Latest news with #IndigenousArtisans
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Adidas designer sorry for shoes 'appropriated' from Mexico
US fashion designer Willy Chavarria has apologised after a shoe he created in collaboration with Adidas Originals was criticised for "cultural appropriation". The Oaxaca Slip-On was inspired by traditional leather sandals known as huaraches made by Indigenous artisans in Mexico. The Mexican president was among those who spoke out against the footwear, which was reportedly made in China without consultation or credit to the communities who originated the design. Chavarria said in a statement sent to the BBC: "I am deeply sorry that the shoe was appropriated in this design and not developed in direct and meaningful partnership with the Oaxacan community." The BBC has contacted Adidas for comment. Cultural appropriation is defined as "the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, of one people or society by members of a typically more dominant people or society". Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum told a press conference: "Big companies often take products, ideas and designs from Indigenous communities." She added: "We are looking at the legal part to be able to support them." Adidas had contacted Oaxacan officials to discuss "restitution to the people who were plagiarised", Mexico's deputy culture minister Marina Nunez added. Promotional images of the black moulded open-toe footwear have been taken down from the brand's social media accounts as well as Chavarria's. In his statement, Chavarria said he wanted "to speak from the heart about the Oaxaca slip-on I created with Adidas". "The intention was always to honor the powerful cultural and artistic spirit of Oaxaca and its creative communities - a place whose beauty and resistance have inspired me. The name Oaxaca is not just a word - its living culture, its people, and its history." He went on to say he was "deeply sorry" he did not work with the Oaxacan community on the design. "This falls short of the respect and collaborative approach that Oaxaca, the Zapotec community of Villa Hidalgo Yalalag, and its people deserve," he added. "I know love is not just given - it is earned through action." Chavarria was Calvin Klein's senior vice president of design until 2024 and is the founder and chief creative officer of his eponymous label. Adidas has not responded to the BBC's request for a comment. The Associated Press reported that Adidas responded to Mexican authorities in a letter on Friday. The company reportedly said it "deeply values the cultural wealth of Mexico's Indigenous people and recognizes the relevance" of criticisms, and requesting a sit-down to talk about how to "repair the damage" to Indigenous communities. What high fashion is doing about cultural appropriation Solve the daily Crossword
ABC News
4 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Mexico seeks legal action after Adidas launches sandals copying traditional style
Mexico is looking for footwear giant Adidas to pony up after a Mexican-American designer working with the firm, Willy Chavarria, launched a shoe inspired by a traditional sandal. Chavarria recently dropped the Oaxaca Slip On shoe, a sneaker sole topped with the weave of Mexico's huarache sandals. The designer has been hailed in the US for his work bringing Latino issues to light — including his controversial collection touching on the alleged gang members locked up at El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison. But Chavarria's critics have argued that the shoe uses the name of the southern Mexican state, a major manufacturer of the traditional leather sandals, while his design is manufactured in China and Indigenous artisans received no credit or benefit from the multinational firm. "Big companies often take products, ideas and designs from Indigenous communities," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in her Friday press conference. Deputy Culture Minister Marina Núñez confirmed Adidas had contacted Oaxacan officials to discuss "restitution to the people who were plagiarised". The dispute is the latest by Mexico to protect its traditional designs from global fashion firms, having previously lodged complaints against Zara owner Inditex and Louis Vuitton. Neither Adidas nor Chavarria, born in the US to an Irish American mother and a Mexican American father, immediately responded to requests for comment. Chavarria had told Sneaker News that he had intended to celebrate his cultural heritage through his work with Adidas. "I'm very proud to work with a company that really respects and elevates culture in the truest way," he said. Reuters
Vogue
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Blanketed in Meaning: The Great Elephant Migration Reaches a Ceremonial Finale in Beverly Hills
On Friday evening, in the heart of Beverly Hills, a convoy of brightly decorated trucks—festooned in traditional Indian lorry art—pulled into the Eva and Marc Stern Arrival Court at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Inside them: 100 life-sized elephant sculptures, made not of stone or bronze but of a humble invasive plant. This was the final stop of The Great Elephant Migration—a 5,000-mile public art journey that has moved through cities, tribal lands, and national parks across the United States—and the elephants arrived swathed in something new: more than 70 bespoke blankets, created by designers and Indigenous communities around the world in a ceremonial offering called 'Wrapped in History.' Photo: Victor Arriola/ Photo: Victor Arriola/ The sculptures themselves are the work of the Real Elephant Collective, a sustainable, community-owned enterprise of 200 Indigenous artisans from India's Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Using Lantana camara—an aggressive weed that chokes native forests—the artisans spent years handcrafting each elephant based on a real-life counterpart. Bulls, cows, calves, and tuskers were shaped with anatomical precision, their forms bent and woven from dried reeds in a process as environmentally conscious as it was emotionally resonant. The stop in Los Angeles marked the first time the Real Elephant Collective had joined the US tour in person—representing a powerful reunion between creator and creation. Ruth Ganesh, Kristin Davis Photo: Victor Arriola/ Photo: Victor Arriola/ Since debuting during the pandemic in London's Hyde Park, the herd has trotted through Newport, Manhattan, Miami Beach, Jackson Hole, and more. But Los Angeles was something different: a ceremonial close, a new artistic layer, and a powerful gesture of reverence. 'Blankets are wrapped around members of the community as a sign of respect,' said Ruth Ganesh, the UK-born conservationist and co-creator of the project. 'This echoes traditions across many Indigenous cultures, where blankets symbolize protection, honor, and belonging. In the context of the Migration, each draped elephant becomes a living monument—wrapped in collective memory and care.' Photo: Victor Arriola/ Photo: Victor Arriola/ The idea for the blanketing was born last fall, during an All Night Smoke hosted by the Blackfeet Nation, where Ganesh saw elders and guests alike arrive wrapped in traditional blankets. What followed was a new curatorial initiative led by Indian designer Vikram Goyal, who invited collaborators from the worlds of fashion, Indigenous craft, and textile heritage to create ceremonial pieces—each infused with ancestral motifs and messages of coexistence. Kristin Davis Photo: Victor Arriola/ Olubi Mairumbi, Karin Betts, Luke Maamai Photo: Victor Arriola/ 'In Indigenous cultures around the world, blankets hold profound significance,' said Goyal, who contributed his own design. 'They are often intricately woven with traditional patterns and colors, representing a tribe's history, identity, and spiritual beliefs.' Goyal's blanket took inspiration from his repoussé metalwork, translating a gilded wall sculpture—based on a 17th-century Rajput manuscript called The Book of Dreams—into an embroidered textile layered with symbols of good fortune: the Gajaraja (Elephant King), Gajasimha (Elephant-Lion), blackbuck antelope, and parrots in a flowering tree. Other contributors to 'Wrapped in History' included Ralph Lauren, Tarun Tahiliani, Sabyasachi, Diane von Furstenberg, Johanna Ortiz, Ozwald Boateng, and the Navajo Nation, alongside India's craft communities and schools like Chanakya, whose women artisans stitched together a textile map of India using techniques drawn from the Deccan plateau to Assam. 'Craft has always evolved within contemporary frameworks,' Goyal noted. 'Textile has long led by this example.'
