what exactly constitutes a culture? Culture is the "patterns of what has characteristically been constructed as an identity and the behaviors, language, traditions, rituals that are associated with that identity, Neal Lester, PhD, founding director of the Project Humanities initiative at Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz., told Health.

Where you live, your ethnicity, your race, your religion, and your lived experiences are all examples of identities that can form a culture. And because we all have such overlapping identities, we can belong to multiple cultures simultaneously.

At its core, cultural appropriation is "stealing something from somebody that is not you," explained Lester.

For example, cultural appropriation may occur when you use or wear something that is clearly from outside your identity. And usually, the culture that is being appropriated has been or is marginalized.

"Cultural appropriation is about power," said Lester. "It's about who has the power to steal from somebody else and not offer any consequences."

Another hallmark of cultural appropriation is that the one doing the appropriation might be financially benefiting from it without any credit or compensation given.

Cultural Appropriation Examples

Cultural appropriation includes using customs, attire, makeup, ideas, art, and language. One example that Moody-Ramirez gave is when designers have models wear cornrows.

"People have been wearing cornrows, dreadlocks for years. But when you see it on the runway, all of the sudden, it's the greatest, latest fashion, and that designer invented it," explained Moody-Ramirez.

On apps like TikTok, people show themselves doing choreographed dances and rollerblading routines made by people of other cultures that they pass off as their creations. And those instances have been called out as examples of cultural appropriation.

Other examples of cultural appropriation include wearing a bindi to a party or talking with a "blaccent."

"[The examples] go on and on and on, but it's ultimately about power and disrespect," noted Lester.

Why Is Cultural Appropriation Harmful?

Cultural appropriation can perpetuate stereotypes and exploit groups that are discriminated against, according to Lester.

The Native Governance Center -a Native American-led nonprofit organization that serves Native American nations-stated that cultural appropriation can also cause "confusion" for marginalized groups who want "to learn about their culture and identities."

The Native Governance Center gave an example of how the wellness industry has appropriated practices from other cultures. For instance, having "pricey yoga classes that emphasize fitness (rather than yoga's roots as a free, devotional practice)."

"When a practice is appropriated, we no longer understand its origins and true intent," explained the Native Governance Center.

Cultural appropriation can also have mental health effects, Stephanie Fryberg, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, told Health. Fryberg has spent years studying how Native American stereotypes and logos affect Native people.

Through her research, Fryberg has found that sports mascots that culturally appropriate Native American symbols and imagery "decreased [Native American adolescents'] self-esteem, lowered the achievement-related goals they set for themselves, and diminished both their sense of community worth and belief that their community can improve itself," as has reported.

Additionally, according to a study published in 2014 in the Journal of Black Psychology, cultural appropriation in the beauty industry can lead to mental health issues, particularly among people of color.

"[Black women] are told [certain looks are] not attractive in their culture. But then when it's on White women, it is depicted as being beautiful," and that can be "harmful," explained Moody-Ramirez.

How Can You Prevent Cultural Appropriation?

Think twice before wearing a hairstyle or dancing on Instagram in a style traditionally considered part of another culture. Take a second to consider why you want to do what you're doing. Is it just to be edgy?

If you think what you're about to do would be appropriating a culture, don't do it, noted Lester. If you went ahead with something and it turned out to be cultural appropriation, you can "try to make yourself educated [so] that you don't do it again," added Lester.

You can also try to educate others about cultural appropriation. Halloween is a good time to introduce the topic, especially to children, recommended Moody-Ramirez. As people dress up in different costumes, you can use the opportunity to explain why dressing up in specific cultural attire is not necessarily a good thing.

When it comes to TikTok, avoiding cultural appropriation can be as simple as giving credit when it's due, like shouting out the original creator in your video description and linking to their TikTok account, said Moody-Ramirez.

"Obviously, you still have talent, but somebody else taught you how to do it, or somebody else choreographed it, or you were inspired by someone else. So, that's OK if you say you were inspired by someone else. You don't have to pretend that you came up with it all on your own," explained Moody-Ramirez, adding that she compared it to citing your sources on a research paper.

Cultural Appropriation vs. Cultural Appreciation

According to Moody-Ramirez, the opposite of cultural appropriation is cultural appreciation. Cultural appreciation is celebrating or showing respect or honor for a culture.

Cultural appreciation could look like this: You're invited to a cultural celebration. The host asks you to join in the special occasion by dressing up and shares with you what the attire means. So, it's possible to appreciate a culture without appropriating it.

Thanks for your feedback!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about cultural appropriation-including what it is, how to recognize it, how not to do it, and why experts said it can be harmful.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn more about the concept of cultural appropriation in this thorough guide so you can understand its meaning and how to best avoid it.

# data[].attributes.body
https://hashtaglegend.com/culture/timeline-recent-cultural-appropriation-fashion/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A recent timeline of cultural appropriation in fashion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Luxury fast-forward. #legend is a luxury lifestyle print and digital magazine that celebrates past, present and future legends who have shaped the world with their legacies.

