The Dark Side of Modeling
The Dark Side of Modeling
With its estimated annual revenue of $1.5 billion in the US and the global fashion industry valued at over $2.5 trillion, the industry offers significant financial potential.
Race: Cultural Appropriation-
The way we look at cultural reference has certainly evolved. According to Vogue‘s write up of his SS ’03 collection, “John Galliano staged a Christian Dior couture show that smashed cultural boundaries in a spectacle of gargantuan theatricality,” said the writer. “Sweeping, multicolored volumes of fabric that mixed East and West, ancient and modern, were showcased amid appearances from Chinese dancers and circus performers, who flew along the runway in death-defying feats of athleticism.”
Would such a collection receive similar press today? Probably/hopefully not, and strides, sometimes one forward, two back, are being made little by little. The following are examples of some improvements, then we’ll talk about where fashion, and the consumers of it, need to go in the future.
Perhaps lost amongst the string of apologies which have become quite commonplace over the years is that Native American voices are notably absent even when collaborations make sense. Valentino seemingly got it right when they hired Métis artist, Christi Belcourt, to transform her painting, Water Song, for usage on various products for their 2016 Resort collection.
Yet, even after the successful union, it was discovered that Valentino had either already, or been in the process of, marketing shoes with a Native American headdress on the box. Additionally, they also had completely ripped off Kiowa and Cheyenne moccasin patterns that they used on a backpack without any cooperation from tribal members or artisans from that community.
In appropriating a cultural symbol, no tribe sees a cent of that revenue
While most offenders have issued weak apologies, Paul Frank was the rare brand who turned their cultural thoughtlessness - a party with headdresses, teepees and drinks with names like "Rain Dance Refresher" and "Neon Teepee" - into an opportunity to reshape the narrative for four Native American designers who presented their work at the Santa Fe Indian Market in New Mexico with help from the brand.
Some of the designers had overt homages to their ancestry. Others relied on more subtle hints that weren't as blatant - as has been the case so many times when brands and people from outside Native communities get involved.
Nike is a brand that has shown a willingness to answer some of the aforementioned problems. In 2007, they released the Air Native N7. The result of nearly two years of collaborative research, development, and fit testing (to accommodate foot width and and depth of the toe box) which spanned 70 different tribes, its goal was to promote a more active lifestyle to combat issues plaguing communities like alcoholism and diabetes. Additionally, environmental impact was considered in the manufacturing process.
The project was brought to market by Sam McCracken, Manager of Nike Native American Business Program, who himself had grown up on a reservation with a mother stricken by type 2 diabetes.
“The Nike Air Native N7 marks an important moment for us and is a great example of what can be achieved when we challenge ourselves to innovate for a better world,” said Mark Parker, President and CEO of Nike. “This product represents innovation beyond athletic performance, helping to improve Native American communities. It also exemplifies Nike’s broader commitment towards sustainable design and community involvement.”
The N7 initiated wasn't just a one-off. In subsequent years, they've enlisted the help of Native American artist/activist, Bunky Echo-Hawk, a member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, to continue the philanthropic and history preserving goal they originally set out to accomplish. The significant wasn't lost on Echo-Hawk, who remarked, "It’s really unique for a large corporation to work with a Native artist to develop Native-inspired apparel. So often companies just appropriate Native imagery without any kind of consultation. To witness the line grow over the last few years and infiltrate Indian country, to see everyone from small children to grandmas and grandpas in remote areas rocking N7 is amazing. Knowing that resources get funneled back into the community through the N7 Fund seems like a slam-dunk all the way around."
And from Nike’s N7 webpage: N7 Community Giving- As a champion for athletes and sport, Nike invests in nonprofits that elevate Indigenous communities in North America through youth access to sport. This investment – through grants administered by CAF America on behalf of the N7 Fund – continues Nike’s legacy of support for Indigenous communities through the N7 Fund and other grants, totaling over $12 million to nearly 300 organizations since 2009.
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