Jonathan Adams

Tribal Chic is all the rage

Remember the Keep a Child Alive campaign when Gwyneth Paltrow and other celebrities declared, “I am African,” and painted their faces in solidarity against the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Well, as bad as that was, it isn’t as bad as the latest craze.

According to fashion sources, “tribal” is the latest trend to hit runways and red carpets.

h/t Stereohyped

Porny clothier American Apparel is now hawking goods printed with an ethnic design the company calls “Afrika.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, AA has not used a single black model to help advertise the new print, despite the fact that it’s all over their Web site in dresses, leggings, bras and headbands.

Orientalism seems to be hot this summer, but I hope “tribal chic” goes the way of the Ugg and the Mullet.

Posted at 9:39 AM, Aug 20, 2008 in Pop Culture | Permalink | View Comments