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Lowenna Waters
Jul 05, 2018
iStock Getty / florin1961
Villagers from Romania's Bihor district are fighting back against cultural appropriation of their stunning local dress in the best possible way.
Fashion brands often come under fire for 'borrowing' inspiration from local cultures, craftspeople and artists, and these local cultures often fail to get credited for their input.
Last year, when Dior's pre-fall collection came out, villagers from Romania's Bihor district noticed a striking similarity between the luxury fashion house's latest designs, and their own traditional dress.
One coat in the collection in particular is being sold for a staggering 30,000 Euros, and none of that money is going back to the poor community that actually should be credited with the design of the product.
Picture: (Vogue / Christian Dior )
But now, Romanian fashion magazine Beau Monde is fighting back.
With the help of Bihor fashion designers and artists who are originally from the region, they've launched Bihor Couture, which allows fashion enthusiasts to buy the clothing for a much more affordable price, and from the artists that actually designed them,
Writing about the project on their website, they said:
While it makes sense for inspiration to happen, we think it’s a bit unfair that nothing returns in terms of money or even PR to the community that’s struggling to keep traditions alive.
As a result, these traditions are dying.
So, in Romania, the very first steps are being taken.
Watch the below video to find out more about the project:
To view the full collection, visit: bihorcoutrure.com
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