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jessicakehoe · 6 years

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Jean Paul Gaultier Married Kent Monkman to Apologize for Cultural Appropriation. Here’s Why It Matters.

We sit amid a fashion revolution in an industry facing major systemic change. Trend-based talk of hemlines and heel heights is being replaced by more consequential discussions about fashion’s true costs and cultural impacts. We’re stepping outside the confines of certain beauty boxes in favour of healthier ideals and broader representation.

This undercurrent of increased awareness may create the illusion that aesthetically anything goes, but for every line that fashion needed to blur, there’s another yet to embolden: The fashion freedoms of other cultures are not ours for the taking, no matter how inspired or well intentioned we may be. Some things are still sacred. And some things are simply off limits.

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Detail of The Scream 2017 84” x 126” Acrylic on canvas #everychildmatters #orangeshirtday #Indigenous #resilience #contemporarypainting

A post shared by Kent Monkman (@kentmonkman) on Oct 1, 2018 at 1:25pm PDT

Thank goodness we’ve got brave creative souls like Kent Monkman, a Canadian artist of Cree ancestry, whose indelible work helps clarify the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural exchange. By reversing the colonial gaze and challenging pervading notions of history and Indigenous culture, Monkman explores the themes of colonization, sexuality, loss and resilience with exquisite skill, using many media and sometimes counter-appropriating the work of painters like George Catlin and Albert Bierstadt. This tongue-in-cheek turning of the tables has become Monkman’s signature.

This September marked the first anniversary of Another Feather in Her Bonnet, Monkman’s performance-art wedding extravaganza in which his sensational two-spirit alter ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, reclaimed a certain white feather headdress by “marrying” fashion’s most legendary iconoclast and champion of the cone-bra corset. Yes, Miss Chief’s betrothed was none other than Jean Paul Gaultier, the man who gave us man skirts and helped blaze the trail of gender expression, famously including Andreja Pejic and Conchita Wurst on his runways. He has been recognized by amfAR for his contributions to the fight against AIDS and received one of France’s highest accolades, the Chevalier à l’Ordre de la Légion d’Honneur.

United in Love Cabinet Card by Kent Monkman in collaboration with Chris Chapman.

Dude is definitely doing something right. But on the flip side, Gaultier remains a repeat offender, stealing everyone’s steez, from Hasidic Jews to Boy George. Apples and oranges indeed, but all Diet Prada-fodder affirming that fashion’s enfant terrible was in desperate need of a badass berdache bride to become his better half.

The Montreal Museum of Fine Art (MMFA) played matchmaker to the two provocateurs, having housed the world’s largest collection of Monkman’s paintings as well as Gaultier’s Love Is Love exhibit—a retrospective of his most memorable bridal creations, named in reference to Barack Obama’s statement in support of same-sex marriage and equal rights. But included in the exhibit was Gaultier’s imprudent interpretation of a headdress originated by the Plains People of North America—one cause celebrated at the expense of another’s culture.

“In my conception of clothes…I have always had a mix of cultures, so [the headdress] is an example of that. For me, it was not to make a joke, just as it was not a joke when I did a Hasidic collection.”

In defence of the headdress, Gaultier had this to say: “In my conception of clothes…I have always had a mix of cultures, so [the headdress] is an example of that. For me, it was not to make a joke, just as it was not a joke when I did a Hasidic collection. It is to show the beauty of it. The headdress was traditionally symbolic of power and leadership, and it was traditionally reserved for men, so I thought it would be interesting to suggest that a woman could have more power than a man.”

But to the Plains People, the hallowed headdress, or war bonnet, isn’t simply worn. It is earned, one feather at a time, each gifted in gratitude for honourable deeds over the course of one’s life. To be presented with an eagle feather is a sign of great respect.

The MMFA’s decision to engage Monkman to get engaged to Gaultier “was an afterthought” precipitated by some bad headdress press, says Monkman. The museum’s director general and chief curator, Nathalie Bondil, sent an email to Monkman with the subject line “WHAT WOULD MISS CHIEF DO?” (clearly the best T-shirt slogan since “KALE”), and from there Monkman concocted this most constructive spectacle.

The hallowed headdress, or war bonnet, isn’t simply worn. It is earned, one feather at a time, each gifted in gratitude for honourable deeds over the course of one’s life.

The wedding was a private affair, which may explain why the world managed to sleep through the most significant fashion moment since Michael Jackson’s red leather moto jacket, a portent of fashion’s friendlier future and proof of humour’s ability to heal.

