Scandinavian European aesthetic or Dupatta? TikTokers slammed for cultural appropriation

“The vibe is Desi, the aura is South Asian. That’s a dupatta, that’s a chunni”
Pop Culture & Art | June 05, 2024

Image: varshaslife on Instagram

The dupatta, an essential element of traditional South Asian attire, is now being labeled as European, a notion that many internet users are ridiculing.

When an employee of the US-based fashion rental community Bipty shared tips on TikTok about dressing more European and elegant for the summer season, she likely didn't anticipate the massive backlash from numerous internet users.

While observing images of white women wearing midi and full-length floral dresses adorned with sheer and semi-sheer scarves across their chests, she remarked, “the vibe, the aura, what is it? It’s very European, it’s very classy.”

The backlash quickly followed.

“The vibe is Desi, the aura is South Asian. That’s a dupatta, that’s a chunni,” explained Meghana, an Indian American TikTok user.

Since then, the Bipti video has been spoofed in a trend where South Asian women display their own versions of "very European OOTDs" and "Scandinavian shawl girl aesthetic." 

They wear a dupatta over a traditional Indian salwar kameez, accompanied by captions like "Just a girl making sure her Scandinavian shawl is perfect for Euro summer" and "In my 'effortlessly European' wedding guest outfit with my Scandinavian shawl".

Just a day after the initial video was posted, and faced with mounting criticism, Bipty founder Natalia Ohanesian issued a public apology:

“The fashion aesthetic my teammate was fawning over in that video is clearly not European. It is important to note my teammate was truly curious where this fashion aesthetic is from and repeatedly asked that question multiple times through the video, she did not intend to discredit. We are very sorry to the South Asian communities that were offended.”

South Asian influencers are addressing the longstanding issue of cultural appropriation, where marginalized cultures are exploited for profit by the dominant white culture. Noting how practices considered "backward" are quickly embraced as trendy once adopted by white individuals.

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