15/10/2026
When fashion borrows culture, who benefits? 👘
Fashion Month has just ended, with the latest collections taking centre stage. But before these designs make their way to the high street, how often do we stop to consider the cultures and communities behind the latest trends?
Trinity Business School's Dr Ronika Chakrabarti, Associate Professor in Marketing, explores what happens when cultural designs from some of the world's poorest marketplaces are copied and commercialised by fashion brands.
Her research raises important questions about cultural ownership, the value of traditional art and who ultimately benefits when cultural heritage becomes a fashion trend.
As she explains in this video, “Art is not just decoration. It can be income, heritage and survival.”
So next time a design catches your eye, ask yourself: Whose culture inspired it, and who is benefiting?
Read the research: https://bit.ly/3VNHikP
Trinity College Dublin