And so on September 8, 2017, the couple were pronounced lifelong “collaborators,” each pledging to “recognize each other’s culture and celebrate their individual uniquenesses as strengths” until death do them part. “Through the alliance of marriage, we learn to understand and forgive the mistakes of our partners and build true understanding,” Monkman said at the time. “And better understanding is really at the core of all my work.”

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Performing as Miss Chief Eagle Testickle in Another Feather in her Bonnet with @jpgaultierofficial at @mbamtl, September 2017. 🌹 United in Love, a @contactphoto public installation and collaboration with @ccphotophoto launches April 30 in Toronto. Photo: Frédéric Faddoul #loveislove #misschiefeagletestickle #jeanpaulgaultier #contactfestival

A post shared by Kent Monkman (@kentmonkman) on Apr 24, 2018 at 12:09pm PDT

I asked Monkman whether he felt that the appropriated Plains headdress should have been removed from the Gaultier exhibit—or banned from the beginning—but his response affirmed that it’s time we stop sweeping such insensitivities under the rug. “You can’t police how artists draw influence from the world,” he says, “but you can create awareness about what’s cool and what’s not and how to collaborate and engage each other in a respectful way.” It is possible to “educate and develop sensitivity around cultural appropriation versus mutual exchange.”

Monkman clarifies the power imbalance at the painful root of appropriation. “When you have a dominant culture taking from a marginalized one, that’s where you run into problems,” he says. “Indigenous people have had more than their fashion stolen. They have had land, language, children—every aspect of their life and culture—taken from them. So there’s a lot of sensitivity when things are removed from their original context. People find that traumatizing; it triggers a lot of reactions that relate to these other thefts.”

“You can’t police how artists draw influence from the world, but you can create awareness about what’s cool and what’s not and how to collaborate and engage each other in a respectful way.”

The vows in Another Feather in Her Bonnet acknowledged the rampant appropriation in the worlds of both art and fashion and were perhaps a gentle nod to the groom’s career full of fashion crimes. But Gaultier isn’t the only one. In fact, “there’s a long list of designers who could benefit from a liaison with Miss Chief,” admits Monkman. “Appropriation happens all the time. We’re just paying more attention to it now.”

’Twas only four short years ago that Pharrell’s ELLE UK cover was thought to be stylistically sound when published, only to be slammed by an audience who was #NotSoHappy to see him in a headdress. And almost every year like clockwork, a Victoria’s Secret Angel takes to the stage in appropriated Indigenous attire. The list goes on.

“Indigenous people have had more than their fashion stolen. They have had land, language, children—every aspect of their life and culture—taken from them. So there’s a lot of sensitivity when things are removed from their original context.”

I’d like to think that $h!t like this will soon be extinct. But Monkman is not holding his breath, citing another important factor fuelling the industry’s incessant recycling and ripping off: “The fashion industry is predicated on having to produce an incredible volume of material—new, fresh ideas all the time,” he says. “And in the quest for new ideas, designers often pillage whatever influences enter their sphere without thinking about what they’re doing. Appropriation is easy…stealing something as opposed to reinvigorating one’s own traditions or creating something genuinely original.”

So what are we to do? Monkman suggests that we reach out to the cultures we are interested in and speak to them directly. “Make the dialogue a two-way street,” he says. “Engage a young Indigenous designer. Bring someone up and elevate them with you. If you are going to take, give something back as well.” A great example: Valentino’s Resort 2016 collaboration with renowned Métis artist Christi Belcourt, who worked with designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli to turn her large-scale works into textiles. In an artist statement, Belcourt shared that “the sacred laws of this world are respect and reciprocity. When we stop following them, we as a species are out of balance.”

“Appropriation is easy…stealing something as opposed to reinvigorating one’s own traditions or creating something genuinely original.”

It remains TBD if Gaultier will swap his stripes for sensitivity, but it’s clear that humility is in for Fall 2018—if not forever—and if you ask me, the only real fashion faux pas is an outfit rooted in oppression of any kind.

The post Jean Paul Gaultier Married Kent Monkman to Apologize for Cultural Appropriation. Here’s Why It Matters. appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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wardofwinters · 5 years

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Awakening

Marinette coughed, waving her hand to get dust out of her face. It was so dirty in her aunt’s attic, so dirty that it was a good thing they were finally cleaning.

She grabbed a picture and studied the ridiculous dress the person was wearing; the colors didn’t match at all. It was poofy and orange and lime green and she was rather horrified.

“Hey Aunt Huang, who’s this?” she waved the picture at her aunt who groaned upon noticing it.

