Image by Anastasia Shuraeva from Wikimedia Commons
From ‘Ibiza tops’ to ‘Scandinavian scarves’, the rise of ‘TikTok fashion trends’ has caused a stir online around cultural appropriation , but why exactly are people upset?
While the social media platform lets us share clothing inspired by different cultures from all over the world, South Asian communities, especially Desi creators, feel as though their culture is being treated like a trend.
Aneesha Maha, a south Asian TikTok creator, shared her frustrations: “Seeing my culture be appropriated on such a big online platform is really hurtful to see.”
So, what exactly is cultural appropriation?
Think of it like this: Cultural appropriation is when someone raids another culture’s wardrobe, grabs a piece they think looks cool, and wears it for the aesthetic, without understanding or respecting the meaning behind it.
Currently this can be seen on TikTok, where creators are styling parts of south Asian culture, without giving credit where its due.
The viral beaded ‘Ibiza tops’ take inspiration from cholis which are traditional South Asian blouses worn with sarees or lehengas. TikTok influencers and fashion brands alike have rebranded them with exotic-sounding names and styled them as trendy festival looks, all while ignoring their cultural roots.
Likewise, the viral ‘Scandinavian scarf’ is a style that South Asian women have worn for generations. Its now being presented as a chic, European fashion trend, but when South Asian women have worn it for cultural or religious reasons, they have been met with judgement and even discrimination.
So, how does this harm the south Asian community?
Aneesha shared that it is frustrating to see clothing that Desi girls were once shamed for, suddenly become trendy when worn by influencers with no connection to the culture.
“Growing up, I went to school in a white area where it was really hard for people of colour to fit in. My sister was constantly bullied for her Indian clothing and I also found that I was only really accepted when I whitewashed myself.
“Now, when I see the same people that were making fun of us for wearing south Asian clothing, it feels really insulting. I just feel as though there is such a double standard.”
Aneesha further explained that the frustration doesn’t come solely from the appreciation, but also the lack of respect.
“At the moment I keep seeing people online call the dupatta a ‘scarf dress’, probably because they don’t know better, but what really upsets me is when Desi creators are leaving comments on their videos to let them know that the piece is inspired by south Asian culture and they are being deleted.
“I feel as though creators aren’t crediting our culture because there seems to be a belief that it’s not that serious because it’s just clothing. For instance, most people don’t even understand why we are mad because they don’t understand the significance of our clothing.
“I wish people knew that traditional south Asian clothing isn’t just event attire but people in south Asia wear these clothes every day; Growing up my mother always used to wear sahrees, as a way of staying true to her culture.”
Appreciation vs appropriation
Aneesha explained that traditional south Asian clothing has so many beautiful designs and that it would be nice to see lenghas and dupattas be appreciated.
“My personal favourite is a salwar kameez which is a two piece with pants and a tunic top. They can be colourful, sequined or embroidered and are simply gorgeous. I can see why people want to take inspiration from them, it’s just important that they do so in a respectful way.”
So, how can we engage with south Asian fashion respectfully?
It starts with actually knowing where south Asian fashion comes from. Don’t just throw on a sari or kurta because it looks cool but take time to learn what it means and when it’s traditionally worn. Remember, it’s not just fashion, but heritage.
Appreciating a culture also means caring about the people behind it, not just wearing their clothing for an Instagram post. To give credit where its due, buying from Desi businesses instead of fashion knockoffs can help to support the south Asian community.
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