Zimmermann Apologized And Pulled Dress For Cultural Appropriation

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA — Australian womenswear brand Zimmermann recently revealed its  resort swim ‘21 collection.

After revealing images of the line, Zimmerman faced accusations of cultural appropriation from followers who pointed out that one of the dresses “looked ‘plagiarized‘ from designs that artisans in Oaxaca, Mexico have been crafting for hundreds of years,” writes Eliza Huber for Refinery29.

Called the Riders Panelled Tunic Dress, the style is an off-white mini with ruffled, short sleeves. It features embroidered bird and floral designs and pink-and-blue ribbon detailing. “This is stolen from ceremonial regalia of people of the Huautla de Jiménez Oaxaca region,” wrote Sue Boyde in response to Zimmermann’s tweet showcasing the dress. Another user, @salsaDchicatana, tweeted: “You are using an original design from the community of Huautla de Jiménez, Oaxaca. So basically, you are stealing their design and using an unauthorized reproduction of such design under your brand, which is clearly an unfair trade practice.” La Opinión de Poza Rica, a newspaper from Veracruz, Mexico, wrote, “The Zimmermann brand plagiarizes a model of the ancestral Mazatec huipil and sells it for $850.”

The brand has since apologized and pulled the dress from the website.

Last summer, D.M. Fashion Book reported that Zimmermann was been forced to defend allegations of racial discrimination and a toxic workplace culture (see it here).

In December 2020, we reported that Milan-based investment fund Style Capital has agreed to invest in the luxury fashion brand Zimmermann (see it here).

Photos Credit: Zimmermann’s Twitter 

Source: Refinery29