A Romanian fashion magazine has launched their own folkloric fashion brand.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Christian Dior fashion house has come under fire after critics said it plagiarised traditional Romanian designs from the northeastern region of Bihor.
Several Romanians groups began noticing that some of the pieces from Dior’s 2017 pre-fall collection looked very much like their own.
One of the items, an embroidered coat selling for €30,000, looks particularly familiar to the people of Bihor.
Another Romanian fashion group called La Blouse Roumaine said in a tweet they asked Dior to give credit to traditional Romanian dressmakers.
In a humorous campaign video produced by Romanian fashion magazine Beau Monde, authentic designers criticised the Dior replica for its price and the fact that the model wears heels rather than the traditional flat shoes.
“Big brands offer no credit [to the original maker], no money returns to poor communities, and traditions die,” said the video.
Beau Monde launched the Bihor Couture campaign as a way to fight against cultural appropriation — or the use of another person's culture without giving credit — by luxury brands and help give credit to the original dressmakers.
As a result, the Bihor Couture is a brand that sells “authentic items and returns money to local communities".
The traditional fashion designers also called on world trendsetters like Lady Gaga and Beyonce to go and buy their clothing.
The magazine also sent a representative of the community to the 2018 Paris Fashion week to talk about their creations.
Euronews has reached out to Dior for comment.