The 2016 New York Fashion Week was full of street style looks, familiar faces, and wonderful craftsmanship.
Marc Jacobs’ runway show, however, brought something else to the forefront—a discussion about the relationship between fashion and cultural appropriation. The New York Times defines cultural appropriation as “a term that refers to the use of a minority group’s customs or culture by people who do not belong to it.” Jacobs’ runway show featured models wearing bright, colorful dreadlocks, which many found to be offensive, as well as an inappropriate readaptation of the hairstyle.
It is uncertain whether or not dreadlocks originated from Egypt, or India, or somewhere else entirely, but they’ve been tied to many religious figures and spiritual societies. Perhaps the most pop-culturally famous dreadlock-wearer was late singer Bob Marley, and through his hairstyle a mainstream association with Rastafarian culture has developed. Dreadlocks have also been linked to the struggles and oppression that people from these aforementioned societies and cultures have faced, which might be why many find using them in fashion to be offensive and ignorant to the history they’re connected with.
Perhaps the most noteworthy part of the discussion was the designer’s response to critics on his Instagram account.
It reads: “[To] all who cry ‘cultural appropriation’ or whatever nonsense about any race or skin color wearing their hair in any particular style or manner—funny how you don’t criticize women of color for straightening their hair. I respect and am inspired by people and how they look. I don’t see color or race—I see people. I’m sorry to read that so many people are so narrow minded… Love is the answer. Appreciation of all and inspiration from anywhere is a beautiful thing. Think about it.”
Jacobs completely dismissed that cultural appropriation even exists, citing it as mere “nonsense.” He goes on to ultimately insult women of color who do not adopt the hairstyle, which many have not done in the past due to the stigma that is prevalent in Western culture. He calls those who are offended “narrow-minded,” which simply reflects both his own narrow-mindedness and inability to understand the critiques his show received. He concluded with the phrase “think about it”—something he forgot to do when deciding on hairstyles for the show.
Jacobs received so much backlash in regards to featuring dreadlocks on his models that he released another post on Instagram: an apology.
This reads: “I HAVE READ ALL YOUR COMMENTS… and I thank you for expressing your feelings. I apologize for the lack of insensitivity unintentionally expressed by my brevity. I wholeheartedly believe in freedom of speech and freedom to express oneself through art, clothes, words, hair, music…EVERYTHING. Of course I do ‘see’ color but I DO NOT discriminate. THAT IS A FACT! Please continue to express your feelings freely but do it kindly. Nothing is gained from spreading hate by name calling and bullying.”
The main problem with this apology, however, is the insincerity of it. How is Jacobs being genuine when he doesn’t even address cultural appropriation or what he has learned from the situation in general? Is he genuine in the fact that he was forced to issue this apology? Yes, he believes in freedom of speech and expression, but context matters. Educating oneself is the most important thing, rather than responding defensively.
Where do you draw the line between appreciating culture and appropriating it? Can fashion take elements from other cultures without being offensive?
Jacobs’ hairstylist, Guido Palau, credited Lana Wachowski, raver culture, Boy George, and an area of Tokyo as inspiration, rather than any African or Rastafarian culture. Wachowski is a transgender film director, and a new face of Jacobs’ spring/summer campaign. Furthermore, her hairstyle is colorful dreads. While Jacobs may have been channeling Wachowski’s look, that still does not erase his use of cultural elements as fashion statements.
The majority of the models who walked in Jacobs’ show were white, including Kendall Jenner. The Kardashian/Jenner clan has been accused of cultural appropriation multiple times, and we are left to wonder if Jenner considered this when she agreed to walk in Jacobs’ runway.
Additionally, Karlie Kloss was featured in the show even after being ridiculed when she walked for Victoria’s Secret wearing a Native American headdress paired with a bra and underwear.
Although the models in Jacobs’ show may not have been aware of the look they would be promoting, did anyone question the decision? It is possible that they were contractually bound, or hoping this would be their big break, yet with discussions of cultural appropriation so prevalent in fashion, it’s surprising that no objections appear to have been made. Even more so, since multiple models faced accusation in the past. Perhaps the lack of diversity within the models themselves helped contribute to this.
When Zendaya walked the Oscars red carpet last year wearing dreadlocks, fashion correspondent Giuliana Rancic infamously remarked that the hairstyle made the actress look as if she “smells like patchouli oil…or weed.”
Would Rancic have made the same offensive remarks watching Gigi Hadid walk in Jacobs’ runway, trading in her typically golden locks for colorful dreads? Unlikely.
Zendaya’s public response contended that Rancic’s words were rooted in ignorance and disrespect. She cited prominent figures who have dreads, acknowledging and dismissing the stereotypes Rancic’s words perpetuated. She stated that she wore dreads to emulate positivity regarding the hairstyle in order to combat the discrimination people have faced for wearing their hair this way.
Rancic responded to Zendaya’s statement, maintaining that her comment was not a reflection on race, but simply a reference to her “bohemian chic look.” But can we classify a hairstyle deeply rooted in multiple cultures as a “look”? And should Rancic, a supposed fashion expert, be using her authority to rate cultural elements as stylish or unstylish?
And back to Marc Jacobs, another fashion guru interacting with dreadlocks. As a respected fashion designer, couldn’t Jacobs have used his platform to talk about the interaction between culture and fashion in a more positive way? Did he learn anything from this experience? I’m not convinced.