New York Fashion Week, perhaps one of the most notable biannual events, just concluded this past week and will not return until next season. Fashion Week always manages to produce wild runway shows, A-list celebrity sightings and, my personal favorite, loads of pictures of Anna Wintour.
However, it’s not always just fun and games, as Fashion Week is often peppered with scandal and controversy. This season was no different.
On Thursday, famed designer Marc Jacobs ended Fashion Week by sending his models down the runway wearing faux dreadlocks. Many of these models, including famous names like Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid and Irina Shayk, were white.
The fashion industry is no stranger to controversy. Last spring, Dolce and Gabbana made headlines when they released a summer sandal called the “Slave Sandal” on their website. In its Fall 2015 collection, brand KTZ received criticism after releasing a “sweatshirt” that essentially copied a sacred Inuit garment. They called it the “Shaman Towelling Sweatshirt.”
Other more affordable fashion options have also made questionable decisions. A simple Google search of the words “Urban Outfitters controversy” produces results like “26 Times Urban Outfitters Failed So Hard It Just Failed,” referencing the many different occasions when the popular clothing store received backlash for its controversial products.
As soon as news broke about the dreadlock-wearing models, Jacobs became the object of criticism for his apparent cultural appropriation from many social media users. Some users pointed out the hypocrisy of society viewing people of color who wear their hair in dreadlocks as unprofessional and messy, while white people who wear them are viewed as cool or edgy.
Jacobs responded to some of his critics in a comment on Instagram, calling the accusations of cultural appropriation “nonsense,” and stating, “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.”
He later posted a more official apology, also on his Instagram account, citing “freedom of speech to express oneself through art, clothes, words, hair, music … EVERYTHING.”
Unfortunately, Mr. Jacobs, it’s just not that simple.
I not only understand but also share the opinion that fashion is an art form. I also realize the importance of creativity in that art form; that fashion is more than clothes on runway, but how we express ourselves on a daily basis.
However, citing fashion as art is no excuse to completely ignore sensitive issues. Although I think the fashion industry likes to think of itself as a progressive and egalitarian utopia, it most definitely is not.
Racial diversity on the runway, while rising, is still not commonplace and relatively low compared to the number of white models. So while a fashion line may be the product of a designer’s creative spirit, those designers also have a responsibility to their audience and their models of color to be socially responsible.
While Marc Jacobs may have never experienced it, cultural appropriation is not “nonsense,” and it contributes to a society who ignores the ongoing presences of racial discrimination. He said that “love is the answer,” but love does not bring justice to women of color, a group of people heavily discriminated against and whose appearances he appropriated in his show.
If Marc Jacobs thinks “love is the answer,” maybe he should working showing more love to women of color and including more of them in his runway shows. Maybe he should seek guidance from diverse sources before he approves looks that will be featured on arguably one of the most-watched fashion events in the world.
And lastly, maybe instead of just “seeing people,” he should hear them. He should listen to the criticism he receives from women of color when he messes up, and his apologies should not be riddled in self-defense.
Fashion may be art, but it’s not the type to hang in a museum. It is made for the benefit of the common consumer, and those consumers deserve the respect of the designers who create for them.
