Article | Angela De Montigny - San Jose Fashion Week

Angela De Montigny: 'SKINS & STONES adorn my bones and style is what defines me'
By Hollie Nash

Inspired by native culture and women’s contemporary lifestyles, Canadian designer Angela DeMontigny is making a fundamental mark in the fashion industry. Almost 13 years ago, DeMontigny recognized the unmet potential for Aboriginal designs and went with it. Such an opportunity allowed her to not only incorporate the artistic traditions she had learned growing up, but to interpret these elements in a modern way.

Angela started sketching at the age of twelve and was constantly engulfed in the fashion industry.Be it through reading the latest fashion mag or creating her own designs- she adored every aspect. Angela feels that fashion is about personal expression, “[Fashion is] a way of expressing the many aspects of an individual through clothing.” She also feels it is important to include a specific and effective message in each of her collections. “It changes from each collection,” she states, “but usually the message is that you can dress yourself as a strong, modern person in a way that fits your personality and lifestyle.”

Her trademark is hand painted symbols and beaded accents-an inherent skill that has been handed down from her native ancestors for hundreds of years. Only the finest leathers, suede and sheerings are used to develop the finished garment and whether you are in the market for men or women’s clothing, DeMontigny got you covered, literally.

Her latest collection incorporates her favorite trend of this season, rocker chic. Leather, lots of metal studs and hardware, fringe and various fur garments can be seen in her clothing line. The unique concept of Angela’s designs is that they are extremely wear-able. They have a slight ‘edge’ or sexiness to them but at the same time, they are appropriate for the office, comfortable and possess a certain je ne sais quoi that adds to the versatility of the clothing. What else could you ask for?

Angela’s success has flourished throughout the years, and her designs have gotten a lot of coverage already in 2010. Most recently at the Aboriginal Fashion Week, she produced and debuted her new collection in Vancouver, BC during the first week of the Olympic Games. One of Angela’s proudest moments to date was when Canadian Native Olympian, Waneek Horn-Miller sported a diamond gorget created by DeMontigny. She believes, “the diamond piece will kick start a legacy fund for Aboriginal Youth in design."

Angela DeMontigny Clothing and Accessories can be found in boutiques in major city centers including Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary. Her designs are also sold internationally in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and America. She currently has two specialty boutiques in the US, one in Wyoming and Colorado; however she plans to expand in the near future.

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” This quote certainly relates to the success of Angela DeMontigny as she paves the road for aspiring Aboriginal designers everywhere.

Booking orders for Fall 2010 now - if you'd like to make an app't to view the entire line of fashion for men and women or accessories, I can be reached at: 905-304-8952 or cell: 905-818-2751. For recent press, media coverage please contact Lee Arden Lewis at: 613-966-4078.

Images
Angela De Montigny
Fashion Writer
Hollie Nash

[see original article here]

Designer Profile | Wendy Ponca

(Wendy Ponca's Mylar dresses, Santa Fe, 1996)

“I didn’t really know what Native American traditions were. I had always loved beading as a young girl – really loved it – but it was many years later that I discovered it was part of my cultural heritage – as a Native American and as a Native American woman. It was a powerful discovery.” – Wendy Ponca, 2000

Kimberly ‘Wendy’ Ponca (Osage) has been described as an Osage avant-garde, but also as an artist who continues the legacy of the traditional Osage figure Spider Woman, who, according to tribal stories, taught weaving to the people. She once stated, “Many people do art for money. Others do art for arts sake. I do art for history’s sake. I want to preserve my traditional culture, while reflecting the signs of contemporary America.” Ponca maintained key elements of her Osage traditions by re-presenting them and expressing them through new materials, rendering them compatible with contemporary society.

(Wendy Ponca as the Fashion Instructor at IAIA)

Ponca was the main fashion instructor at the Institute of American Indian Arts for a decade between 1983 and 1993, and she was instrumental in making Native fashion what it is today. Her educational background was in clothing and textile design, and she combined this knowledge with stimulating art curriculum and Native American culture studies. She explained that her courses at IAIA “transcend the normal art school curriculum in that, as Indians, we are furthering tradition. As we evolve culturally within a multi-cultured environment, we are doing and creating as we have for hundreds… even thousands… of years; utilizing that which surrounds us symbolically, economically, and fashionably.”

