“MY CULTURE IS NOT YOUR AESTHETIC!

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By:Munaim Kayani

Fashion used to be a statement exclusive to legacy brands. Until fast fashion brands like Khaadi,
Outfitters, Zara, Nike, Beechtree, Limelight, Mango, Agha Noor, and others dominated the
industry. Their simple life hack: keep up with the trends, mass-produce and make it cheap,
which is the sacred code for the Desi way of life. As Hasan Minhaj quoted, "It’s toilet paper that
temporarily makes you look like Ariana Grande. Like, almost.” The legacy too caught up with
this trend, seeing it generated a lot more revenue.
Fashion is something that holds significance and pride. And when you are privileged enough to
ruthlessly tear a piece off of some other culture's fabric(literally) with no acknowledgment of
their existence, fashion becomes a weapon. This weapon is christened ‘Appropriation’. It gives
the holder of the weapon power to exploit and steal a minority's identity, convert it into a one-
month trend, and move on.
Here are some popular examples of when global fast fashion brands failed to give recognition
to cultures. Remember Kim Kardashians drop-dead gorgeous SKIMS collection? It used to be
called Kimono; a garment native to the Japanese. A kimono is a traditional garment that is an
integral symbol of the whole Japanese community. She was even written a letter by the mayor
of Kyoto(a city in Japan), explaining the cultural significance. Recently, she wore big hoop
earrings with Om’ carved on them, thus triggering the Hindu community. Om is a sacred symbol
meaning 'Aatma'. Another eye-opener was the Palestinian keffiyeh. A traditional black and
white keffiyeh with chequered patterns is a beacon of hope for the Palestinians. Omar Joseph, a
Palestinian fashion designer, told The Guardian that the scarf represented " systematic
displacement, [and] oppression." Louis Vuitton and Fendi stole their symbol of nationalism,
profited off of it by selling it for $705 and $890 respectively. LV sold it in colors of blue and
white, prominently connected with Israel; a pathetic irony on their part. Pakistan has also avidly
participated in cultural appropriation. Photographers and hosts like Alee Hassan and Sanam
Jung black-faced models and brides, even though hiring dark models is a logical approach to
promoting diversity.
How to appreciate instead of appropriate? You need not book a flight, pay more than Rs. 50k
for the ticket and zoom off to the country. No, but a little bit of research, asking the brand
manager some questions, and talking it out amongst peers is one small step for you, one big
step for a culturally repressed community in your country. And then adorn the garment with
pride, knowing you are not part of the trend but part of the culture.
While we discover cultures, humanity, and diversity, let us not forget the roots and origins of
the very cloth we wear. We should celebrate each other as we are engulfed in their foreign
fabric, screaming a statement through fashion.
(470 words)