# data[].attributes.headline
Examples of Cultural Appropriation and How to Avoid It

# data[].attributes.subject
Examples of Cultural Appropriation and How to Avoid It

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Cultural appropriation is a term for when members of one culture adopt attributes of another culture. These elements can include music, attire, food, art, or other iconography. The connotation of appropriation, which is "to take for oneself," differs from honoring or being influenced by other cultures. When cultural appropriation is intended to mock a culture that a person does not belong to, it is considered offensive or politically incorrect.

hands holding international flags

Cultural Appreciation vs. Cultural Appropriation

Multicultural societies typically include a degree of cultural influence. When members of one culture learn about positive or desirable parts of another culture, they are naturally influenced by these elements. Cultural diversity often includes appropriate examples of cultural appreciation that are meant to honor the original culture.

However, cultural appropriation can occur when a dominant culture adopts cultural elements from a historically marginalized population and claims them as its own. Inappropriate or politically incorrect cultural appropriation disregards another population's history, which can include oppression and persecution by that same dominant culture.

Types of Cultural Appropriation

Drawing the line between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation can be difficult. You may be surprised that a seemingly appreciative behavior could be considered appropriation. Here are some examples of everyday debates about cultural appropriation.

Halloween Costumes

It seems like there are new debates over cultural appropriation every October. Halloween parties are full of questionable costumes that seem to depend on the eye of the beholder. The controversy typically involves dressing up as a person versus dressing up as an unnamed person from another culture.

An example would be Halloween costumes influenced by Moana (2016). After watching the film, thousands of girls from all races dressed up in Moana's signature Polynesian outfit for Halloween. Many considered the costume to be cultural appropriation when worn by white girls. Others argued that because the costume was of Moana herself and not an anonymous Pacific Islander, it was not offensive.

Using Sacred Symbols as Fashion

Cultural influence is a vital element of the fashion world. The cowboy hat, the Mandarin collar, and silk scarves are examples of fashion statements adapted from cultural styles around the world. But when is it okay to wear something from another culture, and when is it considered cultural appropriation in fashion?

The answer often lies in whether you are considering clothing or a symbol that is sacred to another culture and positively benefits that culture. If you buy a turquoise bracelet made by a Native American artist, you are both honoring and supporting the culture of that artist. However, if you wear a ceremonial headdress to sell a product, as a Victoria's Secret model did in a 2012 fashion show, it is considered highly offensive.

Sports Mascots

Although cultural appropriation is a modern concern, it is hardly a modern problem. Sports teams formed in the early half of the 20th century are riddled with problematic names, logos, and mascots. From the Atlanta Braves' tomahawk chop to the derogatory name of the Washington Redskins, these symbols typically include racist depictions of Native American culture.

These names and symbols are considered to be cultural appropriation because they do not honor Native American culture. They perpetuate negative stereotypes and, despite pleas from the Native community, many professional teams have not changed their names. However, many prominent schools, such as Stanford University and Dartmouth College, have abolished the name and images from their programs.

Renaming Cultural Attributes

A less visible example of cultural appropriation involves taking something from another culture and renaming it as your own. The history of music is especially full of these examples, as music is sacred in nearly every culture around the world. It can be hard to see the difference between being influenced by music from another culture and appropriating it.

Elvis Presley is a historic example of cultural appropriation in music. A pioneer of rock 'n roll, Elvis created a style and sound that was nothing like his white listeners had ever heard. But, if they'd been listening to the African-American artists Elvis covered in the beginning of his career, they would know that Elvis was a product of gospel and blues music.

Elvis and his producers did not set out to appropriate black music, but by renaming generations of musical influence without crediting original artists, they led listeners to believe that Elvis created his sound all on his own.

How to Avoid Cultural Appropriation

Now that you know what cultural appropriation is, how can you tell if you're being appreciative or offensive? Answer the following questions to find out.

Are you trying to get a laugh from your comment or costume?

Are you dressing up as a specific person who happens to be a member of another culture? Or are you dressing up as a random person?

Is what you want to wear or do considered sacred to another culture?

Do people who belong to that culture say it's offensive?

If you are influenced by another culture, have you given credit to your influences? Or are you claiming your work as your own?

Does your costume involve blackface or brownface, which is always considered offensive?

Based on how you answer any of the above, you may want to reconsider what you're going to do. Learn more about the culture you're trying to honor by talking to people from that heritage or background. While it's not always necessary to be politically correct, sensitivity and empathy are vital parts of any culture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Examples of Cultural Appropriation and How to Avoid It

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cultural appropriation is a term for when members of one culture adopt attributes of another culture. These elements can include music, attire, food, art, or other iconography. The connotation of appropriation, which is "to take for oneself," differs from honoring or being influenced by other cultures.

# data[].attributes.headline
Cultural Appropriation in Various Categories

# data[].attributes.subject
Cultural Appropriation in Various Categories

# data[].attributes.body
https://shilpaahuja.com/cultural-appropriation-in-fashion/#:~:text=If%20you%20may%20ask%20the,new%20but%20prevailing%20for%20decades.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There is a fine line between freedom of expression and open disrespect. But who decides it? In this article, we have compiled everything you need to know about cultural appropriation in fashion.
A designer must know the difference between paying respect and exploiting a culture. However, it is surprising to see mainstream designers constantly contributing towards cultural appropriation in the fashion industry.

