Paris Fashion Week has officially come to a close, and while majority of the designers’ shows were memorable, there is one particular designer who is receiving criticism for her Spring 2018 collection. Earlier this week, Stella McCartney incorporated Ankara, a traditional African print in colorful tribal patterns, in her collection, and sent numerous African-inspired dresses down the runway.
To make matters worse, McCartney referred to the collection as “a joyful exploration of British style” in her show program, and only sent a few Black models down the runway for her Spring 2018 show.
McCartney did however acknowledge the origin of the print on her Instagram.
However it appears the damage was already done as numerous people on Twitter expressed their outrage and disappointment at the collection.
Despite the backlash, McCartney is still standing by her collection and the fashion brand issued the following statement to Fashionista. “The prints were about celebrating a unique textile craftsmanship, its culture and highlighting its heritage. We designed the prints in collaboration with Vlisco in the Netherlands, the company that has been creating unique Real Dutch Wax fabrics in Holland since 1846 and helps maintain its heritage.”
We’ll let you be the judge on whether McCartney is guilty of cultural appropriation or not.