Native American Fashion/Racism Is So In This Year
Racial insensitivity, meet womenswear!
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14 Responses So Far
- mikesanchez711 Native American Fashion/Racism Is So ...
- basli thinks Native American Fashion/Racism Is So ... is Fail
- isabellemani Native American Fashion/Racism Is So ...
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sylviav3 6 months agoso, if my boyfriend is let’s say from south-east Asia and I (a whitest of the white) dress up in his national costume it will be racist? or if I dress up in cloths that are similar to their patterns and whatnot it’s racist? white people wearing sari imitations and/or tunics that resemble the kameeze worn by south-east Asians is racist? srsly? I’m from Europe and I visited Canada last year and the pretend political correctness hurt my brain… brown people are not called like that in public, black people as well, white… they’re only referred as such in the privacy of people’s homes… it’s hypocritical and you (north Americans) need to chill a bit, you’re annoying!
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jenniferjoyj a week agoIt’s not racist to say “Hey, I was on a trip to the American Southwest, and I visited the Hopi Tribe, and they have such a gorgeous design sense! I love their use of color and pattern, and I’m going to design my Fall Collection around it!”
It would be racist to put Kachinas on the Fall Collection, or market them as fashion accessories, because they are sacred items. The feather headdresses are kind of like the models walking down the catwalks covered in military medals, each one being worn as a necklace or a brooch. It’s highly disrespectful, and when it’s a historically oppressed people’s culture, it’s extra insulting.
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- loloandrew11 thinks Native American Fashion/Racism Is So ... is LOL
- Tara Grieser thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Trashy & Fail
- Merkuree thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Ew, WTF & Win
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meaganf6 6 months agoHi, I’m the blogger that first broke the story about the Denver boutique using a headdress to peddle their wares. Just wanted to say that to their credit, they have removed the racist images from publication and issued a statement, which can be read on my blog here: http://www.latterstyle.com/2012/11/monday-eyeroll.html
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jenniferjoyj a week ago
Well, there’s a grey area. If you really like the style and the culture, I don’t think it’s at all wrong to show your appreciation. I love a lot of traditional Japanese, Chinese, and Korean clothing, even though I’m white. I understand what I’m wearing, and I don’t think it’s more wrong for me to wear a cheongsam than for a Korean woman to wear jeans and a cowboy hat (or if we’re going for genocide, a léine and a lace collar). The problem is that they’re not taking inspiration - they’re taking sacred or ceremonial items of dress and using them as fashion statements. There is nothing offensive about using, say, the Mohawk Nation as inspiration - they made some truly beautiful art. However, if you turn their wedding accouterments into decorations, you are being disrespectful and racist.
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- dabbas346 thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Fail
- berenice thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Win
- karif3 thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Fail
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Frogamigo 6 months agoThe existence of racial offensiveness is established similarly to the existence of sexual harassment - it is NOT necessarily about the -intent- of the message! It is how it is perceived. If the costumes are deemed offensive by members of a suppressed minority group, then good taste dictates that costumes should go! Since WHEN is everyone so frickin *entitled* to dress in an equivalent of blackface, as if it were some sort of intense burden to refrain from doing so. Grow up and respect your neighbors.
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- demyxxx thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Fail
- michalakathleen thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is WTF
- Arie Tharp Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... and thinks it’s Fail & WTF
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Terra Smith 6 months ago
Once again, blowing things way out of proportion. It makes me wonder if this is purely for publicity.
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- staceysalceg thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is WTF & Fail
- jerryp5 thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is WTF
- Seraphica thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Fail
- laurw thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Fail & WTF
- dc141 thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Fail
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zombiegirl12 6 months ago
This is one of the many reasons, its inappropriate. It’s not cute, it’s helping to promote an offensive stereotype.
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Charles F. 6 months agoThe image itself is stupid. who is to say that the women wearing the headress had ancestors who killed Native Americans? Its rude to assume such a thing.
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zombiegirl12 6 months ago
Its also rude for people to shit on other peoples cultures, and I don’t really care if their ancestors killed anyone or not, wearing a head dress and prancing around pretending to be Native American is offensive.
