TikTokers accuse fashion brands of appropriating South Asian culture

Some say a new Reformation blouse and skirt set looks a lot like a 2000s-Bollywood-era lehenga. Others are claiming that an Oh Polly gown resembles a sharara, another popular South Asian outfit. And some say that H&M’s “long camisole” and trouser set for spring sure looks a lot like a shalwar kameez, a tunic paired with trousers.

The recent release of these designs has revived the online conversation about cultural appropriation, as many South Asian influencers and TikTok users say Western brands have introduced clothing that they feel too closely resembles the garments their community has worn for centuries – without acknowledging their design inspiration.

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“The same things that we have been shamed for or even outlawed are, in a way, celebrated now as chic or exotic when they’re worn by non-South Asians,” said Souzeina Mushtaq, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin at River Falls who has studied the impact of colonialism and globalization on nomadic and weaving communities in the Himalayas, Turkey and Mexico.

“It’s okay to appreciate the culture of South Asia,” she added. “But that appreciation, it really requires education, it requires context, and it requires respect. And you cannot just aesthetically borrow things, without understanding the culture and without understanding the context.”

The brands have refuted the idea that these designs were unfairly derived: H&M said in a statement that many items in its spring collection “take inspiration from current fashion trends like dresses layered over pants and the popularity of sheer pieces, as well as various plays on transparency and movement.” Reformation acknowledged the importance of the broader conversation but said the style in question came directly from a 1990s-era John Galliano gown and scarf set owned by the model Devon Lee Carlson, with whom it collaborated on the collection. Oh Polly did not reply to a request for comment.

But some feel strongly that if Western brands are planning to release clothing that so closely resembles South Asian attire, they should acknowledge where those silhouettes come from and explain their significance.

“I think consumers genuinely appreciate learning about garment history and fashion evolution, so this could have been an opportunity to explore how John Galliano, and many great fashion houses, may have been inspired by Indian fashion but it wasn’t recognized at the time,” said Aisha Rawji, the founder and CEO of the Los-Angeles based Indian clothing brand Kynah.

Galliano, a British designer, presented a runway show in 2002 that included models with blue-painted faces, as many Hindu gods are illustrated; he has also utilized traditional saris in other designs, even wearing one at the Met Gala. (Galliano later fell from stardom after an online video showed him praising Adolf Hitler.)

Modern fashion thrives on blending stylistic elements from cultures around the globe, said Jung-Whan Marc de Jong, associate professor of sociology at the Fashion Institute of Technology. But cultural appropriation involves an imbalance of power, typically occurring when a dominant group adopts elements from a marginalized culture without consent, recognition or financial compensation.

“Our culture means so much to us,” said Maryam Siddiqui, a 25-year-old South Asian content creator on YouTube. “It carries so much weight, the jewelry, the dresses, everything we wear … like, it’s just not a dress.”

Manisha Patel, a South Asian TikTok user who posted about the controversy on her account, said that the frustration that many South Asians feel comes from seeing parts of their culture that were once rarely acknowledged suddenly becoming repackaged into this “new, cool thing,” often by Western or American brands.

“When I was in elementary school, my Ba [grandmother], she’d only wear saris, and everybody would make fun of me or be like, what is she wearing? Or what’s that dot on her head?” she said. “And we’ve all experienced bullying from stuff like that.”

Many vented that frustration on TikTok last year, after a fashion rental company, Bipty, posted a now-deleted video of several White women wearing sheer shawls draped over their chest, calling the aesthetic “very European” and “effortlessly chic.” Many quickly pointed out that the shawls looked like dupattas, traditional scarves worn by women across South Asia, and in response, dozens of South Asian women posted videos wearing their own dupattas, in both traditional and western outfits, sarcastically calling it a “Scandinavian scarf.”

That trend has continued, particularly after several Western brands released styles that many said looked too similar to South Asian styles without the proper credit.

“What was particularly upsetting for me was that it’s been repackaged and rebranded for an audience that’s primarily a Western audience,” said Aditi Atreya, a 22-year-old aspiring content creator based in Ireland. “And somehow it’s more palatable for them to wear it as a ‘convertible gown,’” she added, referring to the Oh Polly dress, “But if the same thing were called a sharara – which it is – they wouldn’t buy it.”

Praveen K. Chaudhry, a professor of global fashion management and social sciences at the Fashion Institute of Technology, said educating consumers about the history and origin of their garments is crucial; for example, he said, many of his students don’t know that the name “cashmere” comes from the Kashmir region.

Fashion brands, he said, can start by simply adding information to their clothing tag that describes the community where the garment was made, or originally comes from.

Brands also should take the opportunity to tell the story of the roots and relevance behind a garment while collaborating with the communities these garments come from and paying them fairly, Chaudhry and Mushtaq said.

“Our culture cannot be a mood board for you,” Mushtaq said. “It has a history, so I want these brands to basically respect that history.”

Siddiqui, who makes YouTube videos about fashion, also said that she hopes the conversation around South Asian fashion can continue, as when designers or influencers do give credit to where an outfit, fabric, or design is traditionally found, it can be “beautiful to see.”

“Have you been to a South Asian friend’s household? It feels like your own house,” she said. If you’re celebrating the clothing and the culture, she added, “South Asians will probably the first ones to hype you up and tell you look amazing, as long as they’re feeling heard, valued and seen.”

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