Fashion designer and self-confessed ‘Kaftan Queen’ Camilla Franks has come under fire for incorporating the Union Jack in her latest collection, with fans blasting the fashion icon for ‘glamourising colonialism’.
Some of Australia’s biggest influencers packed the opulent launch of the Mad Manor collection on Monday, including Tammy Hembrow, Ruby Tuesday Matthews, Tegan Phillipa and Nikki Westcott.
Photos and Instagram Stories show Franks donning a Union Jack blouse, with Union Jack bunting lining the walls of the Gold Coast luncheon.
But social media users were quick to call out Franks for using British themes in her garments, accusing the celebrated designer of disrespecting the plight of Indigenous people.
The launch was held just two days after Australia’s National Sorry Day, which commemorates former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s apology to the stolen generation.
In attendance were fitness influencer Tammy Hembrow and her professional ironman triathlete boyfriend Matt Poole (left), as well as blogger Tegan Phillipa (right)
Reality TV podcast ‘So Dramatic’ posted a screenshot of a now-deleted post by @wethe_wildones, run by influencers Lucy Kate Jackson and Nikki Westcott (left with Franks)
The party was held on February 15, just two days after Australia’s National Sorry Day which commemorates the day former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised to the stolen generation
Some social media users called out influencers for ‘performative activism’ surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement. Pictured: Designer Camilla Franks with makeup artist Erica Coffey
Reality TV podcast ‘So Dramatic’ posted a screenshot of a now-deleted post by @wethe_wildones, run by influencers Lucy Kate Jackson and Nikki Westcott, posing in Union Jack-themed garb and captioned ‘back to our roots’.
‘Influencers at Colonial-themed party with Union Jack clothing on Stolen Land, one day after the the national apology is not a vibe,’ So Dramatic captioned the screenshot.
The gossip podcast’s call-out post kicked off the wave of criticism, with hundreds of fans slamming not only Franks, but guests who attended the event.
‘They said back to their roots which is literally colonisation,’ one user wrote.
‘Can’t wait for the white fragility tearful apology, centred around them, deflecting and playing the victim of “bullying”,’ wrote another.
‘Camilla looking to change her tag from “with love” to “with genocide”,’ another quipped in the comments section.
‘Honestly I’m not shocked. All of them have appropriated one culture or another at some point, what’s the difference in celebrating genocide? … It’s f**king gross,’ wrote another.
Some woke fans accused Franks of using cultural appropriation in her ‘tone deaf’ designs. Franks is pictured with blogger George Hunter
Among the guests was Byron Bay model Ruby Tuesday Matthews (left), who infamously made headlines in October for ‘holding up’ a Jetstar flight while leaving the airport to buy oysters
Kaftan queen Camilla Franks (right, arriving at the launch party) has angered fans who say her latest Union Jack-themed clothing collection ‘glamorises colonialism’
Former Bachelor contestant and Indigenous woman Brooke Blurton commented, ‘Is this a joke?’
Others blasted the collection and its launch luncheon as ‘cringeworthy’, ‘tone-deaf,’ ‘tasteless’ and ‘disrespectful’.
Other users called out influencers for ‘performative activism’ surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement.
‘On the other side, they have posed boasting about the BLM marches that took place in Brisbane which was all just performative and to look cool/have good Instagram content. Basically treating social and human issues as some sort of trend rather than using their platform to be apart of said change,’ one comment read.
Some ‘woke’ fans accused Franks of using cultural appropriation in her ‘tone deaf’ designs – calling it ‘Karens for Kolonialism’.
Social media users were quick to call out Franks for using British themes in her garments, accusing the celebrated designer of disrespecting the plight of Indigenous people
‘There’s a lot of cultural borrowing from this brand, it’s just tone deaf. How can they be inspired by African tribal and Native influences while holding onto a vision that represents British imperialism?’ Said another.
The party was held on February 15, just two days after Australia’s National Sorry Day which commemorates the day former prime minister Kevin Rudd apologised to the stolen generation.
Among the guests was Byron Bay model Ruby Tuesday Matthews, who infamously made headlines in October last year for ‘holding up’ a Jetstar flight while leaving the airport to buy oysters.
She was spotted in several since-deleted photos alongside musician Michael May – one half of electropop duo Boo Seeka.
Matthews has since distanced herself from the controversial party, deleting all photos of herself at the event from her Instagram.
Also in attendance was fitness influencer sensation Tammy Hembrow and her Ironman triathlete boyfriend Matt Poole, as well as blogger Tegan Phillipa.
The Mad Manor collection is described as where ‘social worlds collide’, combining ‘ethereal dames, posh aristocrats, counter-culture icons’.
‘Each dressed with particular aplomb, this season we explore all the eccentric characters so intrinsic to the English narrative,’ the Camilla website states.
Fitness influencer Tammy Hembrow poses with a friend and her boyfriend Matt Poole at the event
Ruby Tuesday Matthews’ friend Saskia Wotton was also in attendance at the ‘tone deaf’ launch party
Matthews has since deleted all photos of herself at the luncheon, presumably in anticipation of getting trolled
Some woke fans accused Franks (left) of using cultural appropriation in her ‘tone deaf’ designs
The 44-year-old designer was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer in 2018, just three months after welcoming her first child Luna.
In an emotional Instagram post shared in October 2019, Camilla said her battle with the disease left her in the loneliest place ‘she has ever been’.
‘This past year I have cried endless tears of fear, despair, confusion and helplessness,’ she wrote.
‘I have been robbed of things I will never know again. But at this milestone today, the tears I shed are of gratitude and pride.’
Camilla battled through six months of ‘intensive’ chemotherapy before having a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction after her daughter Luna’s birth.
‘This time was without a doubt the most challenging time in my life – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually,’ she said.
The renowned ‘Kaftan Queen’ was dealt another devastating blow at the beginning of 2019 when specialists recommended she remove her ovaries.
The 44-year-old designer was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer in 2018, just three months after welcoming her first child Luna
Camilla battled through six months of ‘intensive’ chemotherapy before having a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction after Luna’s birth
The renowned ‘Kaftan Queen’ was dealt another devastating blow at the beginning of 2019 when specialists recommended she removed her ovaries
Last year Franks spoke candidly about her ‘hellish’ battle with stage-three breast cancer
Last year Franks spoke candidly about her ‘hellish’ battle with stage-three breast cancer.
Franks told the Sun-Herald that ‘work was her escape’ during the height of the disease.
Since recovering, Franks added that this year she wants to focus on her family and ‘cherish this life.’
‘Throughout my diagnosis and for the duration of my treatment, work was my escape,’ Camilla told the publication.
‘I’d come straight from chemo into the office, feeling like hell and walk into our studio. Looking back, this space was my Narnia in many ways.’
Source link