(Wendy Ponca's motorcycle blanket)

To create her wearable art, Ponca drew on her experiences as a contemporary Osage person, and this is evident in her juxtaposition of the time-honored with the entirely-new. Her garment collections have been described as both a reflection and a redefinition of a culture. Ponca’s clothing and fashion shows deconstruct stereotypes, present theories of female beauty and power, impart Osage oral tradition and cosmological beliefs, and champion fashion as art.

(Wendy Ponca coat made with Rainbow Selvedge Wool Broadcloth)

As a designer, Ponca used innovative new materials for her clothing designs to tell traditional Osage stories. For example, she incorporated Mylar, a synthetic material used on space shuttles, which she conceptualized as connected with the sky and stars. Ponca perceived these qualities as compatible with Osage cosmological beliefs. Traditional Osage stories communicate a deep connection that exists between the earth people and the sky world, since the Osage believe that their ancestors came from the sky. To Ponca, the use of Mylar accentuated the wearer’s relationship with the sky.

(Wendy Ponca's dress designs. Dress on right features the important Osage spider symbol)

Ponca also painted tattoos onto her female models’ bodies and adorned their hair with feathers for photographs and fashion shows. As Ponca explained, she used body paint and feathers because of the strength that it bestows the wearer. Ponca stated that the body art and feathers “changes you on the inside, your intellect, being. It’s a powerful thing, it changes you emotionally." This way of thinking directly related to her philosophy concerning garments and adornment: what you wear should convey identity, confidence and a tribally-informed sense of beauty. Other designers such as Pilar Agoyo and Virgil Ortiz have recently used similar body adornment in their shows and fashion shoots.

(Native Uprising designer collective, Santa Fe, 1988)

Importantly, in the mid-1980s Ponca co-founded the Native Influx (later, Native Uprising) collective of designers, models, and artists, which was the first group of its kind – effectively establishing Santa Fe as the center for Native American haute couture. Furthermore, because of the innovations of this group, the Santa Fe Indian Market added new categories for judging clothing and paved the pathway to create a new market venue for Native clothing designers.

As IAIA’s main fashion instructor, Ponca undoubtedly greatly influenced her students’ work and the contemporary Native American fashion world.

(Note: This is an excerpt from my dissertation and is copyrighted material)

(All images courtesy of Wendy Ponca)

Designer Profile | Lloyd Kiva New

(Image from Native Peoples Magazine article)

Cherokee designer Lloyd Kiva New (1916-2002) played an important role in revolutionizing Native customary clothing design in the mid-1900s. He worked in textile arts, leatherwork, and fashion design with his own boutique (opened in Dec 1945) and center (opened in 1955), and he was active in the development of Scottsdale as an arts center. New's handbags and garments were collaborations with other notable Native artists. For example, for one shirt (pictured below), the horse design was painted by Andrew Van Tsinajinnie, then it was silkscreened onto fabric by Manfred Susunkewa. New designed the shirt, and Charles Loloma made the unique silver buttons.

New became the first Native American to show at an international fashion show in 1951 with his participation in the Atlantic City International Fashion Show. In 1952 he showed there again, and was featured in the Los Angeles Times (below). In 1957, Miss Arizona Lynn Freyse wore a Kiva creation at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City.

New’s business prospered when opportunities for Native people were limited and bounded. Upper-class Anglo women wore his garments made with Native American designs in a time when Native cultures were being smothered out and dissolved into American cities through relocation and termination government policies. He expressed his ideas as to the importance of Native cultures (especially the importance of Native contributions to American society and identity) while emceeing fashion shows by resort pools, being interviewed for national articles, hosting art or cultural events, or consulting on Indian art educational programs.

Throughout his career as a fashion and accessories designer, New incorporated Native design concepts, including symbols, materials, silhouettes, cuts, and color palettes, from various tribes, sometimes combining them, to create items that would work within Anglo American paradigms of gender, class, and ethnicity. New acknowledged social limitations and cultural expectations and worked within these frameworks to create new possibilities for Native people.

New went on to co-found the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe in 1962.

(Note: This is an excerpt from my dissertation and is copyrighted material)

(Lloyd Kiva New, silkscreening. Image from IAIA Archives.)

(Lloyd Kiva New boutique in Scottsdale, ca. 1950s. Image from Heard Museum exhibit Mid-century Modern: Native American Art in Scottsdale.)

(Lloyd Kiva New featured in the Los Angeles Times, 1952.)

(Lloyd Kiva New blue sleeveless shirt, ca. 1950s. Private collection. Image my own.)