“Oh, must you find embarrassing pictures of me honey?” Her aunt came over to look, “this was from a dance I went to some years ago,”

“Wow, it’s uh…” Marinette couldn’t think of a polite way to say that the dress was horrible.

Her aunt laughed, “I know, I looked ridiculous! That dress is still here somewhere if you want to re-purpose it though.”

Marinette perked up, “that’d be awesome!” She placed the picture in the box for them and moved to peek at another item.

Marinette dug out a yellow dress with lace on it that did not look like it’d be very flattering. Her aunt quickly stuffed it in a different box

“that’s nothing important dear, no need to worry.

“Awww, Aunt Huuuaang”

“It was a dress for a wedding I attended,” she sniffed, “It was a very popular style at the time.”

Marinette grinned, “If you say so Aunt Huang”

The afternoon passed cheerfully, the two laughing as her aunt told her the stories behind the different items. There were some interesting old pieces of clothing and books that her aunt let her stick into a box to take home.

Marinette rummaged through some boxes, finding a few pretty ones. She picked one up and realized it had something in it. Opening it she saw assorted jewelry pieces in a very pretty jewelry box. There were a few earrings on one side with some rings beneath it. The other side had some bracelets and necklaces.

“Wow” she murmured.

“What’d you find hun?” Her aunt questioned from behind her.

“A jewelry box. The earrings are so pretty, and this necklace is super cute! Oh and that bracelet,” she lifted it from the box to let the green bangle catch the light,” it would look perfect with the skirt I’m working on.”

“Well pick a few pieces. Or all of them if you’d like!” Her aunt chuckled, “I think that was my moms. I’m certainly never going to wear them.”

“Really? Oh that’s wonderful. Thank you Aunt Huang!” Marinette threw her arms around her aunt but then squawked and frantically lunged for the box that was plummeting to it’s demise. “Heh heh, sorry”

Her aunt laughed and ruffled her hair. “It’s fine honey. Though I think we’d better head down now. It’s about time for you to be getting home.”

“Coming,” Marinette quickly put the jewelry box into her crate of stuff and her aunt helped her carry down.

———————————

Marinette plopped into her seat; now that she was home she could look over her findings from her aunt’s.

She dug through the box, pulling out a few dresses and shirts and studying them. Some of the dresses had some pretty lace and one had some beautiful embroidery. ‘And that one shirt would be so pretty with a little bit of embroidery and a fixed seam.’

She pulled out a few books, one on some Chinese myths. Two were in Mandarin but the covers looked interesting so she thought she’d try to translate them. There was one book on constellations and even one on fashion! She was really interested in that one.

Glancing back at the box she pulled out a pretty hair comb and a few hair pins. She was totally going to add that to one of her projects, the hair comb was so pretty with a pattern like flames in elegant red shot through with gold in a fashion that almost made it appear on fire.

Finally, she pulled out the jewelry box. She decided to start with the necklaces. Bringing the box over to her closet she started matching necklaces to the outfits.

‘The red choker with the Chinese symbol on it would look great with that shirt. Oh and the one with cherry blossom charms on it would match her favorite shirt. And this gold one with stars hanging on it gave her a great idea for a dress.’

She pulled out the green bangle and compared it to the skirt she was making, she was happy to see it was the perfect shade. She placed it next to the skirt and pulled out another bracelet. ‘The woven one looked nice’, she thought as she dug through her closet and found a jacket it matched.

‘And this blue one with waves patterned on it would go perfect with that pair of pants, and with that shirt… oh she had a great idea!’

She quickly looked through the rings and found a small pearl one. That would be perfect to tie the design together and she could add some small pearls to the shirt, and change the pants buttons to pearl ones… she loved it.

Looking through the rings she decided she really liked the one with the red and orange stone and the one that looked like a dragon. She’d have to make an outfit based on both. And they both matched the hair comb so it’d be a win-win.

She poked through the earrings and put on the star ones, studying her reflection in the mirror. They were so sparkly. She quickly removed them and put on the silver ones with the pearl, those matched that bracelet and would match the outfit she was making, perfect.

She studied the red ones with black spots, were those ruby? And obsidian maybe? They’re so pretty. She put them on to see and studied her reflection. It looked nice. She reached up to remove them, already thinking about a design she could make to match them, maybe a ladybug theme, when they suddenly lit up.

She shrieked and stumbled back as a burst of light came out of the earrings and solidified into a small bug… rat thing….

“AHHH WHAT IS THA- WHAT!!” Marinette leapt back and scrambled away. “IT’S A BUG RAT! RAT BUG!”

She threw a pillow at it, then another, then a flashlight and a pin cushion and her clock.

