Designer responds to Chanel headdress

Designer Responds to Chanel Headdress With Not-So-Subtle Look During Runway Show

By Alyssa VinganWe’ve seen some pretty wild looks over the past few days during Men’s Fashion Week in Europe—including lots of shiny things—but this one might be the best yet. Somewhere in between the clashing prints and fuzzy outerwear he showed at his Fall 2014 show on Wednesday, Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck sent a model down the runway wearing a makeshift feathered headdress, with the not-so-subtle message “stop racism” scrawled across it in what looks to be red paint.

After all of the hubbub surrounding the American Indian headdresses shown at the Chanel pre-fall show in Dallas last month, this seems to be a cheeky dig at Karl Lagerfeld, as well as the fashion world at large’s insensitivity to appropriating looks from certain cultures. We applaud Van Beirendonck for taking a stand—in this industry, that takes guts—but the question remains: Will this finally stop happening? Coachella is swiftly approaching, so we’ll just have to wait and see.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Chanel "Apologizes" for Native Appropriation and Chanel's Stereotypical Indian-Inspired Fashions.