If you may ask the definition, cultural appropriation in fashion refers to the use of elements of a non-dominant culture in a way that does not respect their original meaning or give credit to their source.

It is not something new but prevailing for decades. For instance, during the 17th century, English and French aristocrats adopted the three-piece suit from the traditional ensemble of Islamic countries. Similarly, English Regency era dandies adapted the Indian churidars into slim-fitting pants.

In 2011, Karl Lagerfeld, the late Creative Director of Chanel created the Paris-Bombay Metiers d'Art collection. Inspiration was taken from the aesthetics of India, saree-esque drapes, anarkalis, and salwar-kameez, sprawled across the runway. In addition, the predominantly white models walked in bindis, naths, maang-tikas, hath-phools, and dreadlocks. However, no one objected to the show. It is not because Chanel did not offend people, but because minority groups did not have a voice back then like they have now. Indeed with the help of social media, minority communities can now express their long-held concerns and feelings.

From Gucci selling $800 turbans on their website to Kim Kardashian's so-called "exotic" fashion choices, scroll through some of the most questionable cultural appropriation moments captured in the fashion industry in recent times.

Cultural Appropriation in Fashion Shows

Each fashion week, the legacy of luxury giants adopting minorities' culture resurfaces. We have compiled a list of designers that frequently seem to feature appropriated culture in their collections.

1. Marc Jacobs

When it comes to Marc Jacobs, cultural appropriation in fashion shows is nothing new. He is constantly under the spotlight for his serious affair with appropriating cultures. The Spring/Summer 2017 show featured mainly white models like Karlie Kloss, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner swarmed across the runway in faux dreadlocks hairdo. Most likely, Marc was unaware that black women get fired from jobs and discriminated against at work for wearing their ethnic styles, including dreadlocks. It caused havoc on the internet as the upset communities called out the designer for using their lifestyle as a trend.

Not even a year later, the designer made another blunder at his Spring/Summer 2018 show. This time it was the head wraps, again, on white models. Viewers were quick to call him out, as the hairstylist for the collection cited the 70s as the inspiration but made no reference to the head wrap's origins. To clarify, head wraps have served as a uniform for the collective identity of millions of enslaved women.

2. Gucci

One of the infamous examples of cultural appropriation in fashion is when Gucci was under fire for listing Indy Turban for $790 as an accessory on their website. The product debuted during Gucci's Fall 2018/2019 runway on multiple white models, antagonized the members of the Sikh community. Later, they expressed their frustration over the product by explaining that the Sikh turban is not a hot new accessory for sale but an article of faith for those who practice Sikhism.

Certainly, it was easy for Gucci to put Indy Turbans on the ramp and sell them as a hat. However, many Sikh men and women around the world face violence and mistrust for wearing them.

3. Victoria's Secret

Next, where do we even begin with Victoria's Secret? The grand fashion show featuring angel wings, bedazzled lingerie with no plus-size representation, often engages in cultural appropriation that leaves us shaking our heads in dismay.

2010: Wild Things

During their show in 2010, models donned animal print lingerie surrounded by men in sarongs and skirts. All the models both male, and female, were covered with black lines and other patterns. By the way, it was supposed to represent indigenous body art.

2012: Calendar Girls

Similarly, during the 2012 show, angels walked the ramp to represent a month of the year and a holiday associated with it. Karlie Kloss walked down the runway wearing a feather headpiece with suede fringe, leopard-print lingerie for November to represent Thanksgiving. Hurt communities expressed their anger and called out Victoria's Secret for glorifying the genocide that indigenous people suffered.

2016: Road Ahead

Again in their Road Ahead segment of the 2016 show, designers drew inspiration from traditional Chinese prints to create flowy capes, thigh-high boots, oversized jackets, traditional jewelry, headdresses, and halter-neck crop tops. Chinese viewers took their anger to social media. They bashed the show for using traditional prints in making lingerie. Also, using a fully feathered dragon that represents good luck, strength, and health in Chinese culture as a prop wrapped around Elsa Hosk's torso.

Cultural Appropriation in Fashion Magazines

1. Vogue Arabia

In March 2017, Vogue Arabia launched their very first issue featuring a veiled Gigi Hadid. The much-awaited launch provoked cries of cultural appropriation from the audience. They expected a woman more relevant to the Middle East community on the cover. Muslim women across the globe face violence, hate, and discrimination for wearing a hijab. Consequently, fans called out Gigi for using hijab as a mere fashion accessory for the shoot.

2. Harper's Bazaar China

Singer, songwriter and business mogul Rihanna posed for Harper's Bazaar China August issue in 2019. She appeared in a vibrant blue gown with pleated, avant-garde sleeves, a hairstyle like that of traditional Chinese style, eyebrows blocked, and lips painted red just at the center. As a result, it garnered mixed reactions from the audience. While some Twitterati accused her of appropriating Chinese culture, others called it an appreciation of culture.

