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Donna Karan (DKNY) brought back baby hair from the ‘90s (think Rozanda 'Chilli' Thomas from TLC) for her Spring 2015 collection. Since, many designers have followed suit, resulting in people shouting ‘may-day’ for what’s seen as another case of cultural appropriation.
Baby hair is hair at your hairline that is styled to frame your face. The ideal look is, or at least was, curls and spirals that stuck to your skin by virtue of gel. This look was worn by black women and Latinas in the ‘90s, as well as many black and coloured women in South Africa.
Growing up, my friends and I used to gel the kinky-curly hair at our hairlines to look like 'Chilli'. This style is also a variation of short and wavy hairstyles that date back to the 1930s and were worn by the likes of Josephine Baker.
Wearing this look today
Channelling singer FKA Twigs, Katy Perry recently took the look to the front row of the Paris fashion week Givenchy show, whilst Stella McCartney was going for damp, sporty strands around models' faces at her most recent show.
FKA Twigs wears her signature baby-hair look.
Image:Instagram
Models backstage at the Stella McCartney 2015 show.
Image: Instagram
Models donning a look inspired by South American Chola girl gangs for Givenchy 2015
Image: Instagram
After this look popped up at fashion week, people questioned it as racist, especially as Chola girl gang in South America are known for this look.
According to i-dvice.com, designer for Givenchy Riccardo Tisci, and Tina Outen who styled the hair at the Caitlin Price show say that they used these hairstyles to combine different cultures to create something new. Tisci describes the look he put together as "Victorian-Chola".
To him, this is a fusion of Victorian fashion and the urban look sported by Latin American Chola girl-gangs. This is how evolution happens concerning creativity. There is always some sort of influence.
The frustration here, and reason why one should really be extremely careful when referencing other cultures, is that they might be representing or depicting a culture that they know very little about. The meaning, which goes beyond the look, might be lost in translation.
Despite my nausea at these kinds of fashion shows, selling culture as "trends", I don’t even argue or get angry about it anymore.
Those who borrow from another’s culture shouldn’t take full credit, while those who this culture belongs to remain on the margins.
Is the "baby hair" trend cultural appropriation?
