Words and photo by Denisa Ardelean
Culture and perception of culture is changing. There used to be huge differences between races, cultures, religions. Black women were forced to cover their hair. They were considered untidy by white women with silky hair.
Now, many fashionistas imitate ethnic styles that are all the vogue. But this can lead to conflict.
Teleica Kirkland, founder and director of the Costume Institute of the African Diaspora, said at London Metropolitan University’s debate on cultural appropriation this week: “They [Black women] cannot do anything that makes their hair look not its natural texture, and if that is being said throughout society, you cannot then say that is the same as white women appropriating black hairstyle or any hairstyles that are attributed to a particular culture. It’s absolutely, categorically not the same.”
Many people understand that they have to accept cultural differences to get closer to one another. Cultural appropriation is a hotly-debated issue.
When someone eats different types of food, when someone listens to different types of music, when someone wear clothes inspired by other cultures to promote a certain look, this can be cultural appropriation.
Some people bemoan the fact that they cannot use hoop earrings, put their hair in braids or wear headdresses because they don’t have the right skin colour or religion. Designers should work with people from other cultures to make sure they promote the style correctly and credit them.
We canvassed the opinions from women on Holloway Road.
Charlie George, 31, said: “I am a yoga teacher, and no one expects me to be a yoga teacher because I look Indian. I think is quite important for white communities to understand why people of colour have been oppressed and that you can’t just eradicate people’s histories. There’s a weird tension between people being able to enjoy and experience a culture and being alienated from it. One of the best things about London is that people can eat Caribbean food or people can eat food from all around the world. I think is a difference between sharing culture and appropriating it, which is taking it without any consideration for where it comes from.”
We should all consider that the cultural approach to fashion is how we can explore the millennia of evolution of style – from the Silk Road that crossed China and India, the indigenous customs of North American and Africa, Paris fashions, the history of jeans to British punk. Clothes that influenced generations like Coco Chanel’s black dress or the heels of Marilyn Monroe are very important to understanding cultural appropriation.
Philomene Barry, 28, a first-year student said: “Sometimes what you’re trying to do – it can be interpreted as like taking something that doesn’t belong to you, especially now when there is so much tension going on. You basically have to choose what’s all right with the people around you.”
A 25-year-old woman on Holloway Road, who did not want to want to be named, said: “I think cultural appropriation is bad because it robs people from the true cultural meaning a lot of times, and it makes an aesthetic thing for consumption. I think any style of dress that you choose should be done with sensitivity so I don’t know if that means that people need dress differently, but I think you need to acknowledge where things are coming from.”
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