Forever 21 Releases Its Own Fake Navajo Products TheGloss

You guys may remember last month Urban Outfitters got into hot water over hawking products with vaguely South Western-looking prints and calling them “Navajo,” which many people found offensive and the Navajo Nation found illegal. Urban Outfitters responded to the controversy with an apology and renamed the products by swapping out the word Navajo for the word “printed.” Clever!

Enter Forever 21, the fundamentalist mall store that’s built an empire on directly copying other peoples’ designs and ideas. In the grand tradition of everything Forever 21 has ever done, they too have released an equally (exceedingly) ill-advised printed panty, the “Navajo & Lace hipster.” Surprisingly, the product is still available under that name. At least the ad copy calls the item “Navajo-inspired,” so, uh, someone thought to try and cover his/her ass. Elsewhere on the company’s sites (US and UK), you can find a “Navajo” tunic, handbag, necklace and ankle socks. You could go as cultural appropriation for Halloween!

And the brand will pull the item and issue an apology in 3… 2… 1…

(via Jezebel)

Mae

It’s always great to see your culture emblazoned across the asses of fashionistas everywhere. Especially when the patterns actually aren’t even Navajo at all.
- amber dawn
  
  I don’t really understand why these stores all of a sudden want to start calling stuff “Navajo” I remember my grandma had a set of plates with a similar print on them in the 90′s, but they were called “Arizona” or “Southwestern” print. I understand it’s still appropriating Native art styles, but it seems like it would go at least a little way to just drop actually using the word “Navajo”.