Dolce and Gabbana 2013–Racist or Overblown?

Dolce and Gabbana 2013–Racist or Overblown?

Are critics being so sensitive about this new collection?

Author : Tanisha Shulamit

Author's Website | Articles from

Dolce and Gabbana garnered some criticism and public outcry for this beautiful collection. As a black woman I do not find this collection racist, but a celebration of the history of the isle of Sicily and the diversity of beauty.

What people don’t know about Sicily is that it was once an island of diversity. People from North and West Africa once made it their home along with the Spaniards, Greeks, Nords, Normans, and Italians. The island, I once called my home was never racist. In fact it celebrated a particular folklore about the island once being half black.

It is a celebration of medieval times, and let’s be honest this is what Africans looked like then and in some parts of Africa, still do. Sh*t I still wear head wraps, they ARE quite fashionable these days you know?..

This collection is not a collection of insensitive racists or sycophants, but instead a collection of two men very proud of their heritage. Sometimes we need to stop having this knee jerk reaction to everything we deem racist and see it for what it is.. art.

P.S. did you peep the interracial relationship going on with the black woman and soldier? jussayin…

 

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The_Boss 283 pts

Now if only they would use more than 3 black models in a show...

Blackberry 1177 pts

I don't think it is racist, but I would would warn my my white friends against wearing any skirt that has a large print of a woman of color's face in front her crouch or across her thighs. It's about pattern placement for me.

zipporah 1714 pts

 Blackberry Who wears this stuff after the show anyway--i wouldnt like wearing something like peoples FACES on clothing--looks like halloween---unless its polka dots. I also wish that the old fashioned scarf comes back in style---the scarf folded in half or a triangle and tied in front, with cateye sunglasses--probably wont, because that kinda goes together with a 'roller set' & that kind of scarf went out in the early 70s.When i was a kid, my mom used to wear those--i wouldnt mind wearing a scarf similar to the muslims but showing some hair--at least you dont see doods wearing those--LOL much, (oops forgot the dredlock doods, saw one in a scarf but tied in back by the nape)--'ladies' would tie theirs in front--LOL

MySmile 4172 pts

I don't think it's racist (though I was a bit suspicious at first), but I see how someone could be offended...Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. We're all sensitive about some things.

Shulamit 1982 pts

 MySmile I feel people are entitled to their opinion, my issue is when people use their opinion to represent a whole group which Azelia Banks did.

My latest conversation: Sicilia--The Journey

heyimPearlilikefries 2091 pts

 Shulamit  MySmile  Sadly Azealia Banks looked ignorant. Yes she is a young lady, but man. I still love her though. 

 

 

iHeartLove 804 pts

The problem people have with this kind of cultural appropriation is that it has absolutely NO substance. It also 'fetishizes' the otherness of a culture. What I mean is, it doesn't seem like they took historical Sicilian dress and made it high fashion. Instead it seems like they rubber stamped images related to Sicilian history/culture on their designs. 

 

I don't think it's racist, but it's not that good or imaginative of a theme either, which is a problem when your game is fashion. It's all a bit matchy, matchy costumey to me lol (my made up adjectives).  

 

Some of the pieces are nice, but others are glorified Sicilian themed Hawaiian shirts  :/

Just my take...

Statuesque 1713 pts

The clothes are absolutely beautiful.  I'd wear them.

 

I don't think D&G are racist or the clothing has overtly racist themes simply because a woman of African descent is depicted in tradition garb.  What I find highly suspect is that they could not deign to find even a token model of African descent to more fully represent the diversity of Sicilian heritage.  Everyone knows that Southern Europeans have African ancestry, often very visible in their features.  They couldn't find a single one to book for the show?  All that inspiration about your heritage and you weren't even inspired to reflect the diversity on the clothing with the models?  That to me says that D&G are talking out of the sides of their mouths and lending credence to the white-washing criticism leveled at Big Fashion.  I was happy to see the East Asian model though.  She looked fabulous.

