For years now designers have dumbed down their African influence by using words like tribal, wild, and ethnic. Runway shows with a pace set to the beat of bongo drums. (Inserts eye roll.) These stereotypes are even more racist and archaic than the model selection of pale skin adorned with cornrow hairstyles and turbans.
This is nothing new, just becoming more prevalent throughout the seasons. 2016, the all over digi print button up listed as the Ethnic Print Relaxed Dan Shirt retailing at $197.99 from DSquared2.
Is this cultural appropriation or appreciation?
JusKierra 
Very good read!!!! I guess its a bit of both depending on how you look at it!!!! Its great that they use the ‘pale’ models because using black/African models would be too obvious and expected = appreciation. but also incorporating the black models is appropriate = appropriation 🙂 All in all Ankara has taken the fashion world by storm and its good to see the now global phenomenon evolve and I cant wait to see what pops in 2017. HAPPY NEW YEAR
LikeLike
Very true. Interested to see what “new” ways the prints are incorporated
LikeLiked by 1 person