Mexico has requested a statement from Chinese fast fashion online retailer Shein, alleging that it used a design by Mayan artists. This is the latest case of alleged cultural appropriation.
The country regularly denounces foreign companies plagiarizing motifs, embroidery and colors from its indigenous communities.
The Mexican government has written to Shein asking for a public explanation for marketing the floral design, the culture ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
The low-cost provider used “cultural elements whose origin is fully documented,” it said. “This type of approach puts manual labor at a disadvantage over mass production,” the letter reads.
Previously, Mexican clothing brand YucaChulas shared images of a Shein floral print blouse on social media, claiming that the “plagiarized design” was based on one of their own designs.
“This is a serious violation of intellectual property and, more importantly, culture,” the company said.
Mexico has already filed similar complaints against big clothing brands like Zara and Mango.
In 2020, French designer Isabel Marant apologized for using the traditional patterns of an indigenous community in western Mexico.(AFP)
This translated post previously appeared on FashionUnited.uk.