.jpg)
Over the last few weeks, social media platform TikTok has been awash in conversation about cultural appropriation after some popular fashion brands released new designs that bear a striking similarity to many of those in the South Asian culture.
Fashion brand reformation released the Lula top which is a blouse and skirt that consumers felt resembles a lehenga. H&M also released a camisole and trouser set that resembles a shalwar kameez.
The release of these designs has had many creators unhappy especially because none of these outfits credited their inspiration to the South Asian community. H&M for example reportedly came out to say that the outfits “take inspiration from current fashion trends like dresses layered over pants and the popularity of sheer pieces, as well as various plays on transparency and movement,” according to The Washington Post.
Reformation on the other hand, reportedly said their design came from a 1990s-era John Galliano gown and scarf set which was owned by model Devon Lee Carlson.
With the world being so globalized, it is very important that brands learn how to properly credit their inspirations and avoid perpetuating stereotypes and harm against minority cultures which is exactly what cultural appropriation does.
Cultural appreciation, on the other hand, involves a genuine interest in learning about and engaging with a culture respectfully, giving credit where it's due, and supporting the culture's continuation.
"A key differentiator lies in intent, understanding, impact, and benefit. Appropriation often benefits the appropriator, while appreciation seeks mutual exchange and benefit," explained Charu Srivastava, chief strategy officer and corporate affairs lead at TriOn & Co.
Adding to her point, Sunny Johar, managing director SEA and group head, digital strategy, at KRDS noted that cultural appropriation is extraction without understanding, whilst appreciation is collaboration rooted in respect.
"When brands cherry-pick culture for aesthetics without context, they’re not honouring it, they’re commodifying it," she said.
Johar added that today, many brands such as Peppermayo, Reformation, Oh Polly and H&M launch a series of South Asian inspired clothing without the correct cultural context, collaboration with local artisans or credit to the communities they've inspired from.
They then rebrand these South Asian articles as ‘boho chic’ or 'Ibiza style' and contribute to profiting off centuries-old cultural craftsmanship while sidelining the communities who created them.
"Appreciation starts with co-creation, not imitation. If the culture isn’t in the room from the start, the respect is performative. You can’t claim to celebrate a culture if you won’t invest in the people who carry it. Therefore, appreciation without participation is just appropriation in disguise," she said.
Johar added that brands that truly want to honour a culture must move from surface-level inspiration to deep, ongoing collaboration. First, they must involve cultural stakeholders from the start as genuine appreciation begins at ideation, not post-production. That means partnering with local creators, and embedding diverse voices into the campaign team.
"Second, cultural symbols aren’t just design elements, they hold meaning. If a campaign borrows from a tradition, origin stories should be acknowledged, not erased. Clear credit builds authenticity and educates consumers," she said, added that lastly, if a brand is inspired by a culture, then that culture should benefit. "Appreciation means sharing the stage and the profits. Otherwise, it’s not a tribute, it’s just exploitation," Johar said.
She went on to explain that a great example of cultural appreciation is Ed Sheeran's new song "Azizam", which is a fusion of Western pop with Persian musical traditions. Sheeran credits co-writer and producer ILYA, who has Iranian heritage, for introducing him to Persian musical elements. The track also features traditional Persian instruments such as the daf and santur, and includes backing vocals from Iranian artists.
The track was also released on Nowruz (Iranian new year) and has widely been recognised as paying tribute to Persian culture in a respectful and appreciative manner.
"Another example is Nike’s N7 Initiative, which was co-created with Indigenous designers and leaders, ensuring that the products, storytelling, and proceeds served real community needs. Instead of appropriating Indigenous motifs for aesthetics, Nike amplified Indigenous voices through sports, culture, and design, even directing a portion of proceeds back to Native communities," she said, adding:
"The best PR happens before a launch, not after a backlash." Johar added that a diverse room produces richer work and PR leaders should advocate for cultural consultants, community collaborators, and creators to be included not just as endorsers, but as architects of the campaign. "It’s not enough to check for cultural accuracy, the people from that culture need to be helping shape the narrative," she said.
Echoing her thoughts, Srivastava said that in order for brands to fully and truly understand the significance and importance of the aspect of culture that they are trying to appreciate, brands need to involve people of the culture and community in question and also put in genuine effort. Some of the ways they can do this is through research. It's important for brands to understand the history, significance, and context of cultural elements they wish to engage with.
