By Jamie Stengle
Chanel turned one of the halls at Fair Park, Dallas' Art Deco exhibition venue, into a barn for the night, complete with a hay-scattered runway. Models in Western-style hats and boots wore outfits adorned with fringe, leather and feathers. The final model was dressed in an all-white ensemble that included fringed pants and a floor-grazing feather headdress.
Lagerfeld said after the show that he was inspired by "the idea of the old Texas, even before the Civil War." He noted that his cowboys were "not typical cowboys, they are transposed, very sophisticated."
Many of the outfits included Native American-inspired prints, with most of the models wearing a single feather in their hair. Denim also made frequent appearances on the runway.
Regular readers can guess that Natives and their non-Native supporters didn't react so benignly. For instance:
Chanel Shows Native American Headdresses for Pre-Fall: Why Does This Keep Happening?
By Alyssa Vingan
Another pervasive theme was Navajo prints and American Indian-inspired accessories, which have proven to be a very touchy subject in the fashion industry in recent years. The final two looks of the show featured white, feathered headdresses—the very same style that caused a major controversy at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2012 when Karlie Kloss wore one for the Calendar Girls segment to represent Thanksgiving. Not only did both Kloss and Victoria’s Secret issue apologies for being racially insensitive, the brand removed her look from the show’s national telecast.
The whole “cowboys and Indians” thing Chanel went for is cute in theory, but with all of the controversy that’s raised season after season about cultural appropriation in the fashion industry, we’re honestly shocked that those headdresses were given the thumbs up to walk down the runway. The thing that we find most troubling about this the fact that, despite how many groups have voiced their disapproval, this keeps happening.
SHAME ON HIM.
Ugh why cant they leave us alone!!!
To be inspired is a moving thing, but he needed guidance...lots of it.
I'm calling the State Department this morning to see if we can at least use this as an opportunity to bring Native American designers to Paris.
Oh, right...none of them. Lagerfeld was inspired by the Hollywood/Halloween fantasy of Indians, not real Indians. That's what people are objecting too.
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By the way, Google now says this this is the official flag of Blue Corn Comics.
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