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Ralph Lauren apologizes for Indigenous design 'plagiarism'

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Deutsche Welle

<p>Luxury US fashion brand Ralph Lauren has apologized after it was accused by Beatriz Gutierrez, the wife of the president of Mexico and head of a cultural affairs commission, of plagiarizing Indigenous designs.</p><p>On Thursday, Gutierrez posted a photo on Instagram of a Ralph Lauren jacket which she said appropriated the designs of the Contla and Saltillo peoples from Mexico.</p><p>At the time of the post, the coat retailed at certain department stores for $360 (€368).</p><p>&quot;Hey Ralph: We already realized that you really like Mexican designs,&quot; Gutierrez wrote.</p><p>&quot;However, by copying these designs you&#x27;re committing plagiarism, and as you know, plagiarism is illegal and immoral.&quot;</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj8LCU0Oosc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 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style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:550;line-height:18px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj8LCU0Oosc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><div style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj8LCU0Oosc/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller (@beatrizgutierrezmuller)</a></div></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>&quot;At least acknowledge it,&quot; she added. &quot;And hopefully you will compensate the original communities that do this work with love and not for million-dollar profit.&quot;</p><p>Gutierrez — who rejects the title of First Lady — is the honorary head of the Coordination Council of the Historical and Cultural Memory of Mexico. She has a background in the arts, cultural writing and teaching.</p><div><strong>Ralph Lauren apologizes</strong></div><p>Hours after the post, Ralph Lauren issued an apology to news agency Reuters and said it was &quot;surprised&quot; the product was still on sale after issuing a directive to remove it from stores several months ago.</p><p>&quot;We are deeply sorry this happened and, as always, we are open to dialogue about how we can do better,&quot; the fashion company said in a statement.</p><p>Ralph Lauren has pledged that all new products using Indigenous designs going forward after its Summer 2023 collection will be created under a model of &quot;credit and collaboration.&quot;</p><div><strong>Defending Indigenous designs</strong></div><p>President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador kicked off a staunch campaign to protect the region&#x27;s pre-Columbian Indigenous heritage since he took office in 2018.</p><p>Mexico has previously lodged complains against major fast fashion brands like Zara, Shein and Mango.</p><p>In 2020, French designer Isabel Marant apologized for using a design unique to the Purepecha people of northeastern Mexico after she was called out by Culture Minister Alejandra Frausto Guerrero.</p><div><strong>zc/sms (AFP, Reuters)</strong></div>

The wife of Mexico's president slammed Ralph Lauren for cultural appropriation on social media. The fashion brand says it will no longer use Indigenous designs without compensation.