(Lloyd Kiva New sleeveless mini-dress with blue water design, ca. 1950s. Private collection. Image my own.)

("It's a Kiva bag". Private collection. Image my own.)

(Lloyd Kiva New shirt with desert-inspired colors, ca. 1950s. Private collection. Image my own.)

(Lloyd Kiva New purse with Charles Loloma silver detailing, ca. 1950s. Image from online auction site.)

Read more about New at Native Peoples, or at The New York Times.

Santa Fe's Emerging Designers

Last night I had the great pleasure of attending a fashion show featuring the chic designs of seven Santa Fe Community College fashion students.

The event, Art of Fashion, is a monthly show hosted by Stephen Cuomo and Buzz Networking. It is designed to encourage networking among designers, models, photographers, and other creative individuals in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, but also to bring fashion to local nightlife.

I previously attended the January Art of Fashion show, which featured three designers, one of whom was Walter Barney (it was an exciting showing by Barney, as I have grown to expect from this designer). I also attended the February event, and I must say this latest one was the best event so far. No doubt this was partly due to Cuomo working out the kinks of this new project of his, but it was also due to the talent and drive of the seven designers. They advertised the event widely, and it was well-attended - my guesstimate is that over 140 people were in attendance. At one point, when I stepped out to use the restroom 30 minutes into the show, I overheard the greeters turn people away. They were at max capacity.

Being a scholar and researcher, I've learned the value of ethnographic (participant observation) research - a.k.a. the 'fine art of hanging out.' And listening to peoples' reactions and responses to the show are some of my favorite things to do at these types of events. The responses were overwhelmingly positive. People loved the dresses, the creativity, how each designer brought her own design aesthetic to the runway. They were blown away by the fact that these were 'students.' But, after this show, I don't see them as students, I see them as emerging designers - ones who will carry Santa Fe's reputation as a fashion town into the future.


First off, the young (17 years old!) Bianca Garcia showed her four looks "Inspired by Kimono." I have spoken frequently about 'appropriation' and so my eyes are always open, looking, analyzing. Garcia's line was undoubtedly inspired by the Japanese robe. However, she quite wonderfully dissected it, showing us the parts: featuring the characteristic loose sleeves for one dress, the bundle in the back for another.

(My apologies - it took me a few rounds to get the right setting for my camera and I missed some great outfits in the process)


Next was Jessica Rimmer's "Hotel NM" collection of four looks - my favorites being the cute tailored jackets she produced with fantastic collars. Of note was a jacket and skirt outfit made from New Mexico sky blue fabric patched with material that featured a horse and Native design motif. It's like she turned a 'Greetings from New Mexico' postcard into a trendy ensemble - this outfit deserves a photo-shoot out on Route 66.



Another young designer, Paola Palacios presented her sexy "PcarolinePC" line. Her four looks included a red and black halter dress and a denim and black dress (it had three belts, much to my delight). All were short, but Palacios was exceptionally creative with this little bit of fabric and space, and the couple next to me adored her dresses.



Rachael Maestas' "Granny Floral Chic" holds a special place in my heart - just last month I was visiting one of my best friends in New York and she epitomizes 'Grandma Chic.' Oh Rachael how truly wonderful it was to see Granny chic on the runway. An adorable romper with a faint floral design, along with a sweetheart neckline strapless crisp white dress (yes with large floral pattern) - so feminine, so cute, and dying to be worn in a park, at the horse races, or out to brunch.



Consuelo Pascual's collection of five looks, aptly titled "Pleating Story" (the girl loves to pleat!), was introduced with the Shiny Toy Guns' song Major Tom playing in the background. It was so very appropriate - have you seen the video? When I think of Pascual's designs, I think of the sleek aesthetics of outer space. A subtle skull pattern on one dress adds a keen edge to her refined work. Working with a palette of mostly black, silver, and grey, her work is meticulously constructed, creating such fantastic silhouettes with all those wonderful pleats.




Next up was Lynne Kudus, the leader of this pack. An amazing stylist, Kudus' collection, "Punk Romanticism," included ten fully styled looks. And punk romanticism it was - with a loose white ripped dress, a one-shouldered black and denim dress, and wonderfully placed zipper accents everywhere. Kudus is clearly aware of the latest trends and incorporates them into her artistic approach to fashion.





