In essence, cultural appropriation refers to the act of borrowing, imitating or adopting elements of one culture by members of another culture, often without understanding, attributing or respecting the meaning and cultural context of those elements (Chumo 2023).

The use of indigenous symbols is growing, but without due respect. Pham and Nguyen (2018) analyzed the phenomenon in fashion magazines and social media, finding that the use of indigenous cultural symbols has increased in the last five years, often without recognition or attribution. The result? Protests and negative reactions from the communities involved.

Fashion Weeks: Between Inclusivity and Appropriation
Kim and Park (2020) compared different global fashion weeks, highlighting that while some events promote authentic collaborations with designers from different cultures, others continue to present collections with culturally appropriated elements.

Marginalized designers struggle to preserve their culture. Smith and Johnson (2016) interviewed designers from marginalized communities, revealing that many of them feel pressured to conform to market trends, risking unwittingly appropriating their own traditions.

Differences between appreciation, inspiration and appropriation

The topic is complex, starting from the boundary between taking inspiration and appropriating elements of another culture. Let’s try to clarify.

1. Appreciation → Recognizing and celebrating another culture with respect, often involving the communities of origin and giving them credit.
2. Inspiration → Allowing oneself to be influenced by aesthetic, symbolic or technical elements of a culture without copying them directly. Inspiration occurs in a contextualized and conscious way, avoiding distorting the original meaning.
3. Appropriation → Adopting elements of a culture without understanding or respecting the context, often simplifying them, emptying them of their meaning or exploiting them for commercial purposes without involving the community of origin.

How to recognize cultural appropriation?

In the following images we report some Red Flags to recognize cultural appropriation in fashion and discover the warning signs that should not be underestimated. Click on the photo below:

Examples of cultural appropriation

In this reel we talk about some cases that have occurred in the fashion industry.

Impact on the cultures involved

1. Exploitation without recognition – The communities that created certain designs, fabrics, or symbols often receive neither credit nor financial compensation generated by their creativity and craftsmanship.
2. Loss of cultural meaning – When an item is marketed without respect for its original context, it can lose its spiritual or identity value, reducing it to mere fashion trends.
3. Reinforcement of stereotypes – The Critical Race Theory (CRT), founded by a group of lawyers including Derrick Bell and Kimberlé Crenshaw, helps us understand how cultural appropriation reinforces stereotypes, discrimination, and racial hierarchies (Chumo 2023).
4. Lack of diversity and inclusion – Indigenous and local communities often have difficulty being involved, resulting in them being underrepresented and exacerbating the lack of diversity, both in design and representation, that fashion is often accused of.
5. Modern Cultural Colonialism – Cultural appropriation perpetuates power dynamics in which dominant cultures profit economically and symbolically from elements belonging to minorities, without contributing to their well-being. Scholars such as Edward Said, Homi Bhabha, and Gayatri Spivak have highlighted how colonial legacies have shaped fashion, influencing the way in which cultural elements are adopted and reinterpreted.

Risks for brands

In the age of cultural awareness, even a small mistake can make a brand appear insensitive and careless. Taking cultural elements without proper context and respect can expose you to several significant risks:

1. Image and reputation damage – If a brand is accused of cultural appropriation, it can suffer a negative backlash on social media and in the press, losing consumer trust.
2. Boycotts and lost sales – Consumers, especially younger generations who care about ethics and diversity, may stop buying from a brand that is perceived as insensitive or disrespectful. Chen and Lee (2019) showed that consumers who are informed about cultural appropriation practices tend to boycott the brands involved and prefer brands that value the culture in an authentic way.
3. Lawsuits and compensation claims – Some cultures are working to legally protect their traditions. After Carolina Herrera was accused of copying embroidery from the indigenous community of Tenango without permission, the Mexican Ministry of Culture once again accused Zara of copying traditional “huipiles” dresses from the state of Oaxaca in 2021.
4. Need to manage PR crises – Brands that run into controversy often have to make amends with public apologies, donations, or collaborations with affected communities, but they can’t always repair the damage.

Strategies to Stop Cultural Appropriation

Understanding cultural meanings

It is not enough to superficially appreciate a design element. It is necessary to delve deeper and understand what it really represents, studying the cultural meaning of the elements to avoid involuntary appropriations.

