Dior slammed by Chinese netizens for ‘cultural appropriation’ of traditional garment

MANILA, Philippines – Luxury brand Dior is under fire for alleged cultural appropriation over its new “hallmark silhouette” skirt that bears resemblance to an article of ancient Chinese clothing. 

China’s Hanfu enthusiasts, a subculture group that enjoy traditional garments from the Han dynasty, claimed that Dior’s piece was a copycat of the ma mian qun or horse-face skirt, and that the brand hasn’t acknowledged its potential Chinese origin. 

“The so-called Dior silhouette is very similar to the Chinese horse-face skirt. When many details are the same, why is it shamelessly called a ‘new design’ and ‘hallmark Dior silhouette?’” read a public commentary published by People.cn, as translated by the South China Morning Post.

The 10th-century original ma mian qun skirt originated from the Song dynasty and was commonly worn by Chinese women during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It features a floor-length pleated design and four slits to make it fit for horse riding. 

The similar $3,800 mid-length pleated skirt was first featured in Dior’s Fall 2022 collection by Maria Grazia Chiuri in May. The piece has been taken down from the mainland China website and marked “sold out” on the Hong Kong site. 

Dior has not yet commented on the controversy. However, the brand’s artistic director Chiuri mentioned that the collection was inspired by school uniforms and was meant to pay tribute to Christian Dior’s sister, Catherine.

“Maria Grazia Chiuri became interested in school outfits and, above all, in the way students dust off, revamp, and update the tropes of these garments, personalizing them with distinctive details, verging on punk overtones, before venturing through urban landscapes in search of spaces of freedom,” read an excerpt from the collection’s show notes.

Despite this explanation, Chinese netizens urged the French fashion house for transparency in the team’s creative process. 

“Without revealing trade secrets, Dior should be as frank as possible about the skirt design process.…Industry insiders and copyright experts have joined the discussion. This can be a chance to figure out the boundary between plagiarism, design reference, and paying tribute to something,” an opinion piece from People’s Daily Online said.

Dior was also involved in 2021 controversy in China when netizens accused the luxury brand of perpetuating Western stereotypes like the slanted eye, and “smearing Asian women” in a photo by Chinese photographer Chen Man.

The controversial photo that was eventually taken down from the Lady Dior show in Shanghai received backlash for distorting and “uglifying” Chinese culture. Chen then released an apology for her “inconsideration” and said that the brand “respects the Chinese people.” – with reports from Sydney Cañamo/Rappler.com 

Sydney Cañamo is a Rappler intern.