Fashion has always been influenced by other artistic forms and cultural traditions but most recently the sartorial world has come under fire for exploiting the sensitivities of indigenous tribes.
The latest target of such outrage is Rodarte whose head designers, the Mulleavy sisters, drew from the patterns and prints of ancient Aboriginal culture as their inspiration for their fall 2012 collection.
UN expert on Indigenous Issues, Megan Davis, who is of indigenous Australian descent herself, said she was 'offended' by the Australian outback-themed line that features dotted patterns and hand-prints typical of ancient Aboriginal wall art.
Davis tells Frockwriter: 'It is completely insensitive to Aboriginal art and spirituality and land and how they are inextricably linked. The sisters admit they have never been to Australia, so they must have had "inspiration" from books, images, web or Aboriginal art, including 60,000 year old rock art - a clan’s songlines, story, life and very essence, with responsibilities and reciprocal obligations to land and kin…'
Davis, the head of University of New South Wales' Indigenous Law Centre feels the designs are a misappropriation of a protected culture.
'What I find more offensive is that one doesn’t enter into a cultural protocol with a particular [indigenous] group, particularly when you keep in mind the abject poverty that a lot of these groups live in in mostly remote Australia,' she told the fashion blog.
Kate Mulleavy spoke with the The Daily Beast, saying that 'the show was based on the rugged outback'. She and her sister Laura also released a statement assuring Davis and any other objectors that they acted with sensitivity and legal prudence.
'We deeply respect and admire the work of other artists,' state the sisters. 'Through the appropriate channels, we licensed the Aboriginal artwork that influenced prints in our collection.
Designers Kate Mulleavy (left) and Laura Mulleavy (right) of Rodarte
'As a result, the artists will share in proceeds of the pieces inspired by their work.'
The undeniably talented design duo will no doubt be hoping that this quiets Davis' concerns about 'seeing women walking around in this particular ready-to-wear collection.'Davis claims to be 'sickened' by such a thought.
The Mulleavy sisters also faced criticism their 2010 collection and consequent MAC collaboration which referenced to the Mexican town Ciudad Juarez.
The factory town is at the epicentre of the Mexican drug war and thousands of young female workers are thought to have been murdered there.
This recent controversy is also reminiscent of the recent furor over the use of Navajo designs on the runways and in high street stores.
Outrage was initially sparked when Proenza Schouler's designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez sojourned to Santa Fe, New Mexico and brought what they saw to the catwalk in their last spring collection.
What then became a trend on the runways of Anna Sui, Matthew Williamson and Etro was soon transplanted to the high street thanks to the Navajo-inspired line at Urban Outfitters.When the franchise weaved the theme into their underwear collection, the Navajo Nation finally spoke up and the two sides are now embroiled in a much hyped legal battle.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2116036/Fair-dinkum-Not-according-indigenous-Australian-lawyer-calls-Rodartes-Aboriginal-inspired-fall-line-offensive.html#ixzz1pJvhx13O
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