Collaborating authentically with cultural communities

Include designers and artists from the cultures represented in the creative process. Respect is manifested through genuine collaborations and seeking partnerships with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Transparency and attribution

Declaring the origin of a design and properly acknowledging when cultural elements are incorporated demonstrates fairness and true respect for cultures to customers. This transparency builds trust with consumers and demonstrates a commitment to responsible practices.

Supporting cultural communities

Ensure that artisans and creatives are compensated fairly for their contributions.

Educating consumer

Educating consumers about the implications of cultural appropriation can lead to more responsible purchasing decisions. Social media has a key role in both amplifying instances of cultural appropriation and promoting education and cultural awareness. Stricter content guidelines and responsible use of platforms by influencers and brands are needed. Fashion media and influencers should engage in educational efforts to spread awareness.

Building a strong legal framework

Current laws do not adequately protect cultural heritage. Ng and Wong (2018) analyzed the legal challenges of cultural appropriation in fashion, highlighting that current regulations do not effectively protect marginalized cultures. Collaboration between governments and the fashion industry to develop stronger regulations that safeguard communities’ cultural heritage is essential.

Creating safe and inclusive spaces

Marginalized designers struggle to preserve their culture. Smith and Johnson (2016) interviewed designers from marginalized communities, revealing that many of them feel pressured to conform to market trends, risking unwittingly appropriating their own traditions. Creating safe and inclusive spaces that allow designers to express their identities without commercial pressures can reduce this risk.

Boundaries between Inspiration and Appropriation

• Involvement of the community of origin: If a designer works with artists, artisans or experts of the culture from which he draws inspiration, giving them recognition and compensation, it is inspiration. If instead he takes elements without permission or recognition, it is appropriation.
• Modification and contextualization: If a cultural element is reinterpreted with sensitivity and respect, without stripping it of its identity and without distorting its meaning, it is inspiration. If it is decontextualized and used only as an ornament, it is appropriation.
• Intention and impact: If the goal is to pay homage to a culture with respect and without unilateral advantages, it is inspiration. If instead the result brings economic advantages to those who appropriate a symbol without giving anything back to the community of origin, it is appropriation.

A practical example:

• Inspiration: A brand that studies African textile patterns and collaborates with local artisans to create a collection while acknowledging their contribution.
• Appropriation: A luxury brand that uses Maasai patterns on accessories without consulting or compensating the Maasai community.

In short, the key is to respect and actively engage with the culture that inspires you.

Conclusions

Cultural appropriation is a concept deeply intertwined with the fashion industry, where trends and implications intersect in complex ways. Recognizing the importance of cultural sensitivity, collaboration, and education within the industry can help mitigate the negative consequences of cultural appropriation and promote a more inclusive and respectful approach to cultural exchange in fashion (Chumo 2023).

Martinez (2017) explored the role of Instagram and TikTok, revealing that the platforms often unknowingly spread cultural appropriation practices. However, more and more users are becoming critical of brands, demanding greater respect and transparency.

In an era where consumers prize ethics and authenticity, fashion has the potential to become a powerful tool for cultural inclusion and valorization, but this can only happen through a conscious and respectful approach.

Sources

Chumo Lewis (2023), Cultural Appropriation in the Fashion Industry: A Critical Examination of Trends and Implications, Faculty of Arts, Catholic University International Journal of Arts, Recreation and Sports, ISSN: 3005- 5393

Chen & Lee (2019), Cultural Appropriation and Consumer Behavior: Implications for the Fashion Industry. Journal of Consumer Research

Kim & Park (2020), Fashion Weeks and Cultural Appropriation: A Comparative Analysis of Global Events. International Journal of Fashion Studies 

Martinez (2017), Social Media and Cultural Appropriation in Fashion: An Influencer Perspective. Journal of Fashion Communication 

Ng & Wong (2018), Legal Perspectives on Cultural Appropriation in Fashion. Intellectual Property Law Journal

Pham e&Nguyen (2018), Cultural Appropriation in Fashion: A Content Analysis of Indigenous Cultural Symbols. Fashion Studies Journal

Smith & Johnson (2016), Cultural Identity and Cultural Appropriation: Perspectives of Fashion Designers from Marginalized Backgrounds. Fashion and Culture Journal 

The fake plus-size models, hired by brands to communicate how accessible clothes are to those with more abundant shapes, are an example of inclusivity washing. It is showing initiatives of inclusivity without a real strategy that seriously involves minorities, which effectively nullifies any differentiation in the face of diversity and which addresses the public avoiding any discrimination.

