Navajo Clothing Line At Urban Outfitters Causes Controversy

Urban Outfitters has drawn ire in the blogosphere for a new clothing line some say is racist.

Sasha Houston Brown wrote an open letter on Racialicious describing the clothing company's Navajo line in supremely unfashionable terms:

This past weekend, I had the unfortunate experience of visiting a local Urban Outfitters store in Minneapolis. It appeared as though the recording “artist” Ke$ha had violently exploded in the store, leaving behind a cheap, vulgar and culturally offensive retail collection.

So what do you think of these Native American-inspired duds?

Comments

[peachfuzz]

10:19 AM on 11/30/2011

Looks like they just wanted a new word for southwestern style which has been around forever.

[Ebeth Martine]

03:24 PM on 10/17/2011

Native American is not a 'Race,' people. I am Native American, not in the least offended by the product line' but very offended by ignorant so-called journalists who continue to use the word 'race' in conjunction with Native Americans and Hispanics. Neither is a Race!!!

[Rachelvis]

10:57 AM on 10/17/2011

Please. Is she going to to into the local Halloween store and have an issue with the "Pocahottie" costume that I saw for sale yesterday?
Just trying to target a major chain and make a name for herself.
Get a life.

[ElizabethJKich]

10:48 AM on 10/17/2011

It's pretty blatant cultural appropriation, which sadly happens all the time in the fashion industry.

[thehappymos]

09:48 PM on 10/16/2011

I'm not sure. If they hadn't used the word "Navajo", would this still be an issue? If it was called, say, The Southwestern Collection, instead, would that be less racially charged? Please advise.

[E V]

08:47 PM on 10/16/2011

I don't find it nearly as offensive as say, everything in American Apparel.

[bob40wil]

01:11 PM on 10/15/2011

So where are all the faux Indians at, usually when the subject of ethnicity comes up that paticular subject bring all kinds of people from that subject out of the wood work.

[shadweagle]

02:58 PM on 10/14/2011

where are the clothes???

[equestriancool]

01:38 PM on 10/14/2011

In this day and age everything seems to pull the racist card, so sick of it. Now clothing ridiculous

[crstimuli]

01:00 PM on 10/14/2011

Wasn't the brand name FUBU made by dark skins & it stood for "FOR US BY US?"

American Indian culture isn't allowed to evolve with the fashion industry? WoW just another thing the white man is taking away from the people who were here before them!

Being American has way too many legislations! Kind of embarrassing to be an American!

[Phil An Lily]

01:28 PM on 10/14/2011

"the white man"

that is the most racist comment ever.

[yourmuse]

12:58 PM on 10/14/2011

"Imitation is the highest form of flattery."
Isn't it a compliment if someone feels inspired by your particular ethnicity?
I think the designs are pretty, and the only objectionable item I see is the flask, given a historically negative connotation between Native Americans and alcoholism. However, whenever I go into OU I see several styles of flasks. I think their inclusion of a flask in this line was as innocuous as it was thoughtless, and perhaps removing that one item from inventory will help PR.

[angalmarketing2]

12:51 PM on 10/14/2011

Urban Outfitters in trouble because of clothing; one person complains and HuPo runs a major article; ridiculous. What happened; did the reporter purchase something at one of their stores and didn't like it or what.

[esaustew]

12:51 PM on 10/14/2011

I hear the Intergalactic Counsel makes fun of humans. That's just wrong. And the Non-carbon life forms always seem to look down on us all, but they are not nearly as bad as the Pure Energy beings.

[radtech21]

12:50 PM on 10/14/2011

Here we go again, the race card. omg people get over it. to the person who said until you have had to give up your land or be enslaved you wont understand, hello you havent been either. our ancestors were but not us so get over it.

[thegrrrr8est]

12:50 PM on 10/14/2011

Oh, for god's sake. How many generations of Indians do we have to appease by not "offending" them? Yes, the genocide happened to their culture was a tragedy. Six generations ago. What has happened to it since then is entirely their own doing. Quit whining. Quit sucking off the teat of the American taxpayer. Dig back into your past and recapture some of the integrity and pride your ancestors had. American Indians have become parasites....a state of affairs that their ancestors would have abhorred. Todays American Indian has abandoned the noble culture that they came from. At some point, it's time to quit blaming all one's failures in life on tragedies that befell one's great great great great grandfather.

[chuckl4826]

01:29 PM on 10/14/2011

You could insert Blacks in place of Indians and you have the same thing!

[renoir]

01:40 PM on 10/15/2011

I live in Navajo country and I find you deeply offensive. You characterize an entire group of people as whiners and parasites - showing your own ignorant bigotry... and then use the term "Noble culture" to define who, in your eyes, they USED to be. How dare you? You don't know squat. But let me tell you, the Navajo culture is vital, lively, proud and distinctly American. Navajo is taught in my daughter's school by Navajo elders - this is both a modern and an ancient culture that impacts the entire region... along with the other Native American cultures of the southwest. This culture does not need your judgment or your petty point of view. In fact there are historical injustices that still impact the Native American cultures, but clearly you are unable to have any empathy at all for someone whose culture you do not understand. I recommend you spend some time in Northern Arizona before you pontificate further about your impatience with a culture's healing process.