The women embroiderers of the remote Mexican mountain village of Tenango de Doria made worldwide headlines this week when their government went to war with an American designer for “plagiarising” their patterns.
Wes Gordon, the artistic director of the New York label founded by Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera, found himself accused of cultural appropriation.
The women of the indigenous community in the east of the country said how they felt cheated of their traditional motifs where “each element has a personal, family or community meaning”.
Four years ago, another indigenous Mexican community complained that the French designer Isabel Marant had lifted a 600-year-old Tlahuitoltepec blouse design that symbolises the Mixe people for one of her collections.
Some of the country’s leaders now want to toughen a copyright law that already protects traditional patterns to punish “plagiarism”.
Rising young Spanish star Alejandro Gomez Palomo is dismissive.
“Culture belongs to everyone. Rather than harming us, (referencing indigenous styles) brings us all a little closer and Mexico to the world,” Mr. Palomo said, defending Mr. Gordon.
