For Romanians, there's no doubt about it: The Louis Vuitton white blouse embroidered with black motifs from the LV by The Pool spring-summer 2024 collection is a carbon copy of the one worn in the villages of Mărginimea Sibiului in Transylvania. This imitation was revealed by the collective La Blouse Roumaine on its Facebook page on June 2 in a post shared thousands of times and even made the front page of the country's press. Romanian Minister of Culture Raluca Turcan even contacted the LVMH Group brand, while politicians contacted the European Commission to seek recognition of this traditional garment as "cultural heritage" recognized.

In November 2020, Isabel Marant was scolded by the Mexican government for reproducing motifs from the Purépechas indigenous community in its Etoile fall-winter 2020-2021 collection. "On what grounds you privatize a collective property, making use of cultural elements whose origin is fully documented?" Mexican Minister of Culture Alejandra Frausto Guerrero asked her in a public letter. The French designer quickly issued an apology. She had already come under fire in 2015 for using motifs from traditional blouses from the Mexican state of Oaxaca.

The dastar, a turban worn by Sikhs, is an important symbol for this religious community of over 20 million followers originally from India. So when Gucci put a royal blue turban on sale for $790 (€730) on Nordstrom's website, the web erupted. "The turban is not just an accessory to monetize," tweeted the US-based organization The Sikh Coalition. Others accused the Italian label of exploiting the same look for which Sikhs are discriminated against. The brand kept mum in the wake of the controversy.

A failed tribute. For its tenth edition, in December 2013, Chanel's Métiers d'Art fashion show took place in Dallas, Texas. The appearance of two models wearing white feathered headdresses shocked Native American communities. The activist Sasha Houston Brown of the Santee Sioux tribe in Nebraska called them "offensive mockery," clarifying that the headdresses are "a sacred object" used by tribal leaders during religious ceremonies. Chanel defended itself, arguing that this collection designed by Karl Lagerfeld was a "celebration" of the beauty of Texas and its rich craftsmanship.

In the summer of 2013, Nike launched its Pro Tattoo Tech Tights range of women's sportswear, featuring designs inspired by Polynesian tattoos. Much to the indignation of Samoan islanders, especially when some of the designs turned out to be similar to pe'a, sacred male tattoos. Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi condemned the "exploitation" of Samoan culture for "commercial purposes," and a petition was launched to demand their removal. The sports brand complied and apologized. "No offense was intended," Nike responded in a press release.