Consumer perspectives on cultural appropriation in fashion: the headdress ban at the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival

Abstract

PurposeThis paper examines the discourse of consumers as they attempt to define and create consensus on the meaning and significance of cultural appropriation within a fashion context.Design/methodology/approachData were collected via consumer comments posted to an article from The Guardian about the banning of headdresses from a large-scale music festival in Canada. Data were analyzed according to protocols for grounded theory.FindingsFour themes emerged from the data: values consensus, ideological control, social and symbolic boundaries and social impact and change. These themes captured consumers' perspectives on the debate of cultural appropriation in fashion.Social ImplicationsCultural appropriation has become an increasingly important topic of interest as consumers share their voices online and demand companies increase their cultural competence.Originality/valueFew researchers have examined cultural appropriation in fashion and captured the various perspectives of consumers on this phenomenon.