Is it ever OK to use the designs of a community that’s not your own? Today we’re exploring the issue of cultural appropriation, and what it means for the Indigenous communities that designers and brands like to ‘take inspiration’ from.

To help us digest this meaty issue we’re joined by the wonderful Monica Boța-Moisin, a cultural IP rights lawyer, and founder of the Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative (CIPRI). Monica chatted to us about how brands can move from ‘Ego to Eco’ when creating clothes, and why the three Cs of consent, credit, and compensation can build bridges between traditional artisans and the fashion industry.

Find out more about CIPRI via their website, and on Instagram, and find out more about Monica’s Why We Craft initiative.

Read about the Oma people’s journey to create their database in this Fashion Revolution article. You can also delve deeper into the implications of cultural appropriation in this Fashion Revolution Zine.

Common Threads is an ethical fashion podcast from Alice Cruickshank and Ruth MacGilp. If you liked this episode and you want to support our work, you can buy us a Ko-Fi here.

For more updates on the ethical fashion conversation, follow Common Threads on Instagram, like us on Facebook, and join the conversation on Twitter.

You’ll find Ruth on Instagram: @ruthmacgilp_ and Twitter @ruthmacgilp

You’ll find Alice on Instagram: @styledbyalicex and Twitter: @styledbyalice

Common Threads artwork was created by

Madeleine Welsch. Music produced by Feena McKinnell.

EP. 33 - Appropriation or Appreciation? Cultural Sustainability with Monica Boța-Moisin 40:13 Share

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EP. 33 - Appropriation or Appreciation? Cultural Sustainability with Monica Boța-Moisin