Chanel accused of cultural appropriation over $2,000 boomerang

Company says they did not mean to disrespect the Aboriginal community

(Getty istock)

Fashion house Chanel has been accused of appropriating Indigenous Australian culture by selling a $2,000 boomerang.

The boomerang is wood and resin black and currently priced at AUD 1,930 (£1,130) as part of the french brand’s accessories collection.

However, it was not long after the controversial tool made its debut that the brand, of which Karl Lagerfeld is at the helm, attracted criticism and accusations of cultural appropriation.

A boomerang was traditionally a hunting tool for native, indigenous Australian people. The criticism over the Chanel product revolved mainly around the fact they were profiting from an indigenous artefact and selling it for an extraordinarily high price while many indigenous communities in the country live in poverty and face discrimination.

The boomerang was largely brought to the attention of social media after make up artist and influencer Jeffree Star showed off his new boomerang on Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram on Monday. He was also on the receiving end of criticism.

Other people on social media were simply astounded at the price of a boomerang.

In response, a spokesperson for Chanel told The Independent the brand deeply regrets if some people have felt offended.

“Chanel is extremely committed to respecting all cultures and deeply regrets that some may have felt offended. The inspiration was taken from leisure activities from other parts of the world and it was not our intention to disrespect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and their significance to the boomerang as a cultural object. As such, the object was included into a sportswear range.”

The brand said “sportswear has always been part of Chanel’s identity” and that the spring-summer 2017 collection boomerang “is part of this long-standing approach”.

Other products in the range include a paddleboard – where, on the website, it says the price is available upon request – a £1,300 tennis racket, a £2,860 bat and ball set and set of tennis balls for £330.

A representative for Star did not immediately respond to a request for comment.