Mexico has demanded an explanation from Chinese fast-fashion online retailer SHEIN for using a design made by Mayan artisans, the government said, in the latest case of alleged cultural appropriation.
The Latin American nation regularly denounces the so-called plagiarism of motifs, embroidery and colors of its indigenous communities by foreign companies.
The Mexican government has written to SHEIN asking for a public explanation of the commercialization of the floral design, the culture ministry said in a statement Wednesday.
The low-cost retailer “used cultural elements whose provenance is fully documented,” he added.
“This type of measure puts manual work at a disadvantage compared to mass production,” the letter said.
Previously, Mexican clothing brand YucaChulas shared images of a SHEIN floral print blouse on social media, claiming the “plagiarized design” was based on one of their own.
“It is a serious violation of intellectual property and, above all, culture,” the law firm said.
Mexico has previously filed similar complaints against major clothing brands such as Zara and Mango.
French designer Isabel Marant apologized in 2020 for using the traditional patterns of an indigenous community in western Mexico.
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