Harper's Bazaar China shared images from the shoot on their Instagram handle and revealed the concept behind the cover. It was a western-style icon-meets-eastern aesthetic. In this case, it was not cultural appropriation because the entire team behind Harper's Bazaar China was Chinese and was credited in both Rihanna and Harper bazaar China's Instagram post.

Cultural Appropriation at Music Festivals

Coachella

The Coachella Festival is an annual music and arts festival held in California. Festival-goers and celebrities often dress in bindis, feathered headdresses, cornrows, henna tattoos, and war paints for "Coachella lewks" for Instagram likes. For the most part, these looks are drawn from someone else's culture with no regard for their historical significance.

Cultural Appropriation in Music Videos & Performances

1. Hymn For The Weekend- Coldplay ft. Beyonce

British rock band Coldplay's Hymn for the Weekend music video has now surpassed over one billion views on YouTube. Filmed during the festival of Holi, Chris Martin traveled through the narrow streets of Mumbai in a tuk-tuk. As a result, a handful of people described it as appreciating our culture, many of them accused it of cultural appropriation because of the stereotypical depiction of India as a country of narrow lanes, Sadhus, elephants, and snake-charmers.

Perhaps the band could have immersed themselves in Indian culture and paid homage without dressing Beyoncé in a traditional ensemble. Above all, Queen Bey did not even travel to India for the shoot.

2. Come and Get it- Selena Gomez

In 2013, Selena Gomez performed Come & Get It at MTV Movie Awards. She made her entry in a veil, donning a bindi as an accessory for her performance. In addition to bindi, she also incorporated a little Bollywood dance routine into her choreography. Offended Indian fans expressed their disappointment on the internet. Indeed, bindi is not to be casually adorned for indecent performances or as a fashion accessory.

Cultural Appropriation in Fashion by Celebrities

1. Kylie Jenner

The youngest sibling of the Kardashian-Jenner "Klan" has always been in the news for various reasons. Last year, Twitter users accused Kylie of cultural appropriation. She posted a picture from an old photo shoot where her platinum blonde hair was styled in twists (a protective style in the African-American culture). Eventually, Kylie deleted it from her Instagram after receiving backlash.

2. Kim Kardashian

Recently, Kim Kardashian posted a few pictures from her latest campaign for her brand KKW-Beauty. Fans accused her of misappropriating religious symbols by sporting Om earrings. Users took their anger to Twitter and explained that Hinduism is not an aesthetic. In the meantime, it isn't the first time users accused her of appropriating Indian culture. In 2019, Kim shared a picture where she styled a maang-tika (traditionally worn by brides) with a crop top and a skirt.

How to Do it Right?

Even though it is a simple notion to grasp, many people still believe that the ability to express themselves in henna stickers and Amazon-bought bindis is more essential than considering the culture they are stealing. We can avoid cultural appropriation in fashion if designers and celebrities embrace the history behind their inspiration. Also, they must work with the artists from the said community and give them due credit. For instance, take a peek at a couple of cultural appreciation moments captured in the fashion industry.

1. Christian Louboutin x Sabyasachi

In 2017, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Christian Louboutin teamed up to create a limited-edition collection of shoes and bags, namely "Candy Store" for men and women. Classic Christian Louboutin styles were reinterpreted and handcrafted in the most exquisite silk fabrics embellished with zardozi from Sabyasachi's collection. Truly the shoes and bags were each of a kind and made-to-measure.

2. Kim Kardashian West x Vogue India

In 2018, Kim Kardashian appeared on the cover of Vogue India and wore various traditional Indian ensembles custom-made by some of the top Indian designers like Anita Dongre, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Anamika Khanna, and more. Moreover, Anaita Shroff Adajania, Fashion Director for Vogue India, styled each look.

To summarize, it is not difficult to avoid cultural appropriation in fashion. Fashion is all about creativity. Our travels, and foreign experiences always positively impact creativity. But fashion designing is also a responsibility, especially when you have the opportunity to educate your community about another community that has been oppressed in the past.

Therefore, the persistent stealing of cultures means one of two things: either designers and celebrities do not know, or they do not care to know. What is your take on this? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below or tweeting @shilpa1ahuja.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There is a fine line between freedom of expression and open disrespect. But who decides it? In this article, we have compiled everything you need to know about cultural appropriation in fashion. A designer must know the difference between paying respect and exploiting a culture.

# data[].attributes.headline
What high fashion is doing about cultural appropriation?

# data[].attributes.subject
What high fashion is doing about cultural appropriation?

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-51177738

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Dolce & Gabbana trivialising Chinese culture in a campaign in 2018. Gucci pulling a jumper that resembles blackface in 2019. Commes Des Garçons using cornrow wigs on white models in 2020.

Just three examples of insensitivity and perceived cultural appropriation that have been criticised in high fashion over the last few years.

When Dolce & Gabbana faced backlash after posting videos of a Chinese model trying to eat pasta and pizza with chopsticks as part of its Shanghai campaign, its co-founder Domenico Dolce promised to do better.

