Raluca Turcan, the Minister of Culture for Romania, has stated that she will be requesting Louis Vuitton to acknowledge that a traditional Romanian blouse, known as an “IE”, directly inspired items in one of its 2024 collections. This blouse is a symbol of the country’s folk culture, featuring intricate embroidery and tassels. In 2022, garments with a specific style of embroidery were added to a UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. The campaign for Louis Vuitton to recognize and credit Romanian heritage was initiated by the online community La Blouse Roumaine, which has been advocating for fashion houses to acknowledge when they appropriate traditional clothing.
The request for Louis Vuitton to acknowledge the traditional Romanian blouse that inspired items in their 2024 collection was made by Raluca Turcan on Facebook, emphasizing the cultural and heritage value of the garment. The “IE” is widely recognized in Romania as a symbol of the country’s rich folk culture, with its intricate embroidery and tassels adding to its significance. Louis Vuitton, a French luxury fashion house, has not yet responded to the request for recognition of the Romanian heritage that inspired the items in Nicolas Ghesquiere’s Resort 2024 collection. Many of these luxury items come with a high price tag, costing thousands of dollars, further highlighting the importance of recognizing the traditional inspiration behind them.
La Blouse Roumaine, the online community that initiated the campaign for Louis Vuitton to acknowledge and credit Romanian heritage, has stressed the need to protect intangible cultural heritage. Andreea Diana Tanasescu, the founder of the group, emphasized that it is a cultural right for Romanians to express their identity through traditional garments like the “IE”. These pieces are not just clothing items but are part of Romanian history, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the country. The advocacy for fashion houses to credit collections that appropriate traditional clothing aligns with the broader goal of preserving and respecting cultural heritage.
This situation is not the first of its kind in Romania, as in 2017, U.S. designer Tory Burch faced backlash for marketing a traditional Romanian-style coat as being inspired by Africa. After angering many Romanians, Burch changed the description of the garment to acknowledge the Romanian inspiration behind it. This incident further underscores the importance of respecting and recognizing the origins of traditional designs and garments, highlighting the need for fashion houses to credit the cultural heritage that inspires their collections. By acknowledging and crediting Romanian heritage, Louis Vuitton has the opportunity to contribute to the recognition and preservation of the country’s rich cultural traditions.
The call for Louis Vuitton to acknowledge the inspiration behind their 2024 collection from traditional Romanian garments aligns with a broader movement towards respecting and valuing cultural heritage. The intricate embroidery and tassels of the traditional Romanian blouse, known as an “IE”, represent the country’s rich folk culture and have recently been added to a UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. Fashion houses like Louis Vuitton have the opportunity to contribute to the recognition and preservation of these cultural traditions by crediting the sources of inspiration for their collections. The campaign initiated by La Blouse Roumaine highlights the importance of protecting and celebrating intangible cultural heritage, emphasizing the cultural significance of traditional Romanian garments.
In conclusion, the request for Louis Vuitton to acknowledge Romanian heritage in their Resort 2024 collection serves as a reminder of the significance of respecting and crediting cultural inspirations in fashion. The campaign initiated by La Blouse Roumaine underscores the importance of preserving intangible cultural heritage and advocating for fashion houses to credit traditional designs. By recognizing the cultural value of traditional Romanian garments like the “IE”, Louis Vuitton and other luxury brands have the opportunity to contribute to the celebration and preservation of diverse cultural traditions. This incident reflects a larger conversation around cultural appropriation in the fashion industry and the need to respect the origins of traditional designs. Through acknowledging and crediting Romanian heritage, fashion houses can play a role in honoring and protecting the rich cultural heritage of different communities around the world.
