"Cultural appropriation only happens when there are power inequalities between different cultures" - Dr Serkan Delice.
Cultural appropriation is one of the fashion industry's biggest missteps, from Gucci's use of turbans in runway shows to Marc Jacobs models sporting dreadlocks, it's a common issue found in the industry and can have serious affects on a brand or designer. 
The use of aspects from cultures different of that from your own, without proper reference or research, can leave the people who belong to the culture feeling misrepresented, used and often angry as the move by designers could be seen as arrogant. Depending of the severity of the issue and the designers acknowledgement, this could cause a rift between the designer and the public. When "called out" on the use of dreadlocks in his 2016 runway show, Marc Jacobs appeared to defend the decision and responded to the backlash he received by stating "Funny how you don't criticise women of colour for straightening their hair." Statements and attitudes like this could have some serious affects on brands and designers, as this could cause companies who disagree with the statement to pull advertising deals, promotional deals. It could also cause a loss of profit for the designer/brand as consumers could decide they no longer want to buy their products as they don't support the statement that was made, stores could also stop stocking their products. This could also trickle down to celebrity and popular culture. With celebrities using stylist and designers to dress them for events, music videos and red carpets, there have been a few instances where celebrities themselves have been accused of cultural appropriation. Public figures are often looked up to by younger generations, especially in the current age of social media. If a public figure exhibits actions that could be classed as cultural appropriation, this could tarnish their reputation with fans but could also make fans follow the actions of said figure. The Kardashians are a prime example of this. Previously the majority of the Kardashian family have at one point or another been called out for appropriating predominantly black culture with the use of braids and cornrows. Other celebs that have been accused of appropriation include Katy Perry after wearing a traditional geisha outfit on tour in 2013. In Taylor Swifts video for "Shake it off", the singer was accused of perpetuating black stereotypes and mocking black culture. Although still in the hands of the celebs, these actions can also be traced back to the stylist or designer used for each example. This can again result in a lack of business for them and loss of income.

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