 

It's always appropriate to examine and interpret art.  An artist that can't handle that shouldn't display his/her art, much less try and sell it to people for thousands of dollars and enjoy publicity and fame when their art is embraced.

The Working Home Keeper 6555 pts

I think the dresses are beautiful!  Love, love the third one up from the bottom!

zipporah 1714 pts

 The Working Home Keeper I like the cut of the dresses but not  the fabric--this is something i would wear only once even if i had the money to buy them-dont forget, they ARE trying to get someone to buy them--LOL

Great post Tanisha! You've sparked an interesting discussion. I think everyone is entitled to their opinion and their sensitivities and their opinion. You can't convince anyone against their will.

That being said, I think that the readers here should be aware, that this is more a message to an ITALIAN audience than to black women or african-american women in particular. Anyone who has followed what's going on in Italy in the last few years will see that this is a part of an Italian debate. Italy is struggling to come to terms with that African connection in its past and present.

So, two Sicilian guys coming up with this collection with an African inspired textile and a clearly dark-skinned female as the centre rather than a side-theme of a haute couture (=loving attention to detail) collection is sending a message - just not the one that most posters here are thinking.

 

Maxine posted below, that Italians consider Sicilians a bit 'African' anyway... there's more to that comment than most realize - heck, I've never lived in Italy, so I'll let you explain that.

Shulamit 1982 pts

thanks lady. would love to hear your input. I guess my thing is, were there black people on the runway last year? nope. if they had put black women in that show then it would have created another sh*tstorm for something else. Poor things. D&G is my fave house out of Italy. :-)

My latest conversation: Sicilia--The Journey

Shulamit 1982 pts

btw, the soldier pic IS on the shoe. look at the pic above ;)

My latest conversation: Sicilia--The Journey

SisterRainbow 208 pts

 KingsDaughter Colors and patterns clashing all over the place. To each, his or her own, though.

KingsDaughter 4584 pts

 SisterRainbow They're just so garish.

MySmile 4172 pts

 KingsDaughter Like someone else said, looks good as art, and some people could probably rock the hell out of it, but I wouldn't wear it.

zipporah 1714 pts

 KingsDaughter its the FABRIC not the line of the dresses--BTW i cant wait until the 'below the knee' style comes back calves & ankles are 'sexy'--they are as comfortable as pants sometimes--knees are kinda ugly to me to be shown--especially on these people who don't wear pantyhose anymore unless they are black. My fave is a little , 50s, 80s, but no shoulder pads, etc....DIORish with nipped waist & Hourglass Angel takes care of that--LOL

KingsDaughter 4584 pts

 zipporah My problem is the dresses mostly look like kitsch flea market bargains. I'm with you on the nipped in waist dresses. I LOVE those. My mom raves about about 60's fashion and the New Look and such and I like those as well.

onmywayup 1729 pts

 zipporah  KingsDaughter I love below-the-knee skirts and dresses!

Law Wanxi 5779 pts

OT Alert.

 

"The island, I once called my home was never racist. "

 

Sigonella? How come you and Karla  get to go to Sigonella and the ONLY foreign duty station I ever had in six years of active duty was in Iraq?  #JustNotFair

Shulamit 1982 pts

 Law Wanxi  Karla (giggle)

My latest conversation: 2567944345_0943c38772 | Le Journal

Karla 18221 pts

 Law Wanxi LOL!  Just gotta know how to hammer, er, I mean negotiate with your detailer.

heyimPearlilikefries 2091 pts

 kisumai This is you're tumblr? It's amazing!

Jamila 7157 pts moderator

 kisumai Your site is so beautiful! 

Brenda55 19278 pts moderator

You know what.  Black women run around with every other race of women's hair sewn on her  head and then going to cop a 'tude about a dang image on a stinking dress. Deep.