The grand finale came with Shelly Lang's "The Wild Garden Collection Spring '10" (and a magnificent bridal gown!). These loose flowing dresses in soft summery colors were inspired by the plant life of Northern New Mexico. She explained, "The closer I looked the more each bush displayed unending inspiration of color, texture and silhouette." Lang combined raw edges, earthy tones, hand-dyed silk, and asymmetrical silhouettes to produce heavenly frocks fit for a princess.

Article | College Chic

(models and designers backstage at the Art is Fashion show March 25 in Santa Fe. Image my own)

Last night I had the great pleasure to see the Art of Fashion show hosted by 7 Santa Fe Community College fashion design students (including my friend Consuelo Pascual (Navajo) who let me sneak backstage to snap a ton of photos). Below is a brief review of their show by Phaedra Haywood, spotlighting one of the designers, 17 year-old Bianca Garcia:


Art of Fashion show features designs by Santa Fe Community College students
Phaedra Haywood for The New Mexican
Posted: Thursday, March 25, 2010

A svelte model wearing an Asian-inspired gown of pink brocade strutted across the stage to the song "Meet Me Halfway" by the Black Eyed Peas on Thursday at The Lodge at Santa Fe.

The gown, one of four created by Santa Fe native Bianca Garcia, was one of 39 new designs by Santa Fe Community College students who were the featured designers in the Art of Fashion, a monthly fashion show hosted by Buzz Networking Albuquerque.

The seven students who participated in the show are enrolled in the college's fashion design program, the only one in the state. For many of them it was their first experience readying garments for a public show.

And while there were no celebrity judges or eliminations — à la Project Runway — there were plenty of lessons being learned by the designers.

"It was a great challenge," said 17-year-old Garcia. The home-schooled teen entered the two-year program at the age of 15 and will complete it this year. "I don't like challenges when I'm in them. But when it's over I learn so much about myself."

Garcia — who said she changed her entire line during a mini-crisis of confidence after a fitting four days before the show — said the experience taught her about preparedness and counting the cost of time and materials when designing for the real world.

The monthly fashion show is the brainchild of Stephen Cuomo, a former Las Vegas, Nev., stockbroker who moved back to his hometown of Albuquerque about a year ago.

Cuomo said the events are his way of spicing up local nightlife; giving couples and "mature" women "something to watch" during an evening out; and connecting aspiring models, directors and other "creative types."

Cuomo holds casting calls for models before each show. They aren't paid, but get the opportunity to connect with people who might give them work, Cuomo said. He said the event also gives local designers such as the students from the college a "turnkey event" at which to present their clothes which isn't tied to a fundraiser like many fashion shows.

Cuomo, who said he spent 14 years working for large investment firms including Smith Barney and Merrill Lynch, is paid a fee by the venues that host the shows and keeps the proceeds from the door.

He's been hosting the monthly shows for about a year — mostly in Albuquerque — and says they are gaining in popularity.

Other designers who showed work during the event included Rachael Maestas, Consuelo Pascual, Shelly Lang, Paola Palaciaos, Lynne Kudus and Jessica Rimmer.

[read original here]

Exhibit | POP! Popular Culture in American Indian Art

The Heard Museum in Phoenix Arizona will be opening a new exhibit on April 16, 2010. The exhibit, POP! POPULAR CULTURE IN AMERICAN INDIAN ART, runs through April 2011.

The exhibit displays how pop culture and innovation collide with traditional art forms and cultures in artwork that reflects contemporary issues and imagery in an often comedic, tongue-in-cheek way. Fashion, graffiti art, comics, pottery and beadwork are formats for contemporary American Indian artists who incorporate imagery from popular culture into their work.

Beadworker and fashion designer Marcus Amerman will be one of the artists featured in the exhibit.

And peep these shoes by Paula Rasmus-Dede (Aleut, b. 1946): "Clearly Red Hot Mama," 2010

Isaac Mizrahi's Totem Pole Dress, ca. 1991

Throughout time, non-Native designers have been influenced by the Native. Here is an example by Isaac Mizrahi from 1991.

Influenced by Northwest Coast designs, the "Totem Pole" Dress is from Mizrahi's Fall 1991 collection and was worn by Naomi Campbell on the cover of TIME Magazine. Look closely - the totem pole motif is entirely embroidered.





