Cultural Appropriation In Fashion Essay

The fashion industry is a global community which employs millions of individuals and has a half-trillion dollar revenue in the United States alone. For many years, as a result of the exposure of the fashion industry, several ethical issues within the industry have become apparent. The fashion industry has crimes of its own, and cultural appropriation has become one of the more significant misconducts of the business. Although cultural appropriation has always existed in the fashion industry, it has never been this extensive. In recent years, many fashion designers have taken inspiration from other cultures as a source of innovation to for new clothing trends. One of the most common cultural appropriations present in the fashion industry is

A culture represents a society, and many people identify themselves through their society. Since one’s society is a representation of one’s self, people take pride in their society as a result of the culture they are raised in and its sentimental values. Moreover, as derived from the Oxford dictionary, culture is defined as “the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.” Therefore, since one’s culture is how one defines themselves, their accomplishments and exhibitions should not be disregarded for the sake of fashion. The fashion industry is an industry which continuously looks for inspiration to release an outstanding product that catches the eye of the public. As a result, the industry tends to observe other cultures for inspiration and picking out what attracts their sight. Some designers spot the creativeness they pursue. However, some acquire what they desire for their design and leave behind crucial aspects necessary to complete their design in a comprehensive sense. They appropriate the culture with minimal background knowledge regarding the culture. Some cultures are conservative while others have pride in their traditions and culture. Therefore, when designers propose a project grounded by acquiring inspiration from other cultures, they may misuse the culture’s imagery and

Misuse, misrepresentation or theft of cultural aspects, in turn, results in cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is one of the major issues on the rise in the fashion industry. It must not be disregarded but instead taken seriously. Misrepresenting the culture is going to not only offend the culture itself but also results in backlash targeted towards the fashion industry. There are several issues that arise ensuing the act of cultural appropriation. One of the major issues is not only present in the use of inspiration retrieved from other cultures but also within the lack of diversity of the models themselves. Also, in the act of trying to appreciate the culture, the industry’s intentions are misled. In conclusion, it is favorable for the people in the fashion industry to be knowledgeable of the diverse cultures around the globe and their ethics in order to avoid the consequences of cultural