For The First Time, A Country's Government Is Calling Out A Fashion House For Appropriation

"Cultural appropriation is the act of adopting elements of an outside, often minority culture, including knowledge, practices, and symbols, without understanding or respecting the original culture and context."

In a fashion first, the Mexican government and its culture minister, Alejandra Frausto, have called out the fashion house of Carolina Herrera on its use of indigenous Mexican designs in its latest Resort collection.

Carolina Herrera

According to a letter sent to the fashion brand from Frausto, some of the patterns used in the resort collection are specific to targeted regions of Mexico. The concern, understandably, is if these said communities that carry and make these garments will benefit from the sales of the collection, and what the basis is for using designs whose origins are well documented.

The collection had apparently been inspired by Carolina Herrera (the person), and her Venezuelan roots and the idea of a "Latin holiday," according to the show notes on the site.

Carolina Herrera

"The Carolina Herrera Resort 2020 Collection takes on the playful and colorful mood of a Latin holiday," it says. "Inspired by the House spirit of alegría de vivir that is synonymous with the resort season, this collection is about visceral reactions of delight-eclectic patterns, unexpected silhouettes, pulsating energy."

According to The Guardian, the letter points out different designs in the collection and its origins, like this long white dress embroidered with bright animals, colors, and flowers actually being derived from the culture of the Tenango de Doria community.

Carolina Herrera

Additionally, two garments from the Resort 2020 Collection feature traditional floral embroidery, known as "istmo de Tehuantepec," and another two dresses feature stripe patterns, known as "Saltillo Sarape," according to the ministry.

Carolina Herrera

"We feel obliged to draw attention to this and start a public conversation about an urgent matter that features on the United Nations 2030 agenda for sustainable development," the letter said. “This is a matter of ethical consideration that obliges us to speak out and bring an urgent issue to the UN’s sustainable development agenda: promoting inclusion and making those who are invisible visible.”

“There’s an undeniable Mexican presence in this collection,” Wes Gordon, Carolina Herrera's creative director, said in a statement. “It’s something that jumps out at you and I always intended it to be something latent as a way of showing my love for this country and for all the incredible work I’ve seen there.”

Carolina Herrera

“We’re in a moment of understanding and acknowledging that what we’ve done in the past isn’t right always any more,” said Steven Kolb, chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. “We’re all at a point where we have to do better.”

Carolina Herrera

Unfortunately, we've seen this time after time with larger, legacy fashion brands being called out for matters of culture. However, this is the first time a national government has done the call out. So, what are your thoughts?