“Wait, I’m-“ the thing dodged and Marinette was horrified, it was flying, it was talking, “I’m Tik- hi, I’m not going to hur-please wait-“

Marinette grabbed one of her vases and trapped the- the thing in it.

“Okay miss, if this makes you more comfortable.”

“What are you, you’re- you’re flying and- and talk- talking wha- what the f*ck?” Marinette shook slightly as she stared at the red and black creature

“I’m Tikki,” The bug-rat smiled, “the kwami of the ladybug miraculous. And you are?”

“… I’m- uh- I’m Ma- Marinette… what’s a kwami? And what’s a miraculous? Did you come out of the earrings? How can you talk? And fly? And-“

“Hold on Marinette! I can answer all your questions if you let me.”

Marinette blushed, “sorry”

“That’s alright,” Tikki giggled, “A kwami is basically spirit that embodies a concept. A miraculous is what connects the kwami to the world so that you, and other humans, can interact with us! The earrings are my miraculous, so yes Marinette, I did come out of them. I’ve always been able to talk and fly.”

“Okay, but then… what were you- our earrings doing in my aunt’s attic?” Marinette hesitantly pulled the vase up and the thi- Tikki flew up, yawning.

“I don’t know. I’ve been asleep for a long time,” Tikki looked around the room, suddenly perking up when she saw the lights, “You’re a sorceress! Oh that’s wonderful,” she spun back, “Who’s your master? What’s your specialty? What-“

“Woah, woah, woah,” Marinette waved her hands, “I’m not a sorceress, why- what- how come you- I don’t understand, why would you think that?”

Tikki blinked, “The lights, you obviously used magic to get them, and the air is so cool, it must have a cooling charm on it. Or is a family member a sorcerer?”

Marinette stared for a moment, “that’s… no. The lights use electricity, and so does the air conditioning… Magic is real?”

Tikki looked shocked, “No… no magic. What do you- But- What do you mean it’s not real!? Of course magic is real! I know that they believed it evil when I was last active but for it to no longer exist…” The kwami looked broken for a moment before turning sad eyes to Marinette, “Marinette”

“uh, yes?”

“May I stay with you? Please, I want to see how the world has changed. You won’t have to use my miraculous for anything, just- just please let me stay.”

“Um, stay? What would that mean. And what does ‘use your miraculous’ mean?”

“My miraculous can give you power if you activate it. It’s meant to make heroes. And if I stay all that you would have to do is give me food, I prefer sweets, and wear the earrings.”

Marinette straightened, “But I won’t have to that right? I don’t think I’d be a very good hero.”

Tikki smiled, “You wouldn’t have to use my power at all. I’ll even tell you about the past wielders, tell you the history that’s usually kept hidden, and let their memory live on.”

“Okay, Okay, you can stay…” Marinette let out a breath, “Oh but now I can’t wear the other earrings.” She slumped; she’d been looking forward to wearing the different earrings.

Tikki squealed, “Oh thank you Marinette! You won’t regret it. But can’t you just wear two earrings at once? That’s what Khepri did.”

Marinette sighed, that would mean I have to get them pierced again, and that would take time to heal completely. But I’m glad you’re happy Tikki, I hope you like it here.”

Tikki zipped up, “I’m sure I will Marinette. You seem very nice… you know, I could pierce your ears, and with my magic they’ll heal immediately.”

Marinette gasped, “Really! That would be amazing!”

“Well pick a pair and I’ll do your ears.”

Marinette dug through the earrings for a moment as Tikki followed her and picked a pair of hanging wings in black metal and sparkling red stone

Tikki beamed and scooped them up, “Okay, give me a second and stay still so I can put them in.”

Marinette sat down and let Tikki flit around her, there was a quick pinch and a flash of pink and Tikki zipped in front of her again.

“There! They look so pretty Marinette, like a phoenix lent you their wings.”

Marinette looked at the mirror in awe, “I love them! Thank you Tikki.”

“Of course, Marinette. I can’t wait to see how the world has changed!”

—————————-

Elsewhere, hidden away in a dark room with no one around, a man found the key to using the brooch he’d retrieved.

While the girl and her kwami laughed and discussed fashion, the man plotted how to use his newfound powers. The world would quake beneath his might.

#miraculous ladybug #mlb #marinette #marinette dupain-cheng #tikki #hawkmoth #actual threat hawkmoth #miraculous rewrite #ladybug redesign #marinette is going to have importance #and lots of cool abilities #past ladybugs #lore #there will be lots of lore #im super excited #nooroo #mayura #she'll be a real threat too #be excited

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