The year in fashion controversy

Proenza Schouler accused of cultural appropriation

In February, Proenza Schouler came under fire for selling Hawaiian lei-inspired accessories for nearly $1,500. Hawaiians and others were outspoken in the brand’s social media comments section, saying it was unethical for Proenza Schouler to appropriate the traditional art of lei-making, especially to sell at such exorbitant prices.

To the brand’s credit, a rep said Proenza Schouler worked with Hawaiian artist Pattie Hanna and a team of Hawaiian craftsmen, all of whom were “properly compensated.” However, the representative admitted that “we missed the mark” and sales of the lei were discontinued.

Vogue erases Palestine

After Russia invaded Ukraine in February, supermodel Gigi Hadid posted on her Instagram saying she would donate money to humanitarian efforts in both Ukraine and Palestine, ending her post with the message “HANDS OFF UKRAINE. HANDS FREE PALESTINE. PEACE. PEACE. PEACE.”

When Vogue wrote about the post, it originally included the full context, including both mentions of Palestine. But a day later, Gawker reported that Palestine had been redacted from the article, misleadingly indicating that Hadid had only been talking about Ukraine. After much criticism on social media, references to Palestine were reinstated in the article, ending a three-day controversy with little further explanation.

Dior seeks damages from Valentino

In July, Valentino held a fashion show in Rome near the Spanish Steps. The only problem: The show blocked the entrance to a Dior flagship store for most of the day.

This led to a somewhat strange open letter from Dior demanding that the brand be “compensated” for the loss of revenue and disruption or legal action would be pursued. The request was later withdrawn, with sources citing “friendly relations” between the two brands.

Victoria’s Secret and Abercrombie were exposed

While the controversial elements technically didn’t “happen” in 2022, the release of the documentaries “Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons” on Hulu in July and “White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch” on Netflix in March established their subjects. in the center of attention. At the same time, he highlighted the many years in which both brands perpetuated harmful beauty standards, as well as the links between Jeffrey Epstein and Les Wexner, founder of L Brands, which was previously the parent company of both brands.

Both brands attempted to defuse the situation, releasing statements emphasizing their new commitment to diversity and distancing themselves from past mistakes.

The end of Kanye West

The other big story of the year, also still ongoing, was Kanye West destroying his legacy and career in a matter of months. What began with public clashes with his brand partners Adidas and Gap led to the cancellation of both projects as his rhetoric became more volatile. West stated that he would go it alone, creating his own independent brand without the support of a larger fashion company.

But then came his anti-Semitic comments, including outright admiration for Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, shredding any legacy West had left in the eyes of the media and former fans. As of this writing, he is openly embracing neo-Nazis and has been abandoned and condemned by almost the entire fashion world.

Banksy vs. Guess

In November, the infamous (and anonymous) street artist Banksy tweeted to his nearly 12 million Instagram followers that they should go to the Guess store on Regent Street in London and shoplift.

The reason is that the store was selling a collection made in collaboration with the company Brandalized which specializes in selling street art that used images from Banksy’s art. While Guess took down her Instagram post about the collection, she didn’t stop selling the products. Brandalized responded to the controversy by editing a famous Banksy quote about the ethics of theft to criticize the artist’s defense.