Cultural appropriation in translation: fashion, race and the limits of critique

Paper contributed to a panel discussion on cultural appropriation as part of "a la Mexicana: An encounter of Mexican fashion and artisan techniques", an exhibition to create consciousness about the story behind the clothes we wear. UAL London College of Fashion MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation students collaborated with the Mexican fashion blog Hilando Historias, NGO Impacto and the Mexican Embassy to host an event celebrating Mexican artisans, their traditional techniques, and the designers who include collaborations with artisans into their designs and business models.

María Méndez Rodríguez, artisan from Aguacatenango - Chiapas, shared her thoughts on the impact of cultural appropriation in her community and their collective heritage. The panel was moderated by Adriana Aguerrebere, director from NGO Impacto, who aims to promote ethical and fair collaborations between fashion brands and artisans. Dr. Serkan Delice, lecturer and culture research coordinator at LCF, added his expert conclusions regarding this controversial topic. In addition, the event included a special participation via Skype from PhD candidate Diana Albarrán González from Auckland University of Technology, who contributed with relevant knowledge of her work “Decolonising design with indigenous artisans in Mexico for ethical consumption.”

• https://www.andreavelasco.mx/journal/a-l...
• http://impacto.org.mx/2019/07/08/a-la-me...
• https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/de-ultima...
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsNC8qaH...