Christian Dior sparks criticism for ‘culturally appropriating’ centuries-old traditional Chinese skirt

French luxury brand Christian Dior is facing backlash for theirskirt design from their recent fall collection. They have been accused of cultural appropriation by Chinese social media users. Several protesters gathered outside a Dior store in Paris and shouted slogans against the brand.

The protesters claimedthat theirpleated skirt, which costs$3,800,was inspired by centuries-old traditional Chinese garment and the brand has failed to acknowledge the inspiration behind their design.

Reports suggest that the pleated wool and mohair skirt was very similar to a historic Chinese clothing item, known as Mamianqun or horse face skirt. However, the luxury brand advertised it asa "hallmark Dior silhouette."

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Horse face skirts akaMamianqun date back to the Song dynasty and they were worn evenduring the later Ming and Qing dynasties. The design usually features pleated sides and also has openings at the front and back. This makes the garmentwell-suited for outdoor activities such as horse riding.

Earlier this month,Chinese netizens and state media outlets started accusing the luxury brand of "shamelessly" misrepresenting the skirt as an original creation. Last Saturday, a small group of demonstrators gathered outside a Dior store on Avenue des Champs-Élysées.

Several pics and videos of protesters holding signs that read, "Diorstop cultural appropriation," and, "This is a traditional Chinese dress," started doing rounds on social media.

Several counter-protesters also reachedthe scene to protest against China's alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.