'Firm Eagle' underwear from Ginch Gonch
I feel like this post should come with a warning label: "This may be offensive to some viewers." I know that many of you dear readers are academics and think a lot about such things as cultural appropriation while others may be North West Coast Natives (and/or artists) and be offended by the representation.
I think this idea of underwear is awesome. While the eagle design is a little tacky, and more reminiscent of the '50s kitsch that was made in China and pawned off "Authentic Aboriginal Art" (sound familiar?) it still makes me smile.
So I propose a challenge to you Native fashion designers, t-shirt creators, North West Coast artists out there, please create your own version of underwear. Throw it up on your site where you sell your wares and then let me know about it. That way I won't have to direct everyone to Ginch Gonch to get this cutie patootie pair for $21 USD here. Okay, great thanks bai!
P.S. Thanks @TanisParenteau for letting me know about tbis find
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I think they're very cute!
ReplyDeleteKinda cute, but yeah I see the offensiveness. Good challenge to Native fashion designers... Hope they take you up on that.
ReplyDeleteI like them! :)
ReplyDeleteCherrys - yes me too :D.
ReplyDeleteDJ TR-ONE - I really do to, it's great to support Native designers when they gots the goods.
Anishinaabekwe - <3
if you are not tlingit or haida, then u should have shared this idea with the first peoples of this art form. by share i mean have an artist design it and you market it giving credit to the artist and the peoples form whence this art form originates. little wonder why misrepresentations go unchecked and why first nations continue to lose out. first the land then the language now the art. i guess anything goes and for whom it goes?
ReplyDeleteAnon - I am not the designer of said underwear. I am a writer and a blogger so read your blog posts carefully. Or perhaps you wanted me to personally email this design that my girlfriend found to each Haida or Tlingit person I know individually before posting? Well I would probably never blog anything if I followed that approach.
ReplyDeleteI would love if an artist designed and marketed such an item. That is precisely why I posted and shared this. If First Nations designers don't want to "lose out" then they need to continue to work hard and make awesome approachable designs like Alano Edzerza and Louie Gong are doing (as well as market themselves well). Don't kill the messenger.
These are awesome. And offensive. I'll take two.
ReplyDeleteAnon - Best comment ever! Had me laughing so hard as I read this morning :).
ReplyDelete