Indignation with a French clothing brand that used Zapotec women from Oaxaca

On January 8, the textile activist and artist Manuela Cortés shared on her Instagram account extraordinary canvases a complaint against the French clothing brand Sézane for using indigenous women to promote their products.

“If we cannot plagiar, let's use the people of the original peoples as cultural capital.Original cultures treated as a showcase where you can choose and take.Without respect.Without ethics, ”Cortés wrote next to a video in which you can see the time when a senior citizen is photographed.

The session was made in the Teotitlán del Valle market, in Oaxac.

The case reported by the activist was not the only.

The Millennium newspaper interviewed one of the women, a craftsman named Guillermina Gutierrez, who said that after he used the brand's garments and took the photos, which took an hour, did not pay him the money they had promised him.

After the case gained popularity in social networks, the National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI) issued a statement in which it condemned what happened, in addition, they point out: “The INPI based on its powers, will dialogue with the authorities of Teotitlánand aggravated persons to undertake a legal resource, in accordance with the law, since these actions undermine the dignity of peoples and communities and reinforce racist stereotypes about indigenous culture and traditions ”.

The Ministry of the Interior, the National Council to prevent discrimination (Conapred) and the Ministry of Culture, also issued a statement in which they requested decent and respectful treatment for the members of the original peoples, also indicate that they reject “the denigrating treatmentand mocking when using Zapotec women of Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxac.

After the scandal, Morgane Sézalory, a designer of Sézane wrote an apology to Manuela Cortés, who shared her on Instagram.In the Morgane message, he says: “I hope you can trust that I have never wanted to hurt anyone or disrespect.My only intention since I began to work and travel has been to do things in the most beautiful and correct way, with all my heart and passion.And always return and try to act in the best way through concrete actions ”.

On what happened with Guillermina Gutierrez, he mentions that this photos were not with the intention of being used to promote the brand, but it was a personal taste: “I met the beautiful woman when she walked and contemplated the beauty of her street.The green of her wall caught my attention, she was in her patio and saw me, we smiled a lot and invited me to pass.We had a real connection and a shared joy, it was not where we were born, it was about two hearts that were found, there was music, so we danced ”.

Finally, the designer points out: “I want to express my deepest apologies for my mistakes by failing to share the deep respect, admiration with the local community.I hope you can trust that I have never wanted to hurt anyone ”.

For his part, Manuela Cortés responded by qualifying her message as "white tears", he also points out that the apologies should not be done, but to the women of the Zapotec community and the community of Teotitlán del Valle.

He also questioned his version of what happened with Guillermina: “You are telling me that the aunt, as we refer to the older ladies in Oaxaca, who makes a member of your production dance in front of at least 10 cameras that insatiableThey trigger without stopping while everyone giggles, is it a personal photo to register and share your visit?You say that the clothes of your brand that put the women of Teotitlán and then photograph them in front of some mats, don't they have a commercial end? ”.

And it finishes: “What a coincidence that all the portrayed women are dressed in their traditional clothing.Not one of these hearts to which you mean you wear jeans and a pole shirt....Could it be that when you take off your attic they lose that "I don't know what"? ".

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