Lecture 11: Teleica Kirkland, Representation
This lecture demonstrated the importance of representation in the fashion industry. Headed by Teleica Kirkland, Creative Director of the Costume Institute of the African Diaspora, this session provided an authentic insight. Diversity and representation in the fashion industry primarily focus on the idea of seeing people from a diverse range of backgrounds represented. This includes people from different ethnicities, abilities, gender and sexuality. Racist images have become persuasive, perpetuating stereotypes with communities of colour. An important topic the lecturer addressed was anti-blackness exercised by other non-black people of colour. This form of discrimination has existed in societies around the world for centuries. However, it became a constant global phenomenon through the colonisation of Africa and the slave trade. Darker skin is seen as undesirable, as non-white people try to align themselves with Eurocentric values. A direct issue related to this is skin bleaching. Furthermore, the creation of model minorities has been set up to create further division amongst people of colour. One example for model minorities is my own, the Indian community. Indians are described as hard-working and determined. However, this is a positive connotation that is rooted in racism. One of the underlying factors related to class is the aimed proximity to whiteness. Colourism is noticeable in the fashion and music industry and is intertwined with class. Most of the POC represented in the mainstream media are lighter skin. The image of the black entertainer classifies the black body as being only good for entertainment because of their blackness while still enforcing Eurocentric beauty ideal on them.
Cultural appropriation
Mono-culturalism is based on cultural appropriation. It can be due to a misrepresentation, without acknowledging the meaning behind it. The definition of cultural appropriation as per Richard Rogers is the use of one’s culture’s symbols, artefacts, genres, rituals, or technologies by members of another culture – regardless of intent, ethics, function, or outcome. Someone else’s culture is used for monetary gain. It is about power and privilege taking something without acknowledgement. The Bindi has been appropriated by many celebrities including Katy Perry and Kendall Jenner. Call-out culture has made cultural appropriation more apparent though. Blogs like dietprada often call-out luxury brands for appropriating certain cultures and are successful in getting them “cancelled”.
Cultural appreciation
Cultural appreciation is a circular process. The first step to cultural appreciation is an understanding that follows by a respectful representation of that culture through people that are native to it. This can be a mutual benefit. One such example is the Wafrica project, where Cameroonian designer Serge Mouangue designed Japanese Kimonos with African fabrics.
I identify as a queer person of colour and feel under-represented in media. My field of study Fashion Journalism lacks any people that I could identify myself with. Being a minority and living in a white supremacist society can be draining and representation matters as it gives hope to minorities to exceed within the system.