cultural appropriation

In recent years, the obsession with body jewellery has re-emerged, especially during the pandemic. However, do we know the history behind these pieces of jewellery and do we need to consider if we are undertaking a form of cultural appropriation? ...

Ah Halloween. The annual holiday which is host to trick or treating, carved pumpkins and controversial costumes. Around this time of year my social media is usually filled with posts of people who have come up with innovative ways to be offensive on Halloween. From costumes incorporating the Day...

Fashion has never been a stranger to political protests. It all began in the 19th and 20th centuries when avant-garde artists displayed their opinions of society via t-shirt slogans and anti-establishment dress codes. For example, the most notorious example that comes to mind is when Katherine Hamnett, esteemed British...

Beyonce, of all people, is the latest figure to come under fire for the crime of ‘cultural appropriation’. This oppressive act has begun cropping up more and more recently, as students, news outlets and certain institutions have led a crusade against cultural appropriation, whether it be Yoga teachers or...

Valentino’s spring/summer 16 collection has sparked yet another debate on cultural appropriation. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli based the new Valentino SS16 collection on the many African refugees from Senegal, Nigeria, Eritrea, Mali, Gambia that have been immigrating to Italy. Now before we dive deeper into the topic,...