Mexican First Lady Criticizes Ralph Lauren, Saying "Your Design Is Plagiarism"

Mexican Indigenous Traditional Costume Copied Products Openly Sold
Ralph Lauren Issues Immediate Statement Apologizing... Investigating Background of Disobeying Sales Ban Instructions

Ralph Lauren 'Plagiarism Allegation' Outfit Posted on Mexican First Lady's Instagram. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The famous American fashion brand Ralph Lauren immediately acknowledged and officially apologized after being accused of plagiarism by the First Lady of Mexico.

On the 21st (local time), according to Mexican local media such as El Universal and international media including the BBC, Mexico's First Lady Beatriz Guti?rrez M?ller posted a photo on her Instagram along with a message targeting Ralph Lauren.

In her post, the First Lady stated, "Ralph, we know you really like Mexican designs, especially traditional costumes, but copying these designs is plagiarism, which, as you know, is illegal and unethical." She further argued, "If you continue to do such things, at least it should be done out of love, not for profit, and compensation should be made to the indigenous communities." The outfit shown in the photo was a knit long cardigan featuring various colors and stripe patterns, which M?ller identified as a design from the traditional costumes of the Contla and Saltillo regions of Mexico.

Just hours after the First Lady posted her message, Ralph Lauren issued an official statement apologizing, saying, "We deeply regret that this has happened." Ralph Lauren also expressed willingness to have an open dialogue about how they can do better.

According to Ralph Lauren's explanation, they had already issued "strict instructions" several months ago to remove the clothing from stores, but they were very surprised to learn through M?ller's post that the problematic clothing was still being sold. They also stated that they are investigating how the product continued to be sold in stores.

The Mexican government maintains a strict stance on protecting its indigenous communities and traditional cultural heritage. Previously, in 2015 and 2020, French designer Isabel Marant created cloaks and blouses borrowing unique patterns from Mexican communities, which led to protests from the Mexican Ministry of Culture and ultimately an apology. Additionally, the Spanish fashion brand Zara faced criticism for producing bags identical to those used by Mexicans to carry groceries and selling them at much higher prices. Such cases have led to demands in Mexico for strengthening copyright laws to protect indigenous designs.

Since taking office in 2018, Mexican President Andr?s Manuel L?pez Obrador has launched a strong campaign to reclaim Mexico's pre-Columbian heritage, including protests against auction houses in the U.S. and Europe and the recovery of dozens of Mexican antiques. In July, he demanded an explanation from Chinese fashion retailer Shein regarding the unauthorized use of Mayan civilization designs, leading Shein to remove the items from its website. The Mexican government has continued to raise similar complaints against France's Louis Vuitton (LVMH), Venezuelan designer Carolina Herrera, Spain's Zara and Mango, and the American clothing company Anthropologie.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.