Colonialism disguised as a fashion choice, eye roll ,am I right?
The “Scandinavian Scarf” trend going around,with all the “influencers” putting on outfits that look eerily similar to South Asian attire, is ignorance at its finest. But who can blame them, right? When the fast fashion brands they worship drop pretty clothes in pastel blue, butter yellow, and baby pink, they have to buy it. On the other hand, brands like H&M, Reformation, Oh Polly, etc., are not totally helpless. They know what they’re doing and, obviously, refuse to accept it.
Picking and choosing when and when not to give credit to the creators seems so easy to them. Meanwhile, artisans in India work day and night to produce beautifully designed salwar kameez sets and shararas with intricate patterns. These lehengas, dupattas, and kurtas are not only worn to auspicious events but carry immense meaning and are rooted in centuries of tradition.
Imagine waking up one day to find out that the extravagant outfits you’ve worn to functions growing up are being simplified to look like midi dresses and thin scarves, mass-produced in Chinese factories by underpaid workers. It sounds and feels like Colonialism 2.0.
These so-called “Ibiza style summer tops” are actually being worn to weddings, as if it was these European women that pioneered this trend. Ridiculous. Long before this type of clothing was turned into a TikTok shop product, Indian women proudly wore it to weddings, temples, festivals, and events. They started this. And how many Western women know that? I’m guessing slim to none.
It led to an outcry on social media. South Asians, be it Indians, Bangladeshis, and Pakistanis had lost a part of themselves. But have the CEOs of these companies accepted their mistake and given credit where credit is due? No. Will they ever? No. These capitalists follow the Lana-Del-Rey-National-Anthem philosophy: “Money is the reason we exist, everybody knows it, it’s a fact, kiss, kiss”. When the matter is about money, reason and conscience are thrown out the window.
To fulfill the purpose of this article, let’s actually consider how grave the matter is. It can take around 4-5 days to months to source materials, create designs and stitch lehengas and ghagras. The embroidery on the fabric alone can take weeks. These gorgeous textiles emblazoned with Chickankari, Zardosi, Gota, Aari and many other types of embroidery are being minimised into mass produced, cheap, polyester goods. This is done to wipe out the rich textile heritage of India.
This is not the first incident and certainly won’t be the last. Bandanas, chintz, checkered sport coats, and various other items all originated from India. Artforms on cloth such as Kalamkari( from South India, specifically Andhra Pradesh), Block Printing (originating in China), Madras checks, etc., all led to some form of pattern-making method, which the Westerners called their own. Today, that theft of culture has escalated from mere patterns to full outfits.
If people find the silhouette, style, color, or even pattern of South Asian clothing so fascinating, why don’t they spend their money on supporting artisans who actually created them? It’s clearly just a matter of convenience. No matter how much hubbub there is about ethics and sustainability, it’s human nature to always turn to the easiest and most accessible option. Even if the labels and makers are different, the “idea” is still the same in the eyes of these people who blindly follow trends. In the battle of educated purchase vs aesthetic convenience, the latter always wins. In this day and age where the invasion of social media is inevitable when it comes to fashion, be an informed consumer, unlike Reformation, which considers cultural appropriation the norm.
Words by Smriti Reddy Pannala
Graphics by Gavin Bacher