Chanel £1,130 boomerang sparks cultural appropriation row
Fashion label's 'accessory' outrages aboriginal artists and activists
Chanel is at the centre of a cultural appropriation storm after it was accused of "humiliating" aboriginal Australians by selling a boomerang as part of its latest collection.
The £1,130 wood and resin "boomerang", bearing the fashion house's interlocking CC logo, appears in the accessories section, alongside a £2,860 beach racket and ball set, a £1,300 tennis racket and a £330 set of tennis balls.
It hit the headlines when US make-up artist Jeffree Star shared an image of one to online followers on Twitter, The Guardian reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The piece was greeted with scorn and derision from indigenous Australians online.
Aboriginal artist Alison Page expressed disbelief at Chanel's move given multiple recent instances in which fashion companies have been accused of cultural appropriation.
It marked "a new level of ignorance", she told the Daily Telegraph, adding: "It's 2017 and people haven't worked out yet that appropriating another culture’s artefacts and putting your brand on it is offensive."
Madeline Hayman-Reber, a member of the Gomeroi people, argued the controversy was a symptom of the larger issue of indigenous communities and their artwork being exploited and marginalised.
"Fake art is a massive problem in the world of indigenous art, and boomerangs are the tip of the iceberg," she wrote on Australia's SBS news site.
She added that boomerangs, handmade by indigenous craftsmen, were part of aboriginal heritage and imbued with cultural meaning. A designer brand was using one to make money was "a slap in the face to all the indigenous artists actively sharing Aboriginal culture", she said.
Although similar objects have been used by peoples around the world, the boomerang has come to be strongly identified with the native inhabitants of Australia, who historically used the curved tool as a weapon for hunting.
The world's oldest surviving boomerang , found in a peat bog in South Australia, is believed to be 10,000 years old.
A Chanel spokesman said the label was "extremely committed to respecting all cultures and regrets that some may have felt offended", but did not confirm whether the boomerang will remain on sale.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published