Marc Jacobs launched his Spring/Summer 2017 collection at New York Fashion Week with a bang.
The star-studded catwalk featured Gigi and Bella Hadid, Irina Shayk, Karlie Kloss, Stella Maxwell, Kendall Jenner, Jourdan Dunn and Taylor Hill; in pieces that were apparently inspired by steampunk and rave culture. We saw short-shorts, sugary pastel prints, heavy embroidery, and metallic trench coats.
Oh, and those rainbow-coloured dreadlocks.
But still, Marc battled on against his outraged audiences, uploading a shot of (one of the few) women of colour to walk his show, Ellen Rosa, in the now infamous dreadlocks. “Such a nice and beautiful girl…” he wrote, clearly hoping to point out that his (almost) all-white show was inclusive after all.
Gasoline, meet fire. (Post continues after gallery.)
Just a few hours ago – late Sunday night, US time – Marc lay down his sword and admitted defeat.
“I have read all your comments….” said his picture post, with a caption underneath apologising for his ‘lack of sensitivity’.
“I thank you for expressing your feelings. I apologise for the lack of sensitivity unintentionally expressed by my brevity. I wholeheartedly believe in freedom of speech and freedom to express oneself though art, clothes, words, hair, music…EVERYTHING. Of course I do “see” colour but I DO NOT discriminate. THAT IS A FACT!”
It’s unsure if Jacobs really grasps how tone-deaf his responses to the controversy have been, but one thing is for sure: his ‘sorry-not-sorry’ posts have not won him any fans.
Across the world, the reactions have been mixed. Did it seem utterly ridiculous to expect the high fashion catwalk – notorious for outlandish themes and fantasy narratives – to be interpreted as a political statement? Or did this attitude just reinforce the ignorance so many people have towards cultural appropriation and the pain it causes? Or both?
One thing IS for certain, and that is that this in an extremely complex and sensitive issue.
The world still has a long way to go when it comes to equal treatment and representation of people of colour, and the Marc Jacobs controversy has been instrumental in bringing forth these sentiments to the surface of mainstream media.
What do you think? Should Marc Jacobs have been slammed for his use of dreadlocks?
(Feature image via Getty 2016).
Top Comments
How redonkulous! I'm on Marc Jacob's side! I've known so many whites with dreads for decades & it wasn't "controversial" until I read it on the internet this year!
FFS, are we really doing this again?
Dreads were a part of SEVERAL different ancient cultures; Greeks, Indians, Mayans, Egyptians, Celts and black African. No "one" culture holds the monopoly on a hairstyle!
Cultures are fluid and are influenced by many things - including OTHER cultures.