Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Mashable

Twitter is ripping Topshop apart for this 'cultural appropriation'

Gianluca Mezzofiore
Updated

Topshop has come under fire for posting a "festival-ready" playsuit that appeared to have similarities to the Palestinian keffiyeh scarf.

The fashion retailer pulled the clothing item after people accused it of "cultural appropriation."

SEE ALSO: Brooklyn Beckham got his first tattoo and the internet has a lot of questions

Here it is, from a cached version of the site: 

Palestinian and pro-Palestinian tweeps were pretty upset: 

The keffiyeh is a traditional Middle Eastern squared headdress which can come in different colours. 

Advertisement
Advertisement

The black and white model has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance and armed struggle in the 1960s after Yasser Arafat adopted it. 

Yasser Arafat.
Yasser Arafat.

Image: Collet/Epa/REX/Shutterstock

It later became a fashion item which could be purchased in several boutiques in the U.S. and even at mainstream retailers.

In 2007, Urban Outfitters, which was selling the scarves in several colours as "anti-war woven" pieces, pulled them from stores after it caused a controversy. 

After the backlash, Topshop pulled the item from the website. 

“Topshop is in the process of removing this style from sale," a spokesperson said

WATCH: This inventor built a real-life 'Iron Man' suit and it's awesome

Solve the daily Crossword

The Daily Crossword was played 10,288 times last week. Can you solve it faster than others?
CrosswordCrossword
Crossword
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement