09/03/2026
The second most common question I get asked is where I draw the line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation 🪷
And given that just dropped Jhumkas at Paris fashion week, let’s have a closer look 👀
I think we sometimes overcomplicate it.
For me, it comes down to power. 💪🏽
Not just who is wearing it.
Not just where they are from.
Not just intention.

But who is being paid, who is being heard, and who is building value from the exchange.
❤️ That is why I keep coming back to three things: compensation, collaboration, and credit. ❤️
I once heard someone say, artisans were not given visibility because they were trying to protect them from the press. But to me, that is exactly where the problem begins.
We trust them to be safe-keepers of culture but not the spokespeople 🤡
Artisans are fully capable of knowing what they want, what they do not want, and how they want to be seen.
Deciding for them instead of simply asking them is not protection, it is infantilising.
This post is not meant to be controversial. It is just my honest interpretation through the lens of a craft connector. 🙏🏽
And I also think it is important to say that appropriation is not only about foreigners. You can be from the same country and still benefit from unequal systems shaped by caste, class, access, and urban privilege.
👉🏼 Case in point the recent row where Bidri artisans sued them for GI infringement.
Ethinicity < Ethics is the way to go for me personally.
What do you think?
PS: My intention is not to be the judge, jury and executioner here but rather help brands and customers ask the right questions 🫶🏼
[cultural appreciation, cultural appropriation, Bidri GI Infringement, cultural sustainability, Lenskart Bidri Case, craft consultancy, Ralph Lauren Jhumkas ]