Shulamit 1982 pts

 Brenda55 bwahahaha. i say this all the time!

My latest conversation: 2567944345_0943c38772 | Le Journal

Karla 18221 pts

 Brenda55 Cosign.  Hard.

SisterRainbow 208 pts

 Brenda55 That's because we have our priorities straight, don't you know. Hahaha!

heyimPearlilikefries 2091 pts

The Asian model looks right to me actually. Probably I see these outfits would look better on WOC because Asians, Africans, Indians, and Latins always had rich clothing and rich decorations. It's like they are better pulling them off. I have no idea what people are tripping about these outfits are amazing. I don't feel insulted whatsoever. 

 

I just wished they used more WOC. 

LionMama 293 pts

 astringofpearls Actually, not every culture had colourful clothing and not every white culture had lack of colours on their clothing.

heyimPearlilikefries 2091 pts

 LionMama Well I'm used to seeing WOC color in rich colors patterns and prints. I have actually never seen white women in prints like this or similar to it. Unless we are talking about a few hundred years back. I know some cultures probably don't wear as much color... I just haven't seen WW in colors or patterns like this before.

heyimPearlilikefries 2091 pts

Honestly I don't think the outfits look good on them at all. The colors are way to rich for their skin tone IMO, except the baby blue one. I would work these outfits and look great. I don't see why DB did't have black models for this set of clothing. 

 

I would honestly wear the last two outfit and the first picture of the model walking the other way. 

Brenda55 19278 pts moderator

Look this is not that deep.  I would not take this at all seriously.  I don't think the designer do.  I am posting a link to google images of this designers stuff.  

All of it is whacked  and over the top if you ask me.

 

The joke is on the people getting all bent out of shape about this.  

 

http://www.dolcegabbana.com/dg/collection/woman/


Livefyer did not like the other link so I changed it to this one. 

Brenda55 19278 pts moderator

I am adding this th actual runway show.

http://www.dolcegabbana.com/dg/fashion-show/woman/runway-video/

 

I mean please. lighten up.

Jamila 7157 pts moderator

A couple of things...

 

If this collection was a homage to their Sicilian roots, why did they only send white models down the runway? And two, isn't this the same collection that had the black woman as the heel of a shoe? (I know I remember seeing the image but now I can't find it, if anyone else can find the image I'm speaking of and let me know which designed that was I would be grateful.)

 

Now I think it might be harsh and overblown to call this collection racist, but I do think that the designers were very lackadaisical in considering the meaning behind the way that they chose to present these images. For instance, why is it that only black women--never white women--are presented as disembodied or distorted, i.e., lacking a body or with distorted physical features? Why are white women never presented on D&G's clothing using stereotypical imagery? 

 

Months ago I wrote a post about Swedish artist Linde pretending to be a part of a cake. Then I said: "Look at the video. Look closely and think deeply. What do you see? You see a “cultured” white person from one of the most developed nations in the world, a self-proclaimed anti-racist woman, cutting into the screaming genital region of a black female body. Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth even feeds a piece of the cake to Linde, perhaps for good theatrical measure. The image reminds you of mutilated black bodies hanging from trees after a lynching while “cultured” white people sit on the grass nearby having a picnic with children as if nothing is amiss. The images remind you of the way that Africa was partitioned by European nations at the Berlin Conference with no regard for how the Africans themselves may have felt. And now, here we are in beautiful, cultured Sweden, and white people still see nothing wrong with slicing up an African body for entertainment, pleasure, and, for the most gruesome reason of all, consumption."

 

Now here were are at the D&G fashion show and it is still being misunderstood by well-intentioned white people that disembodied imagery is problematic. 

Shulamit 1982 pts

 Jamila sorry, I still cant go along withit. There is also a disembodied white man too. Also, how is the image of the black woman a caricature when well most black women especially from west Africa look like this? She has no doo rag on or scarf. It is flowers. Secondly, have you ever seen a black model in a Milan show? I never have. D&G was the first to send a black model down the runway years ago. So, like I said, I am tired of us always ASS-uming that people are trying to insult us. Its tiring.

