The Turban: Sacred Headwear or Fashion Icon?

According to Webster’s online dictionary, a turban is “a headdress worn chiefly in countries of the eastern Mediterranean and southern Asia especially by Muslims and made of a cap around which is wound a long cloth.”[1] According to many designers showing in Paris, Milan, and New York, the turban is emblematic of the fashion of today.

In her Spring/Summer 2007 collection, Miuccia Prada had her models walk down the runway with a knotted, jewel-toned satin turban donned on their heads.  The satin turban, combined with structured blouses, leather-belted waists and slender shorts, gave Prada a fresh look that season.  When asked of her inspiration for the collection, Prada said, "Anything that makes women strong and powerful," adding that her travels to India and China also played a hand.[2]  Prada, as well as Ralph Lauren and Catherine Holstein, are among the many influential designers who have brought the turban to fashion runways and secured its place in consumer markets.  

 Prada SS07 Collection                                               

Ralph Lauren SS09 Collection 

The turban’s blooming presence in the fashion world is an example of cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is the adoption of some specific elements of one culture by a different cultural group.[3]  It may denote assimilation but often also conveys a negative message of modification of a minority culture by a more dominant culture.  Therefore, while the mainstreaming of the turban may be considered a sign of progress, it is not without its costs.  “When it comes to cultural appropriation, there are fine lines between