Brands can also consult with cultural insiders such as artists, community leaders, and experts for guidance. "Community engagement plays a crucial role in providing first hand knowledge while avoiding potential sensitivities all the while building trust," said Srivastava. "Community engagement is essentially ensuring community representation at every step of the appreciation process. Genuine engagement fosters mutual understanding and helps brands ensure their actions are seen as respectful and appreciative rather than exploitative. "
Finally, brands need to clearly acknowledge the origin and inspiration of cultural elements while also potentially contributing to the well-being and continuation of the culture through financial support, partnerships, or other means. "PR professionals frequently have opportunities to identify potential issues before a campaign launch. From initial concept to public release, they can serve as a voice of reason," advised Srivastava.
"Moreover, when a brand authentically engages with a culture, PR professionals should guarantee that the narrative and appropriate credit are integrated into all communications. As storytellers, we have a responsibility to educate and promote understanding through our narratives."
She added:
"We need to understand and appreciate the evolving perspectives on cultural issues to be able to be this voice of reason and real storytellers. This comes from diverse representation amongst ourselves as well as being involved in conversations in the communities and cultures at play."
Adding to her point, Uma Balasingam, founder of The Elevate Group noted that brands need to also know that Asia is complex and there is no such thing as "Asian culture".
"So, appreciation means hyper-localising and deep listening. It looks like engaging local artisans, historians, and cultural practitioners at the design stage. Giving credit (and fair pay) to communities, not just outsourcing for cheap production. Being sensitive to intra-Asian hierarchies — e.g. Chinese brands using Tibetan or Uyghur motifs without context or Japanese brands using Ainu cultural symbols," she said.
She added that it also includes understanding postcolonial scars. For example Western brands in Asia should be acutely aware of how their narratives may unintentionally echo colonial mindsets.
"In Asia, community engagement is not just a checkbox — it’s often about trust and respect," she said. "PR needs to operate as the cultural translator and conscience. Build advisory boards with diverse Asian voices — ethnic, regional, generational. Ask hard questions: Are we elevating or extracting? Push for authentic partnerships, not just paid endorsements. Prepare response plans — cultural missteps in Asia can go viral fast and damage reputation deeply." she said, added that in Asia, PR must remind brands that the region is not a monolith — what works in Tokyo may offend in Bangkok. Nuance is everything.
Photo Credit: Reformation
Fashion brand reformation released the Lula top which is a blouse and skirt that consumers felt resembles a lehenga. H&M also released a camisole and trouser set that resembles a shalwar kameez.
The release of these designs has had many creators unhappy especially because none of these outfits credited their inspiration to the South Asian community. H&M for example reportedly came out to say that the outfits “take inspiration from current fashion trends like dresses layered over pants and the popularity of sheer pieces, as well as various plays on transparency and movement,” according to The Washington Post.
With the world being so globalized, it is very important that brands learn how to properly credit their inspirations and avoid perpetuating stereotypes and harm against minority cultures which is exactly what cultural appropriation does.
Cultural appreciation, on the other hand, involves a genuine interest in learning about and engaging with a culture respectfully, giving credit where it's due, and supporting the culture's continuation.
"A key differentiator lies in intent, understanding, impact, and benefit. Appropriation often benefits the appropriator, while appreciation seeks mutual exchange and benefit," explained Charu Srivastava, chief strategy officer and corporate affairs lead at TriOn & Co.
Adding to her point, Sunny Johar, managing director SEA and group head, digital strategy, at KRDS noted that cultural appropriation is extraction without understanding, whilst appreciation is collaboration rooted in respect.
"When brands cherry-pick culture for aesthetics without context, they’re not honouring it, they’re commodifying it," she said.
Johar added that today, many brands such as Peppermayo, Reformation, Oh Polly and H&M launch a series of South Asian inspired clothing without the correct cultural context, collaboration with local artisans or credit to the communities they've inspired from.
They then rebrand these South Asian articles as ‘boho chic’ or 'Ibiza style' and contribute to profiting off centuries-old cultural craftsmanship while sidelining the communities who created them.
"Appreciation starts with co-creation, not imitation. If the culture isn’t in the room from the start, the respect is performative. You can’t claim to celebrate a culture if you won’t invest in the people who carry it. Therefore, appreciation without participation is just appropriation in disguise," she said.
Johar added that brands that truly want to honour a culture must move from surface-level inspiration to deep, ongoing collaboration. First, they must involve cultural stakeholders from the start as genuine appreciation begins at ideation, not post-production. That means partnering with local creators, and embedding diverse voices into the campaign team.
