Synopsis
What is cultural appropriation in fashion and how can understanding its causes, consequences and reoccurrences help us to challenge it in the future? As part of the Fashion in Action series of short books aimed at rallying readers on global issues in fashion, Benjamin Linley Wild highlights the long and complicated history of appropriation, guiding us on the pressing question of where we go next.
Chapter one considers where we have been - what are the words we have used and what theories continue to frame and potentially hinder discussions about appropriation within the fashion industry? Chapter two moves on to where we are now - what does appropriation look like in the fashion industry and how can understanding this help both educators and consumers overcome the circularity of the current debates? Chapter three draws together the theories and their potential implications to unravel the riddle of appropriation and enable us to look to the future with suggested calls for action.
This timely book equips readers with the tools to navigate and reshape the conversation around cultural appropriation, encouraging meaningful action for a more conscious and inclusive fashion industry.
About the Authors
Benjamin Linley Wild is a cultural historian and Reader in Fashion Narratives at Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, where he leads the F/fashion Narratives Research Group. His research focuses on the function of stories and the utility of storytelling to spur social responsibility and steer systems change, chiefly within the fashion industry. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals, including Fashion Theory and The English Historical Review. He is author of several books, including Carnival to Catwalk (Bloomsbury, 2020) and Hang-Ups (Bloomsbury, 2023).
Regina A. Root is Full Professor of Modern Languages & Literatures at William & Mary, USA. She is an international expert in participatory design and cultural production, having authored, edited and co-edited works like The Latin American Fashion Reader (Bloomsbury, 2005), Couture and Consensus (2010), The Handbook of Fashion Studies (Bloomsbury, 2013), among others. She is co-editor, with Hazel Clark, of the Bloomsbury Fashion In Action series.
Hazel Clark is Professor of Design Studies and Fashion Studies, and Research Chair of Fashion at Parsons School of Design, New York, USA. Her books include the co-edited Old Clothes, New Looks (Berg, 2005) and Design Studies: A Reader (Berg, 2009).
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