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Marc Jacobs SS18 Show Sparks Controversy for Putting Head Wraps on Models

Last September, Marc Jacobs received major backlash when he sent (predominantly white) models down the runway wearing multi-colored dreadlocks, a hairstyle known as a prominent fixture in black culture.

The designer faced a plethora of negative feedback over the controversial beauty move, only further highlighting the on-going issue of cultural appropriation that continues to taint the fashion industry, despite calls to action from celebrities and influencers alike. (ICYMI, Nicki Minaj called out designer Philipp Plein for appropriating black culture just this week.)

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Marc Jacobs just had his NYFW show yesterday, showcasing his Spring 2018 collection at the Park Avenue Armory. While the ensembles themselves were whimsical, brightly-colored, and indeed very spring, one thing seemed to catch people's eye immediately: the models were wearing head wraps.

Lead hairstylist for the show Guido Palau cited 70s glam as the inspiration for the scarves, styled as a throwback to vintage glamour (think the likes of Sophia Loren or Elizabeth Taylor), but beyond that, no mention of the origins of head wraps.

In a piece written by Helen Bradley Griebel, she says the head wrap "holds a position in the history of American dress both for its longevity and for its potent signification's. It endured the travail of slavery and never passed out of fashion. The headwrap represents far more than a piece of fabric wound around the head." She also states matter-of-factly that the headwrap has been exclusive to women of African descent in the United States.

"The simple head rag worn by millions of enslaved women and their descendants has served as a uniform of communal identity; but at its most elaborate, the African American woman's headwrap has functioned as a 'uniform of rebellion' signifying absolute resistance to loss of self-definition," she wrote.

Social media reactions to this show have been mixed, but for those who've felt an antennae prick up as to the appropriative nature of this hair choice, you're not alone.

Not Another French Girl Beauty:

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