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Charles F. 6 months ago
Black face was used to purposely degrate afircan americans. How is this pruposely trying to degrate Native Americans? I am sorry I just dont see these people trying to shit on anyone or hurt anyone. If anything it sounds like most of the people on here are looking for a fight and never really thought about talking to the associations doing this and why they are doing it.
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annac19 6 months agoPurposeful or not, seeing a piece of their culture synonymous with bravery and respect being paraded about as part of a lingerie ensemble like it’s just some cute costume or fashion accessory is considered incredibly degrading by many Native American people. Just because VS weren’t trying to hurt Native Americans doesn’t mean they didn’t simply through being completely ignorant of the cultural implications and significance of the headdress and Native American dress in general. I’d recommend reading this if you’re still unclear on why so many people are picking fault with it. http://nativeappropriations.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/but-why-cant-i-wear-hipster-headdress.html
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cap_gun_girl 6 months agoIt is fashion, it is meant to be interesting, different, draw on inspiration from cultures and histories. There is nothing offensive about this other than the ridiculous backlash Americans seem to spew at anything.
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annac19 6 months ago
It’s offensive because in Native American culture, these headdresses are not just pretty fashion accessories to be touted around whenever people feel like it. They have deep, spiritual significance, and the right to wear them has to be painstakingly earned through feats of character and bravery. Moreover, women generally aren’t even allowed to wear them, so yes, VS and Lana del Ray and Gwen Stefani and all these other people turning it into some sort of ‘sexy squaw’ costume is incredibly insulting, particularly to a culture with such a tragic and painful history. Maybe you should do a little research first before you start acting as though you have the jurisdiction to say what other people do and don’t find offensive.
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- adamj18 thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Fail
- ld42 thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Fail
- ondrea thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Cute
- Alibug thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Delightful
- susanac thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Fail
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louist2 6 months agoI’m part Native American and it’s NOT racist just to wear a headdress. It’s racist to name a sports team the “Redskins”… Not wear traditional clothing. If anything, it’s an homage. It’s not racist to wear a dashiki if you’re caucasian. However, doing so in black face IS. It’s not the clothing that makes something racist. It’s the intent behind it, and the circumstances surrounding it. The fashion show was fine. The black face boo boo and video game were obviously not.
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courtneynatch 6 months ago
You don’t get to speak for Native Americans/First Nations people. A lot of them are offended and it’s rude as fuck of you to dismiss them and act like you get to decide what’s racist and what isn’t.
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Charles F. 6 months ago
in no way was he speaking on behalf of all native americans. He is just stating what he thinks and how he might have a better understanding seeing as he is part native american. and its RUDE AS FUCK as you put it to dismiss him.
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- anthonyf3 thinks Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... is Win
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zombiegirl12 6 months ago
For those of you who don’t understand this, yes it is racist to wear feathers and pretend to be native american. As a native these costumes have offend me for years, I’m glad they are finally talking about this.
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Charles F. 6 months ago
how is it racist to wear head feather and pretend to be something you are not? We might as well say that all actors are racist then… it is however racist to degrate a culture on purpose while pretending to be them.
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zombiegirl12 6 months ago
Don’t even get me started on Native American insensitivity and the film industry. Just go watch any old cowboy movie or Disney’s Peter Pan. And you can try to defend this as much as you want, but it won’t change the fact that’s its offensive and not honoring a culture.
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Charles F. 6 months ago
So you are telling me that you believe everyone in the film industry is racist? Wow thats intense. you can’t just lump everyone together like that. It is rude and insensitive just like how you are basically telling me that these people in the video are being rude and insensitive.
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zombiegirl12 6 months ago
You jump to crazy conclusions about things, then use the word rude to try to justify your strange take on things people say. I do not think everyone in Hollywood is racist, I did not say that, you made that up all on your own. I was simply saying using the film industry as defense of why this is okay, is beyond silly. The film industry does have a long history of racism and being culturally insensitive. It doesn’t matter if you understand this or not, what matters is that it does offend people.
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joexversus 6 months ago
Way of blowing things out of proportion NowThis. I think people just need to stop being so sensitive about everything. Comparing No Doubt’s video to a pornographic game… really? Bit far fetched don’t you think?
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- astridf Native Americans Fashion/Racism Is So... and thinks it’s Win
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