\nWall Street Journal
\nRachael Ray’s ‘keffiyeh’-inspired scarf in a Dunkin’ Donuts ad sparked conservative criticism. What are the rules of fashion and politics?
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\nBy ELVA RAMIREZ
\nJune 6, 2014 10:12 a.m.
\nWestern fashion often draws from other cultures \u00e2\u20ac\u201c as evidenced by batik shirts, sarong skirts or the prevalence of plaid. But when Rachael Ray appeared in a Dunkin’ Donuts ad wearing a black-and-white paisley scarf last week, conservatives accused her of donning a keffiyeh, the traditional headdress for Arabic men, and of supporting extremists. Dunkin’ Donuts quickly pulled the ad. What seemed like A simple style choice suddenly ignited a long-simmering debate about the politics of clothing and the power of context.
\nMade of wool or cotton, keffiyehs are draped around the head and come in patterns and colors, such as red or black checkers, which vary by region. Yasser Arafat is crediting with popularizing the black-and-white keffiyeh, and conservative critics compared Ms. Ray’s scarf to his. Fox News’ Michelle Malkin said she was offended. “I’m hoping her hate couture choice was spurred more by ignorance than ideology,” Ms. Malkin wrote on her blog.<\/p>\n
Dunkin’ Donuts denied Ms. Ray’s scarf was a keffiyeh, and issued a statement: “It was selected by her stylist for the advertising shoot. Absolutely no symbolism was intended. However, given the possibility of misperception, we are no longer using the commercial.” Ms. Ray declined to comment.<\/p>\n
Surely, the fashion and advertising industries have borrowed motifs from other cultures for years. Designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Jean-Paul Gaultier and John Galliano have sent Russian, Scottish and Japanese-inspired creations down the runway.
\nBut as apparent with the Dunkin’ Donuts incident, certain cultures seem to provoke more sensitivities. A week later, there is still no consensus about what makes a patterned scarf different from a keffiyeh — or whether a scarf should carry any political connotations when stripped of its intent.<\/p>\n
In this age of globalization, where does one draw the line when it comes to what’s appropriate or not?<\/p>\n
In this case, it apparently comes down to the advertiser.<\/p>\n
Balenciaga showed eclectically-patterned scarves which could resemble a keffiyeh at the Fall 2014 shows in Paris last February; the accessories made Style.com’s list of most wanted items. Indeed, the practice of borrowing items from certain cultures has been up for debate within the fashion industry for years. But it doesn’t necessarily deter sales: Urban Outfitters’s retails multiple scarves that bear a passing resemblance to traditional keffiyehs.
\nFashion often cultivates “these little bubbles of anti-establishment, anti-political, anti-whatever statements,” says David Wolfe, creative director of the Doneger Group, a retail consultancy.<\/p>\n
It’s a different story when it comes to advertising. “When companies want to use styles to express a particular view, they need to be careful,” says Joe Kessler, partner at branding and communications firm SS+K. “Sometimes the cultural blurring of the lines does bring out feelings in people that companies are not going to want to get into the middle of.”<\/p>\n
The Dunkin’ Donuts dust-up means that marketers now have to start looking more closely at what nonverbal messages their ads convey via design and fashion, says Cliff Medney, chief marketing officer at Eastwest Marketing Group, which specializes in branding and promotion. “You’ll see more people concerned about dress and how it could be perceived, good or bad,” Mr. Medney says.<\/p>\n
But such hypervigilancy can have its downside, according to Wes Brown, partner at market research firm Iceology. “All you’ll get is very bland, generic branding where nothing stands out for anything because God forbid you should offend one person,” he says.<\/p>\n
Advertisers may become more conservative with their images now, but you’ll always have the bold. In 1984, when designer Katherine Hamnett wore an anti-missile shirt to a meeting with Margaret Thatcher, “that was very right for her image — and her company’s,” Mr. Wolfe says.<\/p>\n
Write to Elva Ramirez at elva.ramirez@wsj.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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