Borrowing from Native American culture, for example, would be not such an issue if they were respected for their individual identity instead of the material aspects of their culture. Some, like Alyssa Rosenberg of The Washington Post, believe that designers who only search for potential looks deserve criticism and should search for a deeper meaning behind the fashions. Simple accusations of cultural appropriation stop further questions about its causes and the effects that it has on the cultures in question (Rosenberg). Rosenberg believes it is better to delve deeper into the reasons why designers find these cultures so intriguing and captivating instead of simply blaming. Older generations tend to view the mixing of cultures as normal while …show more content…
It is important to listen to those people because, due to their first hand experience and race or nationality, they understand the effects that cultural appropriation has on their community. If someone of a minority expresses their concern toward a certain piece of fashion, someone who is privileged due to their race does not get to tell the affected party they are making false claims. Instead, those with privilege should listen to the concerns of the oppressed and have a conversation about how they could respectfully share their culture. With clothing, one should not recreate stereotypes and certain groups should receive credit for their designs. A fantastic example of cultural appreciation is Rihanna. A black woman with an iconic wardrobe, Rihanna appeared at the 2015 Met Gala in a yellow gown that Chinese designer Guo Pei crafted (Avins). The gown was not a stereotypical Chinese look, but paid homage to the shade of yellow that Chinese emperors often wore (Avins). Her outfit came from a Chinese man who knows the culture and could create a gown that was not hurtful to the Chinese …show more content…
Some ask that if fashion has allowed for the sharing of cultures for years, why does it matter so much now? Appropriation has existed for a while, but has recently appeared at the forefront of online discussions. When Marc Jacobs was called out on his appropriation, he responded with the idea that freedom of speech is not respected in the world today and no one can act freely without getting attacked as everyone is quick to react. He also noted that arguing online is pointless because it does not end in any sort of resolution (Qureshi). Some say that the mixing of cultures is inevitable and that trying to guard and protect a culture will just result in the worldwide sharing of that culture anyway; that cultures have been mixing ever since the world began, and that they will continue to do so naturally. Government, fashion, warfare, food, technology, and the arts have been circling between civilizations for thousands of years, so what is the problem with sharing fashion