Popular high-street brand accused of 'cultural appropriation' with new collection
Clothing brand Reformation has been accused of "appropriating south Asian culture" with their latest clothing collection release. The brand, known for drawing influence from vintage women's clothing, has been met with an influx of criticism after they shared pictures of a number of pieces from their newest line.
The capsule collection is in collaboration with Devon Lee Carlson, an American fashion influencer, model and business owner, famous for co-founding phone case company Wildflower Cases. Devon has in the past worked with huge brands such as Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton. Released at the end of March, the Reformation line consists of just twenty pieces. In an Instagram post by Reformation that calls it "a girl's best friend", one item in particular was met with fierce backlash from a number of users.
The floaty co-ord set consisting of a midi skirt, sheer spaghetti-strap top and a long scarf, has garnered criticism from members of the South Asian community who have pointed out the outfit's similarities to a lehenga choli. The lehenga is a traditional Indian garment originating dating back to as early as 2800BC and is commonly worn for special occasions such as weddings and festivals across South Asian cultures. Like the Reformation piece, it typically consists of three elements: a skirt, blouse and scarf.
For the hefty price of nearly £366, the piece prompted users to comment their disappointment with the brand for releasing what some have described as a "white-washed" version of a traditional South Asian garment. One person branded the act as "absolutely shameful" while another said: "Taking from south Asian culture without even acknowledging it is representative of the lack of respect you have for your south Asian customers."
Lehengas are often crafted from high quality silk due to its ability to hold shape well, while the garment is often worn as formal wear. Sometimes georgette, chiffon or cotton is used depending on the purpose and the occasion. According to the website, the Reformation piece is made with 100% polyester deadstock fabric.
One user commented on this, saying: "A dupatta and lehenga for $400 is crazy... if you're gonna culturally appropriate at least don't make it out of 100% polyester. Leave it to the west to not only butcher and whitewash centuries of culture into a cheap costume, but also shamelessly profit off the diluted version."
Many called out the brand for creating the piece with a Caucasian creator and then neglecting to pay homage to the apparent South Asian cultural roots that it appears to have. On this, they wrote: "Not you appropriating South Asian culture without even collaborating with a South Asian creator??? Crazy work," while another said: "Where is your accountability as a brand? Why are you silent on the cultural appropriation of South Asian designs and aesthetics? If you're inspired by our culture, the least you can do is acknowledge it—respectfully and transparently. Do better."
The controversy prompted a number of social media creators to speak out about the situation. One creator @sigh.sai.sigh said in a TikTok video that the brand ought to "give credit where credit is due". She continued: "I know someone out there is going to be like its just a top and a skirt with a scarf its not that deep.... but to do the whole three piece thing, I'm like come on... This is literally a lehenga with a dupatta (scarf)."
In the video, which has had over 180k views and gained hundreds of supportive comments, she makes comparisons between a scene from an early 2000s Bollywood movie where two dancers can be seen wearing outfits notably similar to the Reformation one. She emphasised that "there is obviously no hate to Devon Lee Carlson" but stressed however: "I just think that the pieces that are on the website now are drawing inspiration from South Asian fashion and therefore should credit South Asian fashion."
Another creator @fashunwithviren on Instagram posted a video commenting on the situation. He said: "Its like take accountability, own up to where you got the inspiration, we're not going to beat you up for it. But also its just like really ugly behaviour when thousands and thousands of South Asian folks are telling you that this is inspired by South Asian culture then maybe you should acknowledge it, right? It doesn't hurt, you owe it to the audience."
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a brand has been called out for appropriating South Asian culture. Just last year, U.S.-based fashion rental company Bipty found themselves in hot water when a member of their staff posted a TikTok video showcasing a number of white women in floral dresses accessorised with sheer scarves draped over their shoulders.
Commenting on the look, the employee called it a "Scandinavian look", saying it is 'very European, very classy." However, viewers were quick to point out that the scarfs were similar to a South Asian dupatta - like the ones worn with a lehenga - and should not be labelled as a European fashion trend.
The brand faced immediate backlash, with thousands jumping onto the 'Scandinavian style' trend, which poked fun at the "ignorant" comments made by the Bipty employee and saw girls pairing traditional South Asian clothing with ridiculing captions like "Just a girl making sure her Scandinavian shawl is perfect for Euro summer."
The founder of the company, Natalia Ohanesian, later issued a public statement apologising for any offence caused and that it was never their intention. She also admitted in her apology video on TikTok that the look was "clearly not European, and I understand the deeper conversations around cultural appropriation."
Earlier this year, British clothing giant Oh Polly were accused of appropriating South Asian culture when they shared a video on their social media of a model wearing a dress bearing a striking resemblance to a traditional sharara. Many people pointed this out in the comments, again urging the brand to "call it what it is" and to issue a formal apology for their "appropriation" of the traditional Indian dress. The brand replied to many of the comments with a response outlining their intentions to be "more mindful" moving forward.
As for Reformation, they have so far failed to respond to any of the critical comments and have not removed the post from their Instagram, continuing to promote the collection - including this piece - front and centre on their social media and website. The Mirror have approached Reformation for a comment.
It is yet another incident that represents the ongoing issues of cultural appropriation within the Western fashion industry, which sees elements from often marginalised cultures adopted and recreated without proper recognition. It simply highlights the need for greater awareness and respect for cultural heritage within the realms of fashion.
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