Christian Dior, a French luxury brand, is receiving criticism for the skirt from their most recent fall show. Chinese social media users have accused them of appropriating their culture. A group of protestors gathered in front of a Dior store in Paris and yelled anti-Dior chants.
The brand allegedly ignored the inspiration for the $3,800 pleated skirt, which the protesters said was modelled after a centuries-old traditional Chinese garment.
According to reports, the pleated wool and mohair skirt resembled a traditional Chinese garment known as the Mamianqun, or horse face skirt. But the upscale company touted it as a ‘hallmark Dior silhouette.’
Horse face skirts aka Mamianqun date back to the Song dynasty and they were worn even during the later Ming and Qing dynasties. The design usually features pleated sides and also has openings at the front and back. This makes the garment well-suited for outdoor activities such as horse riding.
Chinese internet users and official media sources have been accusing the luxury brand of ‘shamelessly’ misrepresenting the skirt as an original creation since earlier this month. On Avenue des Champs-Élysées last Saturday, a tiny gathering of protesters gathered in front of a Dior store.
On social media, there were numerous images and videos of demonstrators holding posters that said, ‘Dior stop cultural appropriation’ and ‘This is a traditional Chinese clothing.’
A few of counter-protesters also showed up to voice their opposition to China’s alleged violations of Xinjiang’s human rights.
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