Ralph Lauren Accused of Using Mexican ‘Identity Symbols’ as Merchandise
Ralph Lauren is in hot water with Mexico for selling culturally appropriative clothing.
On Instagram Thursday, Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller, writer, researcher and wife of Mexico’s president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, posted an image of a Ralph Lauren item she said copies designs from Indigenous communities in Contla and Saltillo, Mexico.
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Translated from Spanish, her post read: “Hey Ralph: we already realized that you really like Mexican designs, especially those [made by] ancestral cultures that preserve the textile tradition. However, by copying these designs you are committing plagiarism, and as you know, plagiarism is illegal and immoral. At least admit it. And I hope you compensate the damage to the original communities that do this work with love and not for profit millionaires.”
In a follow-up post Friday, Gutiérrez Müller shed some light on the origin story of the Indigenous garments noting (as translated from Spanish): “The serapes, a mixture of Spanish and Indigenous garments, are originally from Contla. Centuries ago, some contlecos went to settle in Saltillo and continued the textile tradition there. In the backstrap loom, the lamb’s wool threads are woven with tequesquite [a natural mineral salt]. The dyes are natural, such as walnut shells or cochineal….In 2018 the @congresodetlaxcala declared the sarape ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of the State of Tlaxcala.’”
Ralph Lauren Corp. issued a corporate apology Thursday that did not address Gutiérrez Müller’s call to see things made right with the communities the products pulled from:
“We are surprised to learn that this product is being sold. When our team discovered months ago that this was in our product pipeline, we issued a stern directive to remove the item from all channels. We are conducting an urgent audit to determine how this item landed on a sales floor after that directive and ensure it is removed immediately….We are deeply sorry this happened and, as always, we are open to dialogue about how we can do better.”
Despite what may have happened in the past, Ralph Lauren said in June that “any new product featuring traditional Indigenous design motifs following our summer 2023 season will be created under a model of credit and collaboration, which we are piloting through our Artist in Residence program with intentions to scale it in the future.”
The company also added at the time that it is “deepening our mandatory cultural awareness trainings.”
Mexico and, in particular, its Secretary of Culture Alejandra Frausto Guerrero, has been vigilant about calling out fashion labels, including Isabel Marant and Louis Vuitton, for appropriating designs from its communities.
On Thursday, Frausto Guerrero tweeted, addressing the Ralph Lauren issue: “Identity symbols are not merchandise.”
She also said the artisans from Contla and Salitillo will be present at this year’s Original event, a reimagined trade show in Mexico that launched last year where artisan communities, as she notes, “are the only protagonists,” and the ones promoting their creations to engage in collaborations with designers. The aim is to put an end to cultural appropriation, which has been a long-standing issue in fashion.
Original will take place at the Complejo Cultural Los Pinos cultural center in Mexico City from Nov. 17 to 20.
After Ralph Lauren’s apology, Gutiérrez Müller acknowledged receipt in another Friday post and invited the company to Contla, Mexico, “to learn about the great work of the artisans who have been making these garments for centuries.”
Ralph Lauren has since told WWD it is planning to accept Gutiérrez Müller’s invitation and that it will attend Original in Mexico City next month.
