Cultural Appropriation In High Fashion

From these three examples of cultural appropriation in high fashion, I have discovered there is a disparity between artists, academics, and the public. This communication gap between the three parties illustrates a challenge which backs my thesis that cultural appropriation in high fashion is justified if it creates a message that is accurately received by the audience, specifically if the audience belong to the appropriated culture. Miscommunication is what prohibits most instances of cultural appropriation in high fashion to be justified, because the messages produced are not always understood in the anticipated manner. In the Vogue issue there seemed to be a misunderstanding among the contributors in regard to the difference between stereotypes …show more content…
James Young highlights artists do not need to worry about this though as they are free to express themselves in the manner they want (“Profound” 140). While I support creative freedom and freedom of speech, designers and artists should be more mindful of the message they are sending. Designers can become more culturally appropriate by being knowledgeable about a culture’s history, not stereotyping, and clarifying their inspiration. This conversation goes further than cultural appropriation in high fashion, but cultural appropriation in many senses must be understood from both the perspective of the artist and the culture being appropriated. If insiders and outsiders see eye to eye on the purpose of cultural appropriation, there will be less controversy. However, regardless of the instance, it is likely someone will find offense to the use of cultural appropriation. The likelihood of moral harm is one of the greatest challenges of modern society, which has come about with the increase of globalization, racial tensions, and religious differences. But if used wisely, fashion, art, and cultural appropriation can be a bridge to bring together cultures instead of pushing them