Miuccia Prada Speaks Out on Prada Backlash; Proves Prada is Racist
And by Prada, I mean THE Prada, as in Miuccia Prada.
While the Italian fashion house swore to “improve our diversity training and will immediately form an Advisory Council to guide our efforts on diversity, inclusion and culture. We will also examine the processes that led to such a product reaching the market in the first place.” and even donated all of the proceeds from the Pradamalia ("blackface") line to a New York-based organization committed to fighting for racial justice, something no other luxury brand has ever done in the face of similar controversy, Miuccia had some things to say about the puling of those blackface monkey figurines that should have never been made or marketed. She told WWD on Sunday, “people want respect because now there is talk of cultural appropriation, but this is the foundation of fashion, as it has always been the basis of art, of everything.”
“I talked about it with the Fondazione [Prada], with the intellectuals, it really is a problem, one would have to set up ‘secret societies’, otherwise there is no progressive thinking,” Miuccia continued on her verbal vomit, “If you are not free to say things that may also not be correct and you have to be careful every time you open your mouth, how can you talk with freedom of thought? This really is a turning point. The world is bigger and I understand this and I also understand that people finally have a voice and speak up.”
“I talked about it with the Fondazione [Prada], with the intellectuals, it really is a problem, one would have to set up ‘secret societies’, otherwise there is no progressive thinking,” Miuccia continued on her verbal vomit, “If you are not free to say things that may also not be correct and you have to be careful every time you open your mouth, how can you talk with freedom of thought? This really is a turning point. The world is bigger and I understand this and I also understand that people finally have a voice and speak up.”
First and foremost: Cultural Appropriation and Racism are TWO very different things. Let's not conflate the two. Cultural Appropriation is the theft of elements of a culture for monetary gain. Think Dior's recent and unapologetic theft of the dashiki. Racism is just that, being bigoted of a particular culture. Think Dolce and Gabbana with, most recently (because they have a hate-filled resume of racism at this point) the way they treated China.
Secondly, there is a huge difference between having the freedom to say whatever you want and suffering the consequences of that freedom. Sure, you can say racist and bigoted things as often as you would like, just look at the current American Administration. We may not like it, but they have that freedom to do so. At the same time, as with anything and everything we do, there are consequences. People can exercise their freedom to not purchase your overpriced racist toys and trinkets. People can protest. People, the same that drive millions of dollars to your fashion house, can stop shopping your label. That is their freedom too.
Thirdly, how is a black face monkey toy 'progressive' or anything like it? We have tons of relics like that sitting in museums and on the kitchen shelves of backward, backwater racist aunties. If anything, these trinkets are regressive. Progressive would have been to never have produced these items. Progressive would have been to hire people of color, people of differing faiths, people of differing abilities to make sure in the tapestry of differing but equal voices, there emerges true and beautiful garments and items any fashion lover would be proud to wear.
Miuccia Prada, the matron of the Prada house, says she sees the "point" of diversity and even has some actions to point to that point such as opening a womenswear show with a Black model for the first time in over 10 years and putting The Black Image Corporation on view at Prada's cultural complex. However, these recent and unrepentant views on a completely avoidable and unnecessary fashion brand faux pas may prove that even some of the most "progressive" gatekeepers of the fashion industry still have so much to learn.
Secondly, there is a huge difference between having the freedom to say whatever you want and suffering the consequences of that freedom. Sure, you can say racist and bigoted things as often as you would like, just look at the current American Administration. We may not like it, but they have that freedom to do so. At the same time, as with anything and everything we do, there are consequences. People can exercise their freedom to not purchase your overpriced racist toys and trinkets. People can protest. People, the same that drive millions of dollars to your fashion house, can stop shopping your label. That is their freedom too.
Miuccia Prada, the matron of the Prada house, says she sees the "point" of diversity and even has some actions to point to that point such as opening a womenswear show with a Black model for the first time in over 10 years and putting The Black Image Corporation on view at Prada's cultural complex. However, these recent and unrepentant views on a completely avoidable and unnecessary fashion brand faux pas may prove that even some of the most "progressive" gatekeepers of the fashion industry still have so much to learn.
Comments
Post a Comment