Tisk, tisk!! Dolce and Gabbana Controversy! Oh my!

Dolce & Gabbana Controversy

Image taken from Swide.com Apparent inspiration.

Dolce and Gabbana's Spring 2013 collection has caused quite a stir. Models walked down the runway with colorful dresses, some had the image of a black woman printed or woven on the front. Some of the models wore dangly earrings with a black woman wearing a head-wrap hanging from a colorful clasp or hook.  To say the least, these imaged caused a stir. What also seemed to add fuel to this particular fire was the lack of color on the runway, and I'm not talking about the clothes here. I really don’t know what to think about this collection. (Actually, I kinda LOVE it, but that is beside the point, there is this part of me that doesn't know if I should feel guilty for loving it. Keep reading...) I have spent the past few days, reflecting, talking with my most intellectual friends, and procrastinating writing this blog post. I do believe it is important to discuss these types of issues, and I think it is important we acknowledge this type of imagery, and the power it continues to have. But especially after writing my post about Jean-Paul Lespagnard, and noticing how colorful the models he chose to represent his vision are, the issue with Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring 2013 collection becomes a bit more clear, for me anyway. Fashion, as an industry had a bit of a reputation for commodifying, and exploiting those who may perhaps be marginalized by more dominant cultural groups.

Photos by Vittorio Zunio, taken from www.huffingtonpost.com 

Dolce & Gabbana came out with a statement explaining their inspiration for the collection. So I read anyway.  However, The Huffington Post’s website took a poll to see if readers were offended by the collection, 61% said they were.

What appears to be the moral of the story, is that these images remind many of derogatory slave imagery that was used to humiliate and reduce people of color. Further, this imagery isn’t as old a many would like to claim. (Remember the Jim Crow era stretched into the mid 1960’s, 47 years ago.) Julee Wilson’s article on the Huffington Post website asks valid questions and bring to mind interesting points. Take a peek, tell me what you think…

Links!

Statement about Dolce & Gabbana's collection: To be honest I have no idea who wrote this and where or not it is on behalf of the fashion house. But here is it. 

http://www.swide.com/luxury-magazine/Faces/Artists/caltagirone-ceramics-in-ss-2013-women-fashion-show-dolcegabbana-collection/2012/9/23

Link to Julee Wilson’s article on the Huffington Post's website:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/26/dolce-and-gabbana-racist-earrings-_n_1914455.html#slide=1568583