Norwegian model Karoline Bjørnelykke brought to light the case of fake plus-size models in fashion campaigns, telling in a video on Tik Tok:

I’m a plus-size model. Which means that I sometimes work for plus size brands. These brands typically carry size XL-5XL. If you have eyes, you can see that I’m not the size. So how do we fix this? Well, I have to bring something called padding work, which basically is fat suits. In pieces. Do you just stuff it? Like this, which makes you look a lot bigger, and if that isn’t enough, you just pin everything in the back. So if the close looks really good from the front, it probably looks like **** from the back. It’s because they want the neck and the face to look really slim and sharp, which doesn’t just create unrealistic standards, but impossible ones. You know, my suggestion is just use real plus size women because there are so many gorgeous women out there. And I have one more wish: can a plus-brand please for once not make something that’s horrific?

A pair of flesh-colored buttocks, chest and thighs, along with a spandex belt: it’s the fat pad kit for mid-size models. In a shoot where you are required to wear dozens of dresses, it is the easiest way to make clothes fit snugly, just like clothespins hidden from view and used to enhance the fit of garments in high fashion editorials.

There are many stories of women working as plus-size models using padding. These shots from Refinery29 show the difference between “with” and “without”:

(Photos: Refinery29)

The sector trend

The concept of plus-size models is to represent women in an inclusive way, and to be close to real people, moving away from the classic diktats of perfect bodies in fashion, not very representative of reality. In recent years we have seen a huge increase in visibility for plus size models on the runway, in advertisements, in fashion shoots. Many brands, including H&M and Abercrombie, have added plus size lines to their collections, increasing sales volumes. In the wake of the “diversity and inclusiveness” trend, such as green, the big brands have integrated the offer and included these themes in their marketing campaigns.

How much do brands make fun of us?

Another story: another cheat?

Placed third in America’s Next Top Model competition, plus-size model Khrystyana Kazakova was delighted to be working with a top-tier agency. Her enthusiasm soon faded, when she was told that her size 8 US (44 IT) wasn’t enough for the most tempting offers. “I was told that if I gained more weight, I would make more money”, Khrystyana says. So she changed her diet and exercise routines and gained weight, but not as the agency expected. “They want you to have an hourglass shape, she explains. “Before firing me, [they] implied that I looked bloated” (Source New York Post, July 2019).

In search of a new unrealistic beauty canon

Agents and clients look for a specific body shape: the chiseled hourglass shape, embodied by Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez. The problem mainly concerns “in-betweenies” models – sizes 10 and 12 US (New York Post, 2019). According to Chelsea Bonner, former model and founder of Bella management:

We’ve created an avatar of what is allowed to be plus-size. So you’re allowed to be curvy as long as you have a really tiny waist and no cellulite.

Paradoxically, real plus-size models struggle to work. We have come to outline another canon of ideal beauty that is difficult to find or achieve, because it is different from a real plus-size female figure: abundant body, breasts and buttocks but thin waist, face and wrists.

We ask for strict standards even for plus sizes: there is no peace for real women! Whether they are thin or plus-size, they have to contend with diets, the gym and body changes to gain weight or lose weight. We move away from the mentality of thinness at all costs to pursue another ideal that is almost impossible to embody.

Does everything start from design?

Does the ideal shape sought in campaign models come from how the clothes are designed? If brands produce dresses for a perfect hourglass figure that most normal or curvy women don’t naturally have, they look for modeling campaigns that enhance them. Designed for perfect shape, they will look their best on perfect bodies, no matter how fake they are.

Another cheat

Sizes of plus-size models vary by brand and agency. As a general rule, plus size models are defined by the fashion industry as those from a size 6-8 US and up (indicatively 42-44 IT). The average size of women in the United States is 14 US (50 IT), so sizes 6-8 cannot be considered “strong”. In our country, the most representative female size is 44, which becomes 48 between the ages of 50 and 64. The insiders therefore define plus-size as normal sizes. Nowadays, however, pressure is building up, leading the sector to consider as plus sizes those a little more in line with the public, at least from 16 US (52 IT) onwards.

