Since a reader pointed out the link to the Native Appropriations which is a "a forum for discussing the use of Indigenous cultures, traditions, languages, and images in popular culture, advertising, and everyday life" though in reality takes the piss out of any example of 'native appropriation' that comes her way, I've been reading it avidly. Not because I necessarily 100% agree with her stance; that every instance of 'native' appropriation is offensive to the cultural originators, but it's fascinating to see how strongly one can feel about the subject. I'm not entirely sure whether it's specifically JUST 'Native' (meaning Alaskan, American Indian and Native Hawaiian) appropriation that she has problems with or whether she feels the wider scope of cultural appropriation is a tawdry mess but I'll just assume that the latter is the case otherwise there would be some hypocrisy in her theories I guess...
I've broached the subject before with regards to my own culture, that wearing Chinese traditional dress makes me, the Chinese person, distinctly uncomfortable because it feels like a costume and not something that can easily be assimilated into the wardrobe. Never for a second would I see a qi pao worn by someone who isn't Chinese and said "Wow, that is offending me..." and in fact I'm more likely to say "Wow I could never wear that and pull it off...". The subject of cultural appropriation in fashion is a prickly one and again, one that I've touched upon. So MANY designers have travelled the world and mined it for inspiration which isn't necessarily the thing that is the prickly issue, but that so often inspirations are then lazily regurgitated by the media and put under the oh so handy brackets of 'ethnic', 'native' or just completely mis-credited altogether. In fashion anyhow, the issue for me isn't that dominant cultures peer into minority cultures for inspiration because depending on how you use that point of inspiration, designers could run away with their ideas and evolve the cultural seeds into something that is genuinely interesting and thought-provoking to regard and wear. Which is also why I sometimes disagree with the aforementioned blog's stance - where do you draw the line of points of inspiration - how can you discredit something that has been inspired by the starting point of a supposed minority culture but has then actually become something that is an aesthetically interesting design itself? Or in fact, IS ACTUAL offense being caused I wonder. Personally I'm more concerned with getting references correct and spot on and giving credit where credit is due...
This is how I look upon this blue caftan dress which I hestiate to call 'Mexican' though that's how Supermarket Sarah described it. I love it for its aesthetic values primarily, which I suppose is the selfish crime that Native Appropriations (the blog) points to in amongst those that say, don a feathered headdress. And yes, I can't deny, I do like to walk around pulling the tassels that spout from this fella's head, who has been embroidered in a fluoro way on the dress...I've not yet given him a name but I feel I must. I'm 95% sure it's a fella - but I'm far less sure of the origin of the dress... adding Boliva, Columbia, Panama and Guatemala as possible places of origin. If it is indeed Mexican, I suppose the question therefore should be directed to anyone reading that is from that region... does it offend you, yeah? Sorry, couldn't help but slip that one in...
If it does, then I'll bury the dress in a cupboard, cede to Native Appropriations' theory and get on with my own non-native-appropriating life...