My latest conversation: 2567944345_0943c38772 | Le Journal

MixedUpInVegas 1643 pts

 Shulamit  Jamila

 Hear, hear, Tanisha!  It seems to me that too many people devote too much time sniffing out the slightest element in anything at all that could possibly be, under some circumstances and in the right light, racist.  I'm weary of it, and it is wearing down others too.  It isn't a good look for ourselves.  We need to give it a rest.

Jamila 7157 pts moderator

 Shulamit "sorry, I still cant go along withit. There is also a disembodied white man too."

 

The man was not made into a pair of earrings or a shoe. The man is also shown in what appears to be the clothing of a sailor/military garb. The black woman is dressed as a domestic; a Sicilian domestic, but still, a domestic.

 

"Also, how is the image of the black woman a caricature when well most black women especially from west Africa look like this?"

 

Maybe I'm not very well traveled, but from what I've seen, most black women [especially from West Africa] don't look like this. When I see images of West African women of today they are normally wearing Western clothing or traditional African clothing. I get that D&G was trying to capture the image of past times, but they shot and missed with this one. 

 

"D&G was the first to send a black model down the runway years ago."

 

That's nice. It would have been even nicer if they had put a black model in this show, instead of just putting black women on the earrings and dresses. 

Brenda55 19278 pts moderator

 Jamila  Shulamit http://www.sinuousmag.com/2012/09/dolce-gabbana-2013-collection/dolce-gabbana-2013-collection-milan-08/

 

Jamila come on stop.  Look at those earrings. Looks like the same get up Carmen Miranda.  YOu can't take this stuff seriously. 

 

heyimPearlilikefries 2091 pts

 Brenda55  Jamila  Shulamit 

 

Those earrings do not look like a slave. I would wear those. She does not even look like a slave. It's like if the woman is dark skinned she's automatically a 'slave.' Sometimes we put these things on ourselves. 

kisumai 183 pts

 Jamila  Shulamit actually  I'm can say a lot of Africans were similar clothing like this....my mum (from time to time) and my grandmas-well particular older generation still do as normal clothing and for special occasions like weddings. Obviously not to the extent as this but African designs are pretty colourful and headscarfs are like a must lol. js

Shulamit 1982 pts

 kisumai  Jamila and I rest my case :-)

My latest conversation: 2567944345_0943c38772 | Le Journal

Maxine 1005 pts

 Shulamit  kisumai  Jamila I don't want us to get to a point where no white or non-black person can ever depict people of color in their art.  She isn't wearing an Aunt Jemimah headscarf and she doesn't have exaggerated features.  I like the earrings too.  They're a nice change from the usual European woman's face that we always see in cameos like this: http://www.yourdictionary.com/cameo.

Law Wanxi 5779 pts

 Jamila 

"If this collection was a homage to their Sicilian roots, why did they only send white models down the runway? "

 

Uh, the model in picture number 5 is NOT White; unless you think East Asian is White. Confusing her with a White woman is derogatory and racist, IMO. 

Jamila 7157 pts moderator

 Law Wanxi "Uh, the model in picture number 5 is NOT White; unless you think East Asian is White. Confusing her with a White woman is derogatory and racist, IMO."

 

The article I read said they were all white: "The Italian fashion house raised some eyebrows when they sent an army of all-white models down the runway donning controversial earrings featuring dark-skinned women wearing burlap dresses and plantation-era cornucopias Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2221847/Azealia-Banks-boycotts-Dolce-amp-Gabbanas-racist-summer-2013-collection.html#ixzz2AqMcAcA7  Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook" 

heyimPearlilikefries 2091 pts

 Jamila  Law Wanxi  MailOnline 

These dresses are plantation-era? American plantation or.. plantations somewhere else?