Mexican government accuses Zara and other retailers of cultural appropriation
The Mexican government has hit out at Zara, Anthropologie and Patowl and accused the clothing brands of appropriating the cultures of indigenous groups. The Ministry of Culture says it sent letters signed by Mexico’s Culture Minister Alejandra Frausto to the companies, asking each for a ‘public explanation on what basis it could privatize collective property.’ The culture ministry claims Zara is selling a piece that includes a pattern distinctive to the indigenous Mixteca community of San Juan Colorado in the southern state of Oaxaca. He said Zara’s design ‘reflects ancestral symbols related to the environment, history and worldview of the community’.
Source: metro.co.uk