The ad says, "Critics charged that the ads reduced people, and indeed entire cultures, to mere marketing props. Many called for a boycott. Dr. Adrienne Keene, a postdoctoral researcher and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, wrote in a post for Indian Country Today Media Network that Ralph Lauren had reached a "new low."". This review explains that what some consider "fashion" is often a unrealistic play off of someone else's culture and can be offensive.
A person who was offended personally says, "“Ralph Lauren has been doing this my whole life,” Ruth Hopkins, a writer in her 30s who lives on the Spirit Lake Tribe reservation in North Dakota, told The Huffington Post. “He is a repeat offender. Cultural appropriation is apparently his thing.”". Fashion designers need to take other cultures into consideration when making new lines. It is important to always do your research also. Although we may not always think about it, the fashion industry is a good example of a time where empathy is extremely necessary. Offending cultures is definitely frowned upon and does not give designers (Ralph Lauren) a good reputation, especially not with the Native Americans. The article states that the pictures were taken down shortly after and the company issued an apology. Its important to always think before we speak, act, or make decisions.
Not only is this an issue with Ralph Lauren, but in the fashion industry as a whole, and quite frankly the American culture as well. As the article says, "Many people seemingly remain tethered to the idea of a romanticized Old West -- a time of death and carnage for America’s indigenous population.". This country as a whole needs to brush up on the reality and history of the Old West. It is important to have our facts correct in order to avoid offending others.
The article makes a good point, "“Our original designs were purposeful,” she said. “The colors, the designs -- everything has a specific meaning and a spirit connected to it.”
Bethany Yellowtail's "Old style floral elk tooth dress" on the runway at the Santa Fe Indian art market. (Image credit: Lehi Sanchez)
Patricia Michaels, a 48-year-old Native American fashion designer who appeared on Bravo’s "Project Runway" in 2013, told HuffPost that she doesn't consider it her place to police what people can or can't use in their designs. It should come down to thoughtfulness and taste, she said, adding that if the non-Native American designers who have gotten in trouble in the past had simply collaborated with Native American designers who know the culture, everyone would have benefited."
I have learned a lot from this research and noticed a lot of ways to tie it into what we have learned so far this year: empathy is relevant in nearly every situation, we (US culture as a whole) are stuck on the romanticized version of the Old West and need to learn the reality of it, and that we need to be conscious of other cultures.
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