Gucci said it would turn its blackface jumper incident last year "into a powerful learning moment for the Gucci team".

And while Comme Des Garçons' hair stylist Julien d'Ys has apologised and said it was "never my intention to hurt or offend anyone" after showing white models with cornrows, the incident is the latest talking point in the fashion industry.

'They did the research'

There are parallels between the Comme Des Garçons incident and one from 2015 - according to Lauren Indvik, fashion editor at the Financial Times - when a Valentino collection that was supposed to be a tribute to Africa featured predominantly white models and clothes made in Paris.

Maria Grazia Chiuri was the creative director of the fashion house at the time and received criticism for featuring fewer than ten black models in the show.

But the Italian designer, who is now in charge of Dior, has been perceived as making strides in representing cultures from around the world.

Her show in Marrakech was widely praised for its attention to detail - from employing an expert on African textiles to including benches with cushions embroidered by local weavers for guests to sit on.

Lauren says its success came down to following a model.

"They did the research and worked with local artists and curators - who gave a series of talks at the show - so people could really understand and educate themselves," she tells Radio 1 Newsbeat.

Accusations of cultural appropriation are nothing new - but the age of social media has created a lot more conversations about what's acceptable in fashion.

"There wasn't the same visibility and awareness and dialogue around cultural appropriation years ago, but the internet has made it so much more visible," Lauren says.

"But I think the industry has really woken up to this and there's been a real effort at being educated and appointing diversity councils.

"I think there's now a focus on recruiting for diversity that probably wasn't there three or four years ago."

She cites Ralph Lauren as the best at implementing this model as the fashion house has "diversity and inclusion officers at every level of the organisation and within every team".

"You need to start by having a diversity council - brands like Chanel also have one and that's a really good step. You have to figure out what the problem is before you start solving it."

Since the criticism of its balaclava jumper Gucci has appointed a diversity officer, while Prada has set up an advisory panel co-chaired by director Ava DuVernay after coming under similar fire in recent years.

Lauren says if every company had a similar model and team approving decisions - from what materials are used for clothes to what language is used on social media - there would be fewer issues.

"Only when you have that perspective can you start to serve customers better and challenge the way you've been doing things forever," she adds.

It's not just high fashion brands that have hit the wrong tone when it comes to respecting different cultures.

Last year Zara was criticised for drawing freckles on its Chinese models because Asian people typically do not have them and in 2018 H&M had to apologise after an advertising campaign showed a black child in a "coolest monkey in the jungle" hoodie.

"With fast fashion brands we're dealing with a lot more basic items - if you walk into Zara you're going to find lots of jeans, blazers and ankle boots.

"It's very different to runway collections - designers travel and get inspired and want to do collections around themes and tell stories so I don't think fast fashion is more diverse or better, they're just creating different kinds of products," Lauren says.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What high fashion is doing about cultural appropriation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dolce & Gabbana trivialising Chinese culture in a campaign in 2018. Gucci pulling a jumper that resembles blackface in 2019. Commes Des Garçons using cornrow wigs on white models in 2020. Just three examples of insensitivity and perceived cultural appropriation that have been criticised in high fashion over the last few years.

# data[].attributes.body
https://fashionunited.uk/news/culture/cultural-appropriation-in-fashion-what-is-it-and-can-it-be-prevented/2021102258654

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Cultural appropriation: The term has been used more and more in recent years, but the practice of cultural appropriation has been around for much longer. Kunstmuseum Den Haag zooms in on the phenomenon in the new exhibition 'Global Wardrobe - the worldwide fashion connection', but the subject is also often discussed during talks about diversity and inclusivity in the fashion world. Therefore: What is it, where is the line between appropriation and appreciation and how can it be prevented according to experts?

First of all: What is cultural appropriation? The Kunstmuseum Den Haag refers to it in the press release surrounding the exhibition as 'copying' from other cultures, often without correct reference to the source. In a talk at Digital Fashion Week Europe last July, writer, curator and activist Janice Deul described the phenomenon as using symbols from other cultures purely for aesthetic reasons without considering the meaning of the items. Often this also involves using elements of marginalized cultures.

In recent years, fashion houses and brands have been increasingly criticized for using symbols, prints and garments from other cultures. Thus the recent examples of Isabel Marant and Louis Vuitton come to mind. Mexico accused fashion designer Isabel Marant in 2020 of commercially exploiting several traditional Mexican indigenous designs in a collection. The designer was already accused of the same in 2015. Not much later, Marant apologized for the cultural appropriation of the patterns. The designer admitted that the Purepecha patterns have indeed been used as inspiration and that in the future she will 'honor the sources of inspiration used'.

Louis Vuitton withdrew a scarf inspired by the Palestinian keffiyeh from the website in June 2021 after criticism on social media. The keffiyeh is seen as a symbol of Palestinian nationalism. The traditional black and white pattern of the Keffiyeh was changed to blue and the brand incorporated its own monogram into the scarf. Price tag? $705. Also, the timing of the item was very unfortunate, as several bombings had taken place in Palestine at the time.