The “one token curvy” model

This is what brands adopt when they advertise a single plus-size model to represent the totality of real women, while the other models instead follow the classic standards of thinness. They send us the message of being inclusive, but it actually seems like a sop with the air of a sprinkling of inclusiveness.

Not to mention Photoshop 

How much difference photo retouching can make and how misleading social media can be! Photoshop is a tool, but excessive use on social media, erasing any imperfections, can lead to insecurities. Applied to curvy women, apparently hired to represent the average woman, it helps to create an ideal too far removed from reality.

The models’ accountability

What should models do? Refuse to be complicit in the deception? Or are these works of art? Is it understandable that they agree to wear the pads to work? Write us in the comments or via email what you think (dress_ecode@icloud.com).

In an article by Refinery29, here’s what some of them say:

“Unfortunately, sometimes the smaller girls don’t work as much. I would hope that does change. That’s the middle range that people are missing” – Michelle Olson, JAG Models.

“There’s always some form of padding used — it’s like you’re sculpting your body. Is it realistic? It depends. If you look at it as artistic, then I can respect it. But, as an ideal for women? It’s unhealthy, because not a lot of women are going to look like that” – Brittnee Blaire, JAG Models.

“The whole padding thing started on the mannequins, because the mannequins are all shaped the same. But, it never bothered me. I’m not the one that shows up on set and is like, ‘Am I really wearing that?’ You can put me in anything, and as long as you pay me, I’m good. The padding pads me in areas I wish I had. Like butt padding. Everybody does it, surgically or not. What about collagen in your cheeks or lips, which lots of people are doing in the industry? That’s permanent padding. But, it’s all about feeling better about yourself.”- Kristina Wilson, JAG Models.

“I get backlash on social media for saying I’m a plus-size model. If I say I’m a model, they say, ‘Yeah right, you wish.’ But, if I say I’m a plus-size model, they’ll say, ‘No way, you are way too slim!’. I’m more of a 12, and plus is more of a 14 or 16. I didn’t want to put on more weight; I wanted to stay really healthy, and I think this is a good size for me. I would love to campaign for girls my size — I’m really proud of the size I am and the curves I have.” – Iskra Lawrence, JAG Models. (Fonte Refinery29).

The right direction

Is a way of tricks and deceptions the right direction for fashion? It is a path that leads to a lack of trust on all fronts: in the commitment to ecological issues, respect for workers, inclusion, diversity, and inevitably also in the product. The hope is in the brands that honestly take these issues to heart. Brands with a more truthful and inclusive vision of female beauty, diversifying body shapes on the catwalk and in the media. Brands that contribute to abandoning the ideal of perfection and making us embrace defects. Because there are brands that do it. To those we can turn our attention and our wallet.

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Photos: cover Jennifer Burk; Billie

In particular, the following changes have been made to the legislation:

§ 2 second paragraph:
“The advertiser and the person designing the ad must also ensure that the ad in which the shape, size or skin of a body has been altered by retouching or other manipulation is marked. The Ministry provides additional provisions in the regulations on the methods of marking the announcement and on the exceptions to the obligation of marking”.

§ 21 letter b:
“plays on social insecurity, bad conscience, low self-esteem or contributes to body pressure”.

§ 35, second paragraph:
“The verification referred to in Article 2, second paragraph, first sentence, however, takes place on the basis of considerations of equality between the sexes, with particular regard to the way in which women are represented”.

The legislation will apply to all major social media platforms including Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok and will come into effect as directed by the Norwegian monarch. Violations include escalating fines and, in some extreme cases, imprisonment.

It will be necessary to indicate whether “the shape, size or skin of a body has been changed by retouching or other manipulation”. It is the latest development, after years of advocacy by youth groups and the Norwegian Ministry of Childhood and Family, calling for tougher measures to address growing concerns about body image and mental health. The changes to the legislation stem from concern for a culture that fosters insecurity and low self-esteem: more than half of 10th-grade girls in Oslo struggle with their mental health and anorexia is the third most common cause of death among girls.

“Young people are under a lot of pressure to look good through, among other things, advertising and social media, and the models that are shown are often digitally retouched. This exposes young people to an impossible-to-achieve ideal of beauty”, the department said in its proposal.

Already in 2016 Norway had shown attention to the issue

Trondheim, one of the largest cities in the country, had taken a stand against manipulated body images in advertisements on the city streets. In fact, the city decided to ban all advertisements that could contribute to a negative view of body among residents.

