Fashion has served as a model of cultural expression, political stances, and social movements throughout the years. With the emergence of technological advancements, social media has taken on a new role in our contemporary society. In particular, today’s media heavily scrutinizes the fashion choices of celebrities, philanthropists, and political figures for an underlying political statement or concealed symbol. Simple fashion statements or complex fashion trends through eccentric wardrobe choices are analyzed to understand one’s intrinsic motivations or “hidden message” about a controversial issue. Two prominent examples of notable figures who have been heavily criticized for their fashion choices are Melania Trump and Taylor Swift. In recent years, both women have faced backlash for their questionable outfits that glamorize a white colonial fantasy in Africa.
In October 2018, Melania Trump embarked on her first diplomatic and humanitarian visit on a weeklong tour of Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt. Her trip was prompted by the promotion of her “Be Best” campaign, which focuses on children’s health. Melania’s efforts to extend her support to local hospitals, schools, and nature sanctuaries were ultimately overshadowed by her controversial wardrobe. During the trip, Melania wore outfits that were reminiscent of clothing worn in the colonial period. One of her most contentious outfits was worn during a trip to a national sanctuary. Melania’s outfit included a white button-up blouse, khaki jeans, brown knee-high boots, and a hat resembling a white pith helmet. With the pith helmet serving as a symbol of colonial rule, Melania’s entire outfit served as a reminder of a violent, oppressive era that evoked feelings of repression, outrage, and devastation.
Like Melania, Swift was also under fire for the wardrobe choices in her music video, Wildest Dreams. Swift and her crew wore outfits similar to Melania’s – white tops, khaki pants, boots, and fedoras resembling pith helmets. Although the outfits in Swift’s video bear a striking resemblance to clothing worn during the colonial era, they were not the most glaring issues of the video. Swift’s video moves one step further with its depiction of African tropes. While Swift pines for her unattainable co-star, we are distracted by the entrancing backdrop – vast savannah plains with beautiful wild animals running free while a large orange sun sets in the horizon.
The illustration of Africa drawn by both women raises questions about romanticizing a dark legacy of exploitative, brutal colonialism. Melania’s outfits and Swift’s video are beyond problematic because they reflect the ignorance of the Western perspective in understanding Africa’s historical past. Instead of depicting the individuality of specific African countries or the uniqueness of a particular culture, Melania and Swift decided to play into cliché representations of African countries. Both women have certainly been put under the spotlight for their decisions, but are they the only ones at fault here? To an extent, both women are at fault for advertising imagery of colonial Africa; however, we often overlook the individuals behind the scenes who have brought Melania and Swift to these situations. Some may argue that Melania’s fashion designer, Herve Pierre, and Swift’s team are at greater fault for creating such characters. Despite good intentions (Melania promoting her diplomatic agenda, and Swift raising money for the African Parks Foundation of America), this does not cover their grotesque portrayal of colonial ideas and African tropes. The outfits and video undermine key colonial truths, and rely on stereotypes to appease the views of a Western audience. To capture the reality of contemporary cultures in different African countries requires more time, research, analysis and deep reflection.