Coz’ We Are No Better… Sana Safinaz Decorates Its Lawn With Racism

It’s springtime! The flowers are blooming everywhere and all the designers have gone all out with the floral theme. But the apparent fragrance that these clothes are supposed to spread has suddenly turned stinky! Sana Safinaz’s luxury lawn photoshoot at the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya will be remembered as the classic case of Desi racism that we don’t like to talk about but is the true face of our perceptions.

Pakistan’s premier luxury designer brand, Sana Safinaz’s new lawn campaign was inspired by the traditional fashion and colors of Africa.They employed the local tribe but the way in which it was launched, was definitely offensive and racist.

With this kind of campaign, the brand has fallen down the pit. The pictures as posted by the brand were demeaning and derogatory to African Culture and race. It was apparent that the African tribes were used as mere accouterments against the backdrop of elitist and racist values and the social media lashed out at the brand for being “racist”.

I am sorry am I missing something here with this campaign? Sanasafinaz using these people as an ornament to selling their over priced lawn?? Mind blown at why they would deem this acceptable to the slightest. #disturbingAF pic.twitter.com/rVcWyXJfnF

— S H A H (@ShahTalks) March 7, 2018

It’s really irrational that in the present times where many brands are trying to raise awareness for a number of social causes, one of the leading brands of Pakistan has actually done the exact opposite and has only repeated the acts of oppression (the 2012 lawn campaign of the same brand was also a glorification of the gap between the rich and the poor).

Recently, we Desis created a hell lot of noise when Gucci showcased white models sporting turbans and we are always fretting over the racism that we endure in the UK or the US.

But if we ask ourselves about the actual face of discrimination, we surely are no better. We are the ones who are chained to the mindset of racism and colorism and we practice it more intensely. This campaign is just one live example of how racism and discrimination still prevail in South Asia.

We hope someday fashion would become more responsible and not stoop to such levels just for profits.