There are a lot of trends in fashion, but what the fashion industry doesn’t always realize is that some of these so called “trends” have damaging effects on specific communities. The fashion industry is not exempt from critique when it comes to the exploitation of cultural elements that derive from cultures outside of the designer’s. There have been three big “trends” that never should have been trends in the first place.
1. Bindi
This is an ornament that holds great significance in both Desi and Hindu culture. People who are neither Desi nor Hindu have reduced it to an accessory. The problem with this “trend” is that there are implications behind the bindi that Desi women have to deal with that those who are not a member of such communities are not subjected to. If you are a non-Desi person wearing a bindi please stop, it is a form of cultural appropriation and a hazard to these communities.
2. Native-American Headdress
This is another fashion “trend” that has been exploited many times over the years. It is another cultural element that has been reduced to an accessory with disregard to the Native communities that wear the headdress. People who do not identify as native benefit off of the exploitation of this headdress by “making” them and selling them to non-native persons. You will see Coachella attendees wearing them year after year because it is apparently a part of the “experience.” The headdress is a symbol of tradition that is highly respected in some native communities and typically worn by the chief in some tribes. Please stop wearing and buying native headdresses if you are a non-native individual.
3. Kimono
Many fashion sites have been referring to long jackets with loose sleeves as a Kimono, when it looks nothing like one. They are taking a name for an article of clothing that holds great significance in Japan and placing it on an average jacket. It is losing its meaning as the cultural context behind it is stripped. Stop calling clothes something they are not, especially when that word is culturally specific to something you have no relation to.
There is nothing wrong with appreciating these cultural items, but do not exploit them to make yourself seem “cool.” It’s disrespectful and insensitive, so be sure to understand the social and imperialistic context behind your actions and wardrobe choices.