"Second, cultural symbols aren’t just design elements, they hold meaning. If a campaign borrows from a tradition, origin stories should be acknowledged, not erased. Clear credit builds authenticity and educates consumers," she said, added that lastly, if a brand is inspired by a culture, then that culture should benefit. "Appreciation means sharing the stage and the profits. Otherwise, it’s not a tribute, it’s just exploitation," Johar said.
She went on to explain that a great example of cultural appreciation is Ed Sheeran's new song "Azizam", which is a fusion of Western pop with Persian musical traditions. Sheeran credits co-writer and producer ILYA, who has Iranian heritage, for introducing him to Persian musical elements. The track also features traditional Persian instruments such as the daf and santur, and includes backing vocals from Iranian artists.
The track was also released on Nowruz (Iranian new year) and has widely been recognised as paying tribute to Persian culture in a respectful and appreciative manner.
"Another example is Nike’s N7 Initiative, which was co-created with Indigenous designers and leaders, ensuring that the products, storytelling, and proceeds served real community needs. Instead of appropriating Indigenous motifs for aesthetics, Nike amplified Indigenous voices through sports, culture, and design, even directing a portion of proceeds back to Native communities," she said, adding:
"The best PR happens before a launch, not after a backlash." Johar added that a diverse room produces richer work and PR leaders should advocate for cultural consultants, community collaborators, and creators to be included not just as endorsers, but as architects of the campaign. "It’s not enough to check for cultural accuracy, the people from that culture need to be helping shape the narrative," she said.
Echoing her thoughts, Srivastava said that in order for brands to fully and truly understand the significance and importance of the aspect of culture that they are trying to appreciate, brands need to involve people of the culture and community in question and also put in genuine effort. Some of the ways they can do this is through research. It's important for brands to understand the history, significance, and context of cultural elements they wish to engage with.
Brands can also consult with cultural insiders such as artists, community leaders, and experts for guidance. "Community engagement plays a crucial role in providing first hand knowledge while avoiding potential sensitivities all the while building trust," said Srivastava. "Community engagement is essentially ensuring community representation at every step of the appreciation process. Genuine engagement fosters mutual understanding and helps brands ensure their actions are seen as respectful and appreciative rather than exploitative. "
Finally, brands need to clearly acknowledge the origin and inspiration of cultural elements while also potentially contributing to the well-being and continuation of the culture through financial support, partnerships, or other means. "PR professionals frequently have opportunities to identify potential issues before a campaign launch. From initial concept to public release, they can serve as a voice of reason," advised Srivastava.
"Moreover, when a brand authentically engages with a culture, PR professionals should guarantee that the narrative and appropriate credit are integrated into all communications. As storytellers, we have a responsibility to educate and promote understanding through our narratives."
She added:
"We need to understand and appreciate the evolving perspectives on cultural issues to be able to be this voice of reason and real storytellers. This comes from diverse representation amongst ourselves as well as being involved in conversations in the communities and cultures at play."
Adding to her point, Uma Balasingam, founder of The Elevate Group noted that brands need to also know that Asia is complex and there is no such thing as "Asian culture".
"So, appreciation means hyper-localising and deep listening. It looks like engaging local artisans, historians, and cultural practitioners at the design stage. Giving credit (and fair pay) to communities, not just outsourcing for cheap production. Being sensitive to intra-Asian hierarchies — e.g. Chinese brands using Tibetan or Uyghur motifs without context or Japanese brands using Ainu cultural symbols," she said.
She added that it also includes understanding postcolonial scars. For example Western brands in Asia should be acutely aware of how their narratives may unintentionally echo colonial mindsets.
"In Asia, community engagement is not just a checkbox — it’s often about trust and respect," she said. "PR needs to operate as the cultural translator and conscience. Build advisory boards with diverse Asian voices — ethnic, regional, generational. Ask hard questions: Are we elevating or extracting? Push for authentic partnerships, not just paid endorsements. Prepare response plans — cultural missteps in Asia can go viral fast and damage reputation deeply." she said, added that in Asia, PR must remind brands that the region is not a monolith — what works in Tokyo may offend in Bangkok. Nuance is everything.
Photo Credit: Reformation
Article tags
appropriation vs appreciation
representation in fashion
marketing ethics
cultural context
community engagement
diversity in fashion
cultural respect
ethical fashion
design inspiration
brand responsibility
cultural sensitivity
South Asian culture
fashion brands
cultural appreciation
Racism
Inclusion
DEI
Cultural Appropriation
Appreciation
.tmb-135x100.png)
.tmb-135x100.jpg)