However, examples go back much further. Think, for example, of 1994, when Karl Lagerfeld used a verse from the Koran as a print on a corset in the Chanel summer collection. The brand apologized and Lagerfeld said he thought the verse was an Indian love poem inspired by the Taj Mahal. The collection contained three dresses with verses on them, Chanel promised to burn them.

One of the three famous Chanel dresses with Quranic texts on them. Chanel SS94, image via Catwalkpictures.com.

In the new exhibition, which can be seen from 9 October to 16 January 2022, the Kunstmuseum shows that for a long time it was normal to use clothing items, traditional costumes and symbols from other cultures under the guise of 'appreciation and inspiration'. For example, the 'Japanese rock', a dressing gown, which was worn by wealthy men in the seventeenth century and was seen as a status symbol. But also the Kashmir scarf and the turban. It also happened that clothing that was worn by a man in India or China, for example, was put on by a woman in Europe. In the 1920s, many Western European women wore a men's coat from China that functioned as an evening coat for them. "Valued for the handicrafts, the decorations and the splendor of colours, but almost certainly without the understanding of the symbolism in Chinese embroidery," according to a report from the Kunstmuseum. The 1970s were also full of cultural appropriation with clothing from Afghanistan, for example, that was worn by hippies. So cultural appropriation in fashion goes back much further than we might think, it just wasn't called that.

Two Japonse rocken (: dressing gowns for men) in kimono model of Chinese silk and 'bizarre' silk, ca. 1750-1775, Kunstmuseum Den Haag. Photo: Alice de Groot.

Empire dresses with embroidery in buta motifs (derived from the Kashmir scarf fashion) and Kashmir shawls with buta motifs. The Kashmir scarf originally comes from India, first quarter of the 19th century, Kunstmuseum Den Haag. Photo: Alice de Groot.

Preventing cultural appropriation? "It can only be avoided with cooperation"

Where in one case a Minister of Culture (Alejandra Frausto of Mexico) writes a letter to a brand, another chooses to sell the licenses of, for example, their name or the well-known patterns and to claim license income from fashion houses. Take the Maasai, for example, an African tribe that lives in Tanzania and Kenya. In 2011, Kim Jones, who spent his childhood in Kenya, used prints linked to Maasai culture in his Louis Vuitton debut. It's not the first time the Maasai's name or prints have been used in fashion.

Two years before Jones' debut at Louis Vuitton, 9 elders of the tribe decided to form an organization called the Maasai IP Initiative Trust Ltd (MIPI) to fight back. MIPI takes their cultural heritage into their own hands and starts a clear and professional process whereby commercial users of their culture can apply for a license. Proceeds from the licenses should help support the Maasai community in health, education and repurchase of the right to water and land to graze animals. FashionUnited has contacted MIPI and inquired about how often the organization has been successful, but to date have not received a reply.

To take it one step further: Is it possible to sue when a community experiences cultural appropriation? FashionUnited calls Nine Bennink from Köster Advocaten in Haarlem. When asked, Bennink answers that there is a procedural option when it comes to cultural appropriation. This concerns copyright that can be reverted to. "Most communities have not registered a trademark, but copyright already exists the moment something is made, without registration." Communities could therefore file a lawsuit and also win, the lawyer says. Such a lawsuit is anything but desirable for fashion houses. "The cost of losing face to a fashion house is many times greater than offering a community compensation or paying licensing fees." How much such a license should cost is a gray area, as there is no standard for it. What Bennink is sure about is that fashion houses are starting to be much more careful with cultural heritage, partly because it causes reputational damage and the fact that communities can actually win in court. "Copyright is a tool for communities to address a social problem." Bennink sees it mainly as a means that is used for this. "But the social pressure and the possible loss of face that the fashion house can suffer are in fact also powerful tools." since there is no standard for it. What Bennink is sure about is that fashion houses are starting to be much more careful with cultural heritage, partly because it causes reputational damage and the fact that communities can actually win in court.

'Equal collaboration is the only way to prevent cultural appropriation in fashion'

The only real way to combat cultural appropriation? There are more sides to that. First of all, other people's heritage is not meant to be simply copied for purely aesthetic reasons. Secondly, if one wants to make use of cultural heritage, it is important that one knows the meaning and context of the elements and treats them with respect. It would help if designers and brands tell the story of these elements and thus also impart this knowledge to the public. In addition, and perhaps the most important point, connecting and equal partnerships can be entered into with a community where the craft is performed locally and, of course, paid fairly, according to the Kunstmuseum.

Time, then, to turn cultural appropriation into cultural appreciation, whereby the use of other people's heritage is accounted for, a fair price is paid for its use and makers and carriers delve into the heritage of an item. Does this mean that makers and carriers should only seek inspiration within their own heritage? Certainly not. Is there room for improvement in the fashion world? Absolutely.
This article was originally published on FashionUnited.NL, translated and edited to English by Kelly Press.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cultural appropriation in fashion: what is it and can it be prevented?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cultural appropriation: The term has been used more and more in recent years, but the practice of cultural appropriation has been around for much longer. Kunstmuseum Den Haag zooms in on the phenomenon in the new exhibition 'Global Wardrobe - the worldwide fashion connection', but the subject is also often discussed during talks about diversity and inclusivity in the fashion world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You may have seen the term ‘cultural appropriation’ here and there, but what actually is it? Learn what it is and what the big deal is.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-46288884

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dolce and Gabbana cancels Shanghai fashion show amid racism accusations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dolce & Gabbana say they have "nothing but respect for China" after launching a divisive ad campaign.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You see it in clothing, dance, mannerisms, vocabulary, accents, behaviors, makeup, hairstyles, trends and more. You encounter it in the workplace, at music festivals, at parties, and even just walking down the street.