[thanks to my friend Bradley for passing this on]

Some History | Ribbon Work and Ribbon Shirts

(Penny Singer updates the ribbonshirt to put her own twist on this classic garment)

Ribbon shirts are one example of an adapting and enduring Indian garment. Many contemporary Native American fashion designers incorporate ribbon work into their designs or create ribbon shirts. Colored silk ribbons were first introduced by French and English traders, and were subsequently adopted into Native traditional practices, including use as decoration for ceremonial offerings. Ribbons were also appliquéd onto clothing, sometimes using a mirror-image design with ribbons of contrasting colors. Ribbons were also used where pigment would normally - the brighter colors of the ribbons was one of the reason why this material was so readily incorporated in to important regalia. Contemporary Native fashion designer Margaret Wood demonstrated how ribbonwork panels could be applied to various garments, including shirts, dresses, and skirts. Ribbon shirts for men – where the ribbons are sewn to the yoke – are now quite prevalent and have become a pan-Indian attire, worn with jeans or pants, for men at all types of special social gatherings.

Ribbon appliqué is an important art form for several different tribal groups. For those in the Great Lakes region, it has been the basis for traditional women’s regalia for more than 150 years. Even though the designs and materials have changed over time, the many clothing makers still associate ribbon appliqué as part of traditional life.

Thunderworks described the origins of the Art Form: Ribbon appliqué originated in the Great Lakes region in the late 1700s with the introduction of silk. Because silk deteriorates, there are very few samples of ribbon work prior to 1850. Its existence prior to 1850 is documented by a leather breechcloth decorated with a silk ribbon appliqué border.

An important feature of ribbon appliqué is the visual reversal of the pattern and background which changes with the shifting perception of the viewer. A pattern is cut out of paper and transferred to a ribbon of one color. The ribbon is cut and appliquéd with invisible stitches to a background panel of ribbon of another color. Two or more strips are joined and sewn to a muslin backing creating a wider panel. The panel is then applied to a garment of dark wool. Panels are used to decorate skirts, breechcloths, leggings, and blankets.

Prior to 1850, the genesis of ribbon appliqué began with patterns that were entirely geometric and repeating. The ribbons were very narrow. Several strips had to be combined to make an elaborate panel.

Beginning in 1850, the designs were still repeating but in much larger, more complicated, more varied motifs. Designs become more curvilinear, but still somewhat angular. In the 1900’s major changes occurred with the introduction of bilateral symmetry within the structure of the panels. Motifs were separated, still repeating and less angular. In 1955, the art form was characterized by large curvilinear designs and abstract floral motifs. Even more recent changes include abstract floral motifs on a solid background.

Video | GUESS Goes World Tribal

In January GUESS unveiled its "Global-Inspired Collection" - Spring/Summer 2010 Collection for Men & Women. They state,

"The GUESS spring/summer 2010 collection for men and women is all about world tribe, incorporating design techniques from the GUESS American heritage, as well as Asian, African, Japanese and Moroccan cultures. While still maintaining the GUESS rocker roots with the denim collection, the overall vibe of the collection moves into multi-cultural territory, with its use of allover prints as well as placement prints.

The womens collection for spring is broken into two main stories: Silk Road, which encompasses the eastern influences, and Tribal Lounge, which expresses itself through the bleached out colors and desert patterns. Batiks, pigment dyes and ombre techniques incorporate all of the ethnic influences seen throughout the mens and womens collection. Metallic embellishments are displayed with warmer finishes giving a more antiqued look. Western and Safari stories are also seen throughout the womens collection in the guise of cotton plaid shirts and dresses, as well as the presence of snake, zebra and non-traditional leopard prints and abstract geometric prints, mixed with army green cargos and lightweight outerwear pieces. Denim is updated with leather trim back pockets, new stitching techniques and spray paint techniques that can be seen in a variety of styles including skinny jeans, jumpsuits, cuffed boyfriend jeans and shorts. The summer collection maintains the same level of multi-culturism seen throughout spring, while bringing the travels to the Americas. Native American and Western influences are brought to the fashion forefront. Peasant blouses, plaids and floral ditsy prints are paired with light washed denim and paint splattered jean styles adorned with vintage inspired details.

The mens collection for spring is really all about prints shown in a subdued manner. The mens team continues to take design cues from the Americas, a trend also seen in the fall / holiday collections. Denim continues to be offered in a broad variety of washes from clean to destroyed, incorporating innovative techniques using embroidery, patching and stitch details. For summer, multi-cultural influences are seen in the masculine floral prints and Asian and Moroccan inspired prints that adorn the t-shirts, as well as the knits and woven tops. The graphics continue to be toned down and incorporated onto various wash and dye techniques. The most directional styles continue to be the Lincoln and Skinny fits."





and here's some behind the scenes footage, if you're into watching boys frolic like I am:

Designer Profile | Bethany Yellowtail

(Hair: Andres Copeland - Make up: Marisol Garcia - Photos: Thoshography)

B.Yellowtail Designs
Born and raised in southern Montana, Bethany Yellowtail is a proud member of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Tribes. Her Indian name is Ammaakealachehiibaachilakacheesh “Overcomes through Faith.”

