Currently in the Philippines, I came across the myriad of indigenous designs and textile techniques used for centuries by the very many and diverse tribes of this country. This made me think of the sensitive topic of cultural exploitation and appropriation.
Girl from the Klata tribe, Philippines
From sushi, the most typical Milanese food, to a French marinière striped shirt or Greek sandals, all cultural inspiration and consumption is borrowed. All the time.
And in my opinion, this is unavoidable. Since the beginning of times -Romans and Greeks, the interconnection between languages, the list is endless!- and in a globalised world more than ever, culture is fluid and evolving.
Do we all just stick to our origins purely? Thinking as such is in my view highly hypocritical. And why wouldn’t a knowledgeable and respectful borrowing from a culture be a way to celebrate and preserve it?
Don’t get me wrong, stealing patterns without giving credit and compensation to its creators, or the use of sacred artefacts as fashion items is a big NO. Unfortunately we see this often in the fashion industry where established fashion brands take advantage of the lack of legal power of indigenous groups.
Romanian brand Bihor Couture, which supports local artisans, reacts to Dior’s copying of the Romanian blouse.
However, there is an ethical and sustainable way of doing fashion which respects, preserves and empowers artisans, indigenous tribes and their creations. How? By nurturing models of culturally responsible design.
A fusion of heritage and fashion where indigenous knowledge is incorporated without being exploited but compensated, where permission is asked and a form of win-win partnership is established. Indigenous groups can preserve and celebrate their traditions using it as their soft-power. In this way, they are included in the current economic system in which they’re commonly marginalised.
Here are some examples.
#1: Mozh Mozh and the support of native communities Iranian designer Mozhdeh Matin creates subtle and eco-friendly luxury by safeguarding Peruvian textiles and techniques through alliances with the artisans of native villages. (http://www.mozhmozh.com)
#2: B.Yellowtale and the new wave of fashion activism
Part of the emerging model of culturally responsible design is indigenous-centred design. Who can represent and incorporate indigenous knowledge better than indigenous communities themselves? Bethany Yellowtale is a Native American Crow Nation designer working with artisans from her community to share her genuine indigenous expression and provide an “empowering and entrepreneurial platform for Native people” (https://byellowtail.com)
#3: Filip+Inna and the preservation of Philippine traditions
Each garment of Filip+Inna’s collection is made with the ancient techniques of 19 indigenous groups. The label on each piece describes the history of the technique used as well as which indigenous community made the item. As a result, the brand helps preserve these traditions while improving the livelihood of the artisans. (http://filipinna.com)
#4: Brazilian brand Osklen and its co-branded collaboration with the Ashaninka tribe.
For his 2016 spring collection, designer Oskar Metsavaht used motifs and inspiration from Ashaninka tribe by giving them in return creator royalties, as well as a platform for them to express their struggle to protect their land from deforestation and environmental degradation. (https://osklen.com)
by Daphne Doukidis
