Controversy seems to follow the Kardashian-Jenner clan and the latest sister to find herself embroiled in scandal is none other than Kendall Jenner. Mango tapped the model to front its latest collection and the line is rightfully getting panned by critics for its offensive tribal theme.
The premise for the ‘Tribal Spirit’ collection is problematic in and of itself. It’s reportedly inspired by the African savanna but from what we’ve seen so far, it just features leather fringe and rope belts. The fashion interpretation of tribal is often reductive, portraying Africans as primitive and uncivilized with no intelligence or sophistication. Valentino just came under fire for its wildly offensive tribal-inspired Spring 2016 show that went so far as to send mostly white models down the runway in cornrows. It’s time the industry abandons the tribal motif altogether.
Furthermore, instead of an African model, the brand hired Kendall, whom Mango vice president Daniel López believes is “the best model to embody this trend.” Talk about adding insult to injury.
This is the first of four trends featured in Kendall’s campaign. We can only hope the next three avoid such a blatant display of cultural erasure.
[via Teen Vogue]
