Cultural appropriation has hit the catwalk, and if you want a piece of this haute couture it will likely set you back tens of thousands of dollars.
Dior recently came out with an Eastern European "inspired" collection that has fashionistas going wild.
But not everyone is applauding. The originators of the style who live in a small region of Romania called Bihor are raving mad about the fashion house's blatant theft. Bihor is known for their traditional coats. But this year they noticed that their style was popping up on covers of some of the world's most esteemed fashion magazines and in the windows of high-end boutiques
. Coats that looked almost identical to theirs were being sold for $35,000.Dior, a fashion house that earned more than 50 billion dollars last year, didn't consult the people of Bihor, nor did they give them credit, and they certainly didn't pay them for the inspiration.
As one outlet
put it, when
"big brands don't share credit [and] none of the profit goes back to the poor communities, the traditions die." Dior should be ashamed of their actions and should take action to rectify their mistake. Sign the petition and ask Dior to apologize and donate to the Bihor community.
Photo credit: Facebook