Cultural appropriation, also known as cultural misappropriation, is a term that encompasses a range of behaviors and attitudes toward other cultures and beliefs, but really it boils down to stealing an identity from another culture and using it as your own, without understanding or recognizing the meaning and true value behind it.

What does this idea really mean, where does it come from and how can you spot and avoid it? Here is what you need to know about cultural appropriation, so you can not only avoid it but stop it in its track at work and beyond.

Definition of cultural appropriation

Adopting or assuming something from a culture that is not one's own is the short definition of cultural appropriation. This broad category may encompass areas like clothing, ways of speaking, makeup and hairstyles, and many others.

Cultural appropriation draws on stereotypes about a culture, often one that includes members who have faced oppression by the dominant culture, or the one exploiting elements of the minority culture. For example, white Western cultures, who have a long history of oppressing black cultures, also have a history of appropriating elements of black culture, such as wearing cornrows, using a "blaccent"-imitating the dialect of African Americans and adopting music genres such as jazz and swing, among many other examples.

Essentially, cultural appropriation is the borrowing (stealing) of the intellectual property of an entire culture and using it as one's own without recognizing or understanding the history, meaning behind, or correct usage of it.

22 examples of cultural appropriation

The world is rife with examples of cultural appropriation-in business, the media, pop culture, and everyday life. Many people engage in cultural appropriation without even realizing that they are doing so. Here are just a few examples:

In business and the workplace

1. Kendall Jenner's tequila

Kendall Jenner's 818 tequila brand has come under fire for an accused lack of recognition of the Mexican workers who produce the alcohol. Moreover, the label reads "blanco tequila," a grammatical error in Spanish - it should read "tequila blanco."

2. Adidas

As part of a collaboration for Pharrell Williams, Adidas released a line of sneakers that have the Xhosa word u luntu on the shoes. The language is spoken by an ethnic group in South Africa and means "community," although Addidas described it inaccurately as meaning "human race." To add insult to injury, the shoe is not even being sold in South Africa.

3. Sweat-lodge retreats

Self-help guru James Arthur Ray practiced incorrect procedures for ceremonies adopted from Native American rituals in Sedona, Arizona, including covering the lodge with plastic tarps. Three people died in one of his ceremonies in 2009s, and he served 20 months in prison.

4. Garden Creamery

Garden Creamery in San Francisco is owned by Erin Lang, who is white. But on social media, many have called for a boycott of the ice cream shop, which sells Asian-inspired flavors like Thai tea and coconut pandan. Some have accused the store of cultural appropriation for this reason.

5. Aboriginal art in Austalia

Many non-Aboriginal artists copied and sold pieces of Aboriginal artwork, claiming the copies were authentic.

6. Tortilla recipes from Mexico

Kali Wilgus and Liz "LC" Connelly studied and "borrowed" the recipes of women in Puerto Nuevo, Mexico to create and sell handmade tortillas out of their Kooks Burritos food truck. There is some debate as to whether their actions actually qualify as cultural appropriation; some say learning food-making techniques from other cultures is not the same as stealing that culture's ideas to use as one's own, while others believe the originators deserve credit and compensation for their recipes.

7. Food blogging trends

In Food and Wine magazine, Reina Gascon-Lopez writes that many viral food dishes and the blogged recipes behind them ignore the cultural significance of the dishes. Usually written by white bloggers, these recipes usually don't give credit to the cultures that created the dishes.

In the media and pop culture

8. Saturday Night Live and Michael Che

Michael Che, who wrote the sketch "Gen Z Hospital" for an episode featuring Elon Musk, faced criticism for the nature of the sketch, which purportedly mocked Gen Z slang. Many of the phrases actually came from African American Vernacular English (AAVE).

9. New York Fashion Week 2017

Predominantly white models displayed Marc Jacobs' line while sporting hand-dyed wool dreadlocks. Jacobs later apologized for the "lack of sensitivity" in his initial response to the controversy, an Instagram comment in which he stated, "I respect and am inspired by people and how they look. I don't see color or race-I see people."

10. American Music Awards 2013

Katy Perry put on a "geisha-inspired" performance wearing an altered kimono and white powder on her face.

11. Burning Man and Coachella

Attendees of these festivals are notorious for wearing culturally appropriated items such as headdresses, war paint, bonnets, bindis, and more.

12. Video Music Awards 2013

Miley Cyrus was criticized for twerking, imitating a dance style that has African-American roots, in her VMA performance.

