Zara, 2 Other Fashion Brands Accused of Cultural Appropriation by Mexico's Minister

Zara is among the fashion brands accused of cultural appropriation by Mexico's minister, who said they had used patterns from Mexican indigenous groups in their designs.

According to a Reuters report, Zara, Anthropologie, and Patowl had allegedly used the patterns from indigenous Mexican groups in their designs without benefiting the communities.

In a statement, Mexico's Ministry of Culture said it had sent letters signed by Culture Minister Alejandra Frausto to all three retail companies.

The letter asked each of the known retail brands for a public explanation on what basis "it could privatize collective property."

Mexico Accuses 3 Retail Companies of Cultural Appropriation

The Ministry of Culture said that Zara used a pattern distinctive to the indigenous Mixteca community of San Juan Colorado located in Oaxaca state. Zara is owned by Inditex and is considered to be the world's largest clothing retailer.

Inditex released a statement to Reuters and said that the design in question is not intentionally borrowed from or influenced by the Mixtec people of Mexico.

On the other hand, URBN-owned Anthropologie was said to have used a design developed by the indigenous Mixe community of Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec.

Patowl had reportedly copied a pattern from the indigenous Zapoteco community in San Antonino Castillo Velasco, according to an Aljazeera report.

URBN and Patowl have yet to release statements regarding the matter. Fashion designer using cultural designs without properly compensating communities has been a topic of opposition for years.

The Mexican government had earlier accused fashion house Carolina Herrera of cultural appropriation in 2019. The said fashion house had used indigenous patterns and textiles from Mexico in its collection. Its parent company Puig did not issue a comment regarding the matter.

Mexico has also challenged French fashion designer Isabel Marant in November. The issue took place in her latest collection, saying it commercially exploited indigenous motifs, The National News reported.

Marant had noted in 2020 that Purepecha textiles had influenced her latest collection. She added that future designs would fairly pay tribute to their sources of inspiration.

Cultural Appropriation in Fashion

Cultural appropriation can be a celebration of that cultural exchange. However, it can also take cultures and people's heritage without including them in the narrative.

Dr. Benedetta Morsiani, a research fellow at the University of Westminster in London in the department of Modern Languages and Cultures, said that the phenomenon refers to exploiting marginalized cultures by more dominant and mainstream cultures, WWD reported.

While designers receive worldwide attention, the community does not receive the same spotlight. Mexico's secretary of culture said that it could be opportunities for cooperation only if the communities behind the creations agree and want to be part of it.

Frausto said that the coming generation is much more aware of ethical fashion, of listening to the community first before, according to another WWD report.

Frausto had made international headlines when he sent letters to Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton, and other big-name brands to point out the unacknowledged use of Mexico's material culture.

WATCH: Dior Faces Criticism Over New Mexican-Inspired Clothing Line - From Daily Blast Live