French fashion company Sézane apologizes after a photoshoot and the publication of a video with an elderly lady from the indigenous Zapotec community that caused a scandal in Mexico. The National Institute of Indigenous Peoples, a state body, has announced the opening of an investigation.
” The original cultures of Mexico are not a zoo “, Strangled a few days ago the NGO Lienzos extraordinarios by posting a video, filmed in the state of Oaxaca, showing an elderly indigenous woman under the lenses of what looks like a photoshoot. We hear laughter, and at the request of one of the team members, the old lady takes a few dance steps.
According to the NGO, she was wearing a garment from a Sézane collection, and was paid 200 Mexican pesos, less than nine euros. The case caused a scandal: the Mexican Ministry of Culture and the National Council for the Prevention of Discrimination accuse the French company of ” manipulate, use and exhibit elderly people of native peoples as part of its advertising “.
The patterns of indigenous craftsmanship plagiarized around the world
Tuesday January 11, Lienzos extraordinarios shared the post of “ deep apologies »Sent to him by the founder of Sézane, who affirms that these photos were not intended for commercial use. The National Institute of Indigenous Peoples has announced an investigation.
The Mexican government wants to be particularly attentive to respect for indigenous peoples, it has accused international brands for years of plagiarizing the patterns of indigenous craftsmanship – the French fashion designer, Isabel Marant had already apologized in 2020.
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