Ms Anisa Johnny

Fashion is an expression of culture, not just the clothes that we wear. So who owns that culture and who are its agents? The fashion industry is famed for trawling archives and culture to create collections we all aspire to. But at what cost? Should designers and creative directors from powerful brands be given free rein to use decorative art often belonging to people from the poorest nations? Or should they pay up when using cultural motifs for profit?

Join the session and hear the different viewpoints from experts in fashion, art and cultural studies as we discuss cultural appropriation and the renewed global call for cultural decolonization. Amongst the questions raised, we’ll ask if fashion entrepreneurs have an urgent and important role to preserve and promote South East Asian intangible cultural heritage?

This thought provoking session shouldn’t be missed.