Is Dior appropriating African fashion?

Dior recently launched its 2020 Cruise Collection in Morocco last April. While the fashion house garnered immediate praise, it also proved controversial for some who saw in it another example of cultural theft and appropriation of the African heritage.

The collection: African “little hands”

The collection was created in collaboration with African designers and industries in Cote D’Ivoire and Morocco. Dior worked with the Ivorian wax printing company UNIWAX to come up with new designs inspiration, drawing from the natural and social element. Wax print traditionally applied to cotton in West Africa, was added to the signature fashion house’s fabrics. Pathé'O - our most prominent Ivorian fashion designer who came to fame when Nelson Mandela adopted his shirts as signature look, included in the cruise collection one of the iconic shirts with a special print celebrating the illustrious South African leader. The collection’s creative director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, who named the collection launch show “Common Ground” also sourced fabrics from Morocco to finalize the “cultural global exchange” that this collection is.

The controversy: Inspiration or appropriation?

There has been an uproar on social media regarding the very close “inspiration” taken from African fashion and lifestyle for this collection and accusations of cultural appropriation were thrown. The online discussion focused on the fact that big fashion houses are now inserting trends based off African heritage into their design with the suspicion of pulling visibility and resources away from local designers. It was only a month before that Tamara Mellon was announcing its collaboration with Kenya-based clothing label Zuri for a collection of wax print shoes. There has been a trend focused on African design and style for a few years now and fashion big names want a part of it. Dior and its creative director have been very vocal about their desire to launch a collection that is inspired of Africa but that is not African whatever that means. The mood and prints might be inspired of the wax prints well loved in sub-Saharan Africa and African designers might be involved but the final aesthetic remained is Dior’s throughout with the reworking of its iconic pieces for the occasion.

Photo Ines Manai

Wax print fabrics, known also as Kitenge or Ankara, are originally batik fabrics from Asia that became immensely popular in Africa when introduced by the Dutch and are now quasi emblematic of the continent. Commonly called “African fabrics”, they have even eclipsed local and traditional handcrafted cloths and regional fabrics. Consumers and aficionados of these fabrics feel very possessive of them and use them as literal currency during weddings, funerals or other family celebrations. Women collect those fabric rolls and re-gift them during family gatherings. They symbolize the proverbial social fabric there. It is then somewhat ironic to see an Asian fabric that has been appropriated by Africans now be at the center of a cultural appropriation controversy when European brands turns to it. Many have commented on the need for African economies to focus on developing the original local products and promote them for a more authentic representation of African craft.

These healthy discussions are necessary to get African fashion design to reflect on its own identity and strengthen its local talent so they can rise and not be afraid to present their vision of style to the world. Dior is finally recognizing these attributes through this African collaboration which reinforces Africa as the next source for growth and inspiration in the fashion sector.

All photos courtesy of Dior and Ines Manai