CTV News
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
What's happening in Calgary on Canada Day 2025
The City of Calgary says this year's Canada Day celebrations will be bigger and more interactive than in years past, featuring fun for all ages. Calgary's 2025 Canada Day celebrations will take place at The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland (formerly Fort Calgary), St. Patrick's Island and the Municipal Building, and include everything from a performance by Sam Roberts Band to a powwow – and, of course, fireworks. Main Stage Show The Confluence will be the site of the Sam Roberts performance. The Main Stage, which is free, offers an all-Canadian lineup of musicians. Performances start at 3:20 p.m., with Roberts taking the stage at 9:45 p.m. The Confluence will also be home to a powwow, food vendors and an Indigenous artisans market. St. Patrick's Island There will be three stages set up on St. Patrick's Island to showcase live music. In addition, attendees can get airbrush tattoos or have their face painted. There's a playground and spots to have a picnic, plus there will be food vendors. Municipal Building Calgary's downtown Municipal Building will be home to a spotlight on cultural clothing, giving attendees a chance to try them on and capture the moment in a photo booth. Fireworks Calgary's Canada Day celebrations will wrap up with a fireworks display launched from Stampede Park at 11 p.m. The city says the best viewing will be from the Confluence, or anywhere where you can typically see Stampede fireworks. Onsite viewing at Stampede will not be available. For a complete schedule of Canada Day events, you can visit the City of Calgary's website. Officials say Canada Day serves as the kickoff to the downtown summer festival season. 'Festivals are powerful drivers for tourism, creating opportunities for visitors to connect, explore and extend their stay,' said Alisha Reynolds, Tourism Calgary president and CEO, in a Tuesday news release. 'Festivals and events are key to a vibrant downtown,' added Mark Garner, executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association. 'More people in the area will lead to increased economic activity for businesses.' More information on Calgary's summer festival season is available online.
CTV News
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
National Indigenous Peoples Day events happening in Edmonton
On Saturday people all across Canada will be celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day and Edmonton will have its fair share of family-friendly events to honour Indigenous culture. Here are some events happening around the city for National Indigenous Peoples Day: • The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App Bissell Centre Families can start their celebrations in front of the Bissell Centre on Friday where traffic will be diverted to make room for the block-party event. Attendees will be treated to the sights and sounds of Indigenous music, dancing, performances and food. There will be a pipe ceremony, a smudge station, traditional hand games, craft-making and round dancing. For more information on the event, visit the Bissell Centre's website. When: Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: 10527 96 St. NW Telus World of Science With general admission, guests can explore Indigenous culture at the Telus World of Science. A tipi-raising event will kick start the festivities outside of the building at 8 a.m. before opening up to the public. Once inside, attendees can visit the Indigenous artisan market in the main lobby, watch live performances and participate in drop-in activities including a silkscreening workshop, traditional story-telling sessions about the land, Telus World of Science's take on making aqpiq ice cream using liquid nitrogen, and craft-making. Free barbecue will also be provided to guests. General admission for Indigenous Peoples will be on the house. More information on the science centre's programming can be found online. When: Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: 11211 142 St. NW Royal Alberta Museum The history and heritage of Indigenous communities will be on full display throughout the week at the Royal Alberta Museum. Starting Thursday, visitors can sit in on story time, learn finger weaving, watch performances, and experience the museum's offerings. Admission will be free for Indigenous people, but the event is available for others to attend with a general admission ticket. The museum's Indigenous Peoples Day celebration, along with the rest of the facility's programming, can be found on their website. When: June 19 to 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: 9810 103a Ave. NW Fort Edmonton Park The largest living history museum is planning an entire weekend of activities for National Indigenous Peoples Day. The park is arranging activities throughout the weekend including tipi carving workshops, music performances, hoop dancing, hand games, and a Maskwa medicine demonstration. A Métis Political picnic, where guests can explore the politics of Métis identity in the 1880s, will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday starting at noon. A complete schedule is available on Fort Edmonton Park's website. When: June 20 to 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: 7000 143 St. NW
