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| (Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer Collection 2012) |
Being Kenyan, there is no way I couldn't identify with these bold bursts of checkered red and blue fabrics. Even as I'm writing this insightful post I'm being kept warm by an authentic Maasai shuka; nothing more than a large, rectangular, textured cloth that oozes ethnic culture! Now, a few clever birds, namely fashion designer Louis Vuitton, took it upon himself to re-invent the trademark Maasai patterns into more commercial, practical and wearable designs and garments. I couldn't be more thrilled to see such a cultural fabric pattern, that I immediately identify with, recieve global recognition in the fashion industry; gives me even more reason to brag about my nationality! However....
...not making note of the negative connotations surrounding this fashion phenomenon would be ignoring some of the inevitable controversy that comes with it. Louis Vuitton now basically owns a piece of Kenya’s cultural history through its branding of our Maasai shuka as part of its fashion collection. Personally my reservations come from wondering whether or not Maasai culture is being exploited and robbed of something which is truly authentic and exclusively their own. Are we witnessing the Westernization of an ethnic, African print and to what extent are the Maasai tribe of Kenya benefiting from this fashion phenomenon, if they are at all?...Food for thought!
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| (Maasai Tribe) |
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