Yellowtail attended college at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) where she was recognized for her talents and skills. A member of Phi Theta Kappa, Presidents List, and being nominated for FIDM’s prestigious “fashion designers award,” she graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Her fashion is inspired through her love for her native culture and european Haute Couture as well as mainstream high-end women's wear. An ultra contemporary infusion of native craftsmanship best describes Yellowtail's workmanship. The style is classy and sophisticated while still being edgy and sexy. Using only high quality fabrics and craft, every B.Yellowtail design is veraciously constructed.

At this time Yellowtail resides in Los Angeles, California where she is developing her own label and working as a freelance fashion designer. She specializes in custom designs, and women’s wear including, bridal, cocktail, and evening dresses.

[note: the first dress design above is inspired by the Plains Indian warrior bone breast plate]

[from carbonmade, for contact information click here]

[listen to a podcast interview with Bethany Yellowtail here (note: the first 5 mins are confusing... hang in there!)]

Article | Techno Tribal, Tribal Punk in Fashion

("Tribal Punk" (Cheek), photo by Felix Wong)

Techno Tribal, Tribal Punk in fashion
by Remodel Minority

Tribal is the new cool thing kids. Fashion site WhoWhatWear.com featured “Techno Tribal” in their Trend Report (source). In their words:

Last spring, we noticed a preponderance of fashion-forward femmes who were trying the Tribal Punk trend: think ethnic prints paired with loads of leather and studs. Of course, prints are huge news for spring as well, but we are pleased to report that this year both designers and directional dressers are taking a new approach to patterns. This season the focus has shifted to digitally engineered prints that riff on classic Native American and African folk art in hyper-bright colors. And while the influences of these Az-Tech looks come from all over the globe, we are beyond pleased to gather our favorites right here in today’s Trend Report featuring our favorite Techno Tribal looks!

Anyone catch the (racist) pun? I personally have a morbid fascination with the fashion industry. It’s something that I have come to enjoy (and indulge in at times) but I feel quite critical of it. Here, the appropriation of said “tribal” cultures is problematic and the fact that mainstream fashion is now catching on only helps to propagate illusions of “nativism.” Many of these fashions are influenced by an underlying matrix of stereotypes and bourgeois fantasies. Specific cultures and their cultural productions have become regular images in an industry dominated by eurocentric and elitist ideals. The spread in Cheek Magazine (pictured) detailing “tribal punk” shows a white model costumed in a turban, headscarf, dreadlock-looking braid things, geometric prints (clearly “ethnic inspired”), stone beading, etc.

Analogously, hipsters have also taken to appropriating Native headdress as illustrated on Adrienne’s blog Native Appropriations. She writes, “I’m guessing it’s just an iteration of the tribal fashion trends, with a little bit of the desire to be counter culture thrown in there” (source). I definitely agree with her, but I think there is more than a little bit of desire to be counterculture on the hipsters’ part. These appropriations take advantage of already grounded ideas of exoticism, “rawness,” and “otherness” of non-white cultures, and then repackage them with alluring unconventionality and uniqueness. Which, of course, just furthers the marginalization of people of color and their cultures.

For many, fashion is a medium for self-expression. It can help you escape mediocrity, monotony, and the mainstream. However, tribal fashion trends only exacerbate censored depictions of historically oppressed cultures. In other words, appropriation is often times advertised as a “celebration” of cultures but we only get a guilt-free, clean, re-envisioned replication. For those who wonder why cultural appropriation is considered offensive by many people, I think it is best stated by Tami on her blog What Tami Said: “What’s so wrong with being inspired by another culture? I’m not sure how to answer, because borrowing from a historically oppressed culture is not as simple as some would want it to be. Fair or not, there are hundreds of years of meaning behind that faux African print dress, that Motown-inspired tune and the silent Harajuku posse” (source).

All I can say for sure is that there’s a fine line between inspiration and appropriation, appreciation and exploitation in the world of fashion. Let’s continue to keep a critical eye on trends such as these.

[see original here at Remodel Minority]