“Since it is a completely unrealistic pressure if [the images] are manipulated… it creates a pressure that no one can handle. If we are able to get rid of it at least in part, we want to do it”.
Trondheim city councilor Ottar Michelsen

The retouching of photographs is not a purely exclusive phenomenon of the network

In glossy magazines it is a practice that each of us have had the opportunity to see over the years. A slimming of the hips, the elimination of stretch marks and cellulite, the stretching of wrinkles, the disappearance of dark circles and many other tricks to show bodies that are always perfect and young. Arousing in the viewer a feeling of inadequacy, a desire to be different from what one is and an endless pursuit of perfection.

Idealized beauty standards are nothing new today, instead representations of the ideal body for public consumption have existed for centuries. But as Michelsen puts it, “the pressure on young people about what body image should be, I think is much stronger now than it was in the past. It affects all of society. When we see that young people, teenagers, are willing to have plastic surgery to look more like these images, I think it’s time to put the brakes on”.

Pinterest, Getty Images, Instagram and Tik Tok

To protect the mental health and well-being of users, some social networks have also intervened in this direction. In early 2021 Pinterest was the first platform to eliminate advertising for weight loss products, appetite suppressing pills and supplements, before and after weight loss images, body shaming, and non-cosmetic result claims. realistic. “Around the world, people of all ages are facing challenges related to body image and mental health, particularly as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and kick off the summer season”, Pinterest said in a post on blog.

In 2017, Getty Images announced that it will no longer accept photoshopped photographs to make models appear thinner or wider. In an email explaining the new policy, Getty announces the change to the creative skills submission requirements guidelines, essentially guidelines for freelance contributors, for all creative content to ban body retouching.

In 2019, Instagram restricted posts promoting weight loss products so that minors couldn’t see them. It also removed content advertising “miracle claims about certain diet or weight loss products”.

Tik Tok has revamped its policies to limit ads that do not align with the “positive, inclusive and safe experience we are committed to on Tik Tok”. The app banned advertising for weight loss supplements and increased restrictions on ads that promote “harmful or negative body image”.

Editing images to achieve aesthetic perfection is now a widespread behavior on the internet

To the point of making people little or completely unrecognizable in case of live meetings. In fact, not only influencers, but also users in personal profiles or in dating apps resort to excessive alterations of their digital image. More and more often we hear stories of those who, passing from a virtual to a real acquaintance, have been disappointed. Sometimes it is just a matter of giving too much importance to aesthetics, but other times the point is the feeling of having been deceived and of lack of sincerity on the part of the other person.

We are not talking about small adjustments to exposure, contrast, size of a photo (who of us has never technically intervened on a photo?), but of real manipulations to the point of not allowing to connect the person in real life to the online image with all its strengths and weaknesses (isn’t it much better when someone knows us personally and exclaims “you are better live!”?).

Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma revealed that suicides of pre-teen girls in the United States have skyrocketed by 150% and one of the main reasons is the increased use of unrealistic images on social media. Case24, a phone case company, conducted a study analyzing the editing habits of Brits before uploading an image to social media: 71% of people edit the selfies they post.

In 2019, photographer Rankin made the series of Selfie Harm shots in which he photographed 14 teenagers and handed them the image to edit and filter, until they considered it “ready for social media”, juxtaposing them to the un-retouched versions. Rankin found that the participants themselves preferred the originals, but did what they had seen their peers do. The photos are part of an exhibition and panel called “Visual Diet”, an initiative launched by M&C Saatchi, Rankin and MTArt Agency that explores the impact of images on our mental health.

“This is a new, improved reality, a world where teenagers (or even younger children) can digitally change themselves in seconds. Mix this readily available technology with celebrities and influencers sporting impossible shapes with impossible faces and we’ve got a recipe for disaster”.

Rankin

Are we becoming more obsessed with aesthetics, experiencing mental health disorders, low self-esteem or pathological behaviors more frequently than in the past, especially among young people? The discourse on images is really broad and complex, there would be many things to say and we will return to talk about this theme, because a more responsible fashion also involves giving voice to positive messages. Like that of a healthy relationship with our body and the acceptance of the impossibility of perfection.

Photo: Antoine Beauvillain (cover); other photos, from Selfie Harm, Rankin.