(Observer Network News) According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on October 22, a few days ago, Mexico's first lady Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller (Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller) and the culture minister accused the American fashion brand Ralph Lauren (Ralph Lauren) of plagiarizing local designs, criticizing this as an encroachment and cultural appropriation of Mexican cultural works.
In response, Ralph Lauren quickly issued a statement apologizing and said he was "surprised" by the situation, because the company had issued a "draconian directive" a few months ago to remove the allegedly plagiarized clothing.
BBC: Ralph Lauren apologizes after being accused of "plagiarizing" indigenous Mexicans
Founded in 1967 by the American fashion designer of the same name, Ralph Lauren fashion brand is the most famous polo shirt in the collection, which is a well-known light luxury brand. And on October 20, Mexico's first lady, Beatriz Gutiérrez Mueller, posted on Instagram to bombard the brand for plagiarism.
In her post, Gutierrez shared a photo of a long cardigan with bright colors with stripes and other motifs, marked with the trademark of Ralph Lauren. In response, Gutierrez exclaimed, "Hi Ruff: we've realized that you really like Mexican design, especially those that preserve the ancient culture of textile traditions. However, copying these designs is plagiarism, which is illegal and unethical. ”
Gutierrez went on to claim that the dress plagiarized indigenous clothing designs from Mexico's Contla and Saltillo regions, and called on Ralph Lauren to compensate the communities. "I hope you can make up for the losses suffered by the indigenous community, who make costumes out of love and not for profit."
First Lady of Mexico, Beatriz Gutiérrez Mueller
Screenshot of Gutierrez's Instagram post, the same below
Mexico's current culture minister, Alejandra Frausto Guerrero, also criticized the matter, calling it a case of "cultural appropriation," according to the BBC.
According to Dutch anthropologist Sandra Niessen, there is a clear line between appreciation and appropriation. On the one hand, she says, drawing inspiration from other people's designs is as old as the design industry itself, and it's a way for culture to develop. But on the other hand, there are sometimes direct appropriations in contemporary fashion, and this is the imbalance of power and "colonialism".
For the plagiarism accusations of Mexico's first lady and culture minister, Ralph Lauren quickly issued a statement on the official website on the 20th to apologize.
The company said in a statement that it was "surprised" when it learned that the cardigan was still on sale, as a few months ago, the team issued a "draconian directive" to remove the cardigan from all channels. The company is investigating why the garment is still on sale in-store and is ensuring it is removed immediately.
Ralph Lauren also said the company is deepening "cultural awareness training" and expanding its work with Indigenous communities. "We approach this journey with humility and, above all, with respect for Indigenous communities. We are deeply sorry that this has happened and, as always, we are open to a dialogue on how to do it. ”
After Ralph Lauren issued a statement, Gutierrez also posted a response on the 21st, saying that they thanked the company for taking action on this and welcomed the company to go to Contra, Mexico, to gain an in-depth understanding of local culture and the great works of artisans.
According to the BBC, such exploitation is a regular occurrence in the fashion industry, and Ralph Lauren is just the latest brand to face accusations from Mexican officials. In recent years, Mexico has filed similar complaints against other Western brands such as Zara, Mango and Anthropologie. In 2020, French designer Isabel Marant also apologized after being accused of plagiarizing traditional Mexican motifs.
In addition, since taking office in 2018, Mexican President López has launched an intense campaign to recover Mexico's pre-Columbian "cultural heritage", including filing complaints against auction houses in the United States and Europe and recovering many Mexican antiquities.
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