Was there black cultural appropriation occurring on the runways of Paris this past week? In Junya Watanabe’s spring/summer 2016 show, the Japanese designer, who also creates collections for Comme des Garçons, sent a slew of models down the runway at an African-themed show. The only problem: All of the models were white, causing Twitter to spark a conversation on whether the show was inappropriate. Some models were accessorized in African shields and spears, others in dreadlocks. Many on Twitter thought it drew comparisons to Rachel Dolezal, the NAACP leader who recently stepped down after it came to light that she had been misrepresenting her race.
