Political correctness is becoming a ‘very dangerous’ threat to creativity and innovation, world leading fashion designer Marc Jacobs has warned.
The American businessman launched a stinging attack on those who looked to restrict freedom of expression following criticism of his own fashion show last year, where he used a cast of predominately white models to wearing dreadlocks in New York last year.
Speaking to around 400 students at the Oxford Union, Jacobs said: I think it’s very dangerous to say: “You can’t use this, you can’t look at that, you can’t borrow from that, you can’t be inspired by that”.
‘You know, “stay in your own lane”. I don’t really understand that mentality and I think it’s a very dangerous way of thinking.’
Marc Jacobs (left) came under fire for using a cast of predominately white models wearing dreadlock wigs (right) at a fashion show last year
Critics of Jacobs, who is the lead designer for his own fashion label, accused him of ‘cultural appropriation’ for not using black models since he was using a hairstyle typically linked with black culture.
But he doubled-down on his response, claiming that creative types should not be subjected to ‘border control’ of what can or cannot be deemed acceptable, as he argued his own range took inspiration from a wide range of sources including rave culture and musicians such as Boy George.
Jacobs said: ‘I didn’t feel like I was doing anything wrong. I was expressing myself – these were my references and my reasons for being inspired to do it.
‘I wasn’t saying that this was the origin of dreadlocks, and yet it caused this whole thing.’
‘What I did learn from that experience is to have some responsibility to be sensitive, especially when people say “this feels like appropriation”, then at least listen to what they have to say.
‘Because I reacted out of anger, I felt attacked for doing something that I thought was my right to do. I do feel that creative people shouldn’t have any kind of border control on what it’s okay to look at, what it’s okay to be inspired by, so I stand by that.’
Jacobs sparked outrage on social media after responding to criticism of his show last year when told his critics they were speaking ‘nonsense’ and asked why they ‘don’t criticise women of colour for straightening their hair’.
Marc Jacobs said political correctness was ‘dangerous’ to creativity during a speech at the Oxford Union
Jacobs’ response only brought a new flood of criticism, specifically in regards to his comment about women of color choosing to straighten their hair.
‘Marc Jacobs said something incredibly ignorant,’ commented one user on Instagram.
‘People of color who straighten their hair are ASSIMILATING to the white dominant culture because we’re never allowed to wear our natural hair in schools and jobs.’
‘Until girls here can wear their Afrocs and locs to school without being kicked out (use Google, learn something) stop saying “hair is hair” and other nonsense quotes.’
‘If you’re all about stopping negativity listen to us who are offended!’
Another woman of color noted that she had natural straight hair and asked Jacobs if this meant she wasn’t ‘appreciating my culture’.
‘Most black women’s natural hair isn’t good enough for the corporate or business world so we must stripped and cut down our natural hair for chemically straightened hair,’ she continued.
Jacobs’ post in response to using a cast of predominately white women wearing dreadlock wigs last year sparked angry backlash on social media