In everyday life

13. Halloween

Wearing headdresses, blackface, kimonos, and other clothing, symbols and facets of other cultures as costumes is a form of cultural appropriation since these styles often have significance in other cultures and are worn for specific occasions (or, in the case of blackface, are just plain wrong). (Try these ideas instead.)

14. Hairstyles

Trends like cornrows and wearing chopsticks as hair accessories "borrow" from black and Asian cultures, the latter being inappropriate and inaccurate.

15. Sports team mascots

The U.S. has had many sports teams take on names and mascots that are symbols or titles of Native American tribes, which are currently undergoing name changes.

16. "Spirit animal"

Many people will refer to an animal, thing, or even another person as their "spirit animal." Spirit animals are actually meaningful ideas with roots in Native American cultures.

17. Tattoos

Some people get tattoos of symbols or characters from other cultures, often ones they don't understand or whose history they don't fully appreciate.

18. Music

Many cultures have "borrowed" music from others without giving the original artists credit. An example is rock n' roll, including Elvis Presley, who based many of his songs on the style and lyrics of Black musicians.

19. Borrowed accents

Some people take on the speech patterns and dialects of other cultures, such as black culture.

Other examples

The following behaviors are always cultural appropriation, and you should avoid them:

20. Using sacred symbols for non-spiritual reasons

The Native American headdress, for example, is reserved for respected elders in the community and a spiritual symbol.

21. Borrowing ideas without paying proper homage or respect to their originators

If you don't know the history of something and where it first originated, do your research before using it. And give credit where credit is due.

22. Perpetuating stereotypes or being patently offensive

For example, it is never, ever okay to wear blackface.

History

As a term, cultural appropriation first appeared in the latter half of the twentieth century. It may have first been used in academic writings concerning colonialism and Western expansionism as early as the 1960s. Kenneth Coutts-Smith discussed the concept without using the terminology in "Some General Observations on the Problems of Cultural Colonialism."

The act of cultural appropriation, however, has been around for centuries. Western cultures often "discovered" elements of other cultures through colonialism and expansion, as well as trade and mercantilism.

Cultural looting

Cultural appropriation is related to cultural looting, the act of physically stealing cultural property from people. For example, in 1897, the British invaded the Kingdom of Benin, now southern Nigeria, killing many of its inhabitants and stealing artifacts including bronzes, ivory, and chests. These looted artifacts have been sold and traded in European markets, despite their belonging to the Benin people. Today, many people equate the "borrowing" of cultural elements with the physical looting of property-especially since many cultural elements are discovered through such thievery.

17th-20th centuries

But cultural appropriation in history wasn't limited to looting. In the 17th century, Western travelers adopted articles of clothing including the necktie and silk waistcoats from Croatia and the Middle East. American cowboys began wearing hats modeled after sombreros-cowboy hats-after exposure to the Mexican hat style during the Civil War. (And you are likely to see a sombrero or two at the occasional party today.) Elvis Presley is often accused of being a cultural appropriator of black music. Did you know, for example, that "Hound Dog" was a cover of Big Mama Thornton's record? Likewise, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was not originally the Tokens'-it was recorded by Zulu musician Solomon Linda as "Mbube" in 1939, and he never received royalties for the former. (In 2006, Linda's heirs reached a legal settlement with Abilene Music company over past payments and future royalties for the song.)

21st century

In the twenty-first century, particularly the 2010s, the term has spread and gained usage in mainstream vernacular, with many people discussing the concept and recognizing that it is inappropriate. Still, some argue that the sensitivity toward cultural appropriation can go too far. Oxford added the term to its dictionary in 2017.

Criticism

Many of the foods we eat, clothing we wear, habits we have adopted, and behaviors we model do have origins in other cultures. This is the basis of much of the backlash against the concept and critique of cultural appropriation; some people wonder where we are supposed to draw the line. After all, eating a plate of spaghetti and wearing a silk dress are not forms of cultural appropriation.

The distinction comes when rather than celebrating, acknowledging, and upholding diversity and other cultures, people are actually mocking, disparaging, ignoring the history and meaning behind or misusing the intellectual property of another culture. When you eat Chinese food, whether or not it is the most authentic recipe, you recognize and embrace that it has Chinese roots. When you wear a religious symbol whose meaning you do not know or believe, that is cultural appropriation. There's a huge difference between appreciation and appropriation.
This article reflects the views of the author and not necessarily those of Fairygodboss. Laura Berlinsky-Schine is a freelance writer and editor based in Brooklyn with her demigod/lab mix Hercules. She specializes in education, technology and career development. She also writes satire and humor, which has appeared in Slackjaw, Points in Case, Little Old Lady Comedy, Jane Austen's Wastebasket, and Funny-ish. View her work and get in touch at: www.lauraberlinskyschine.com.
What's your no. 1 piece of advice for calling out cultural appropriation at work? Share your answer in the comments to help other Fairygodboss members!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You see it in clothing, dance, mannerisms, vocabulary, accents, behaviors, makeup, hairstyles, trends and more. You encounter it in the workplace, at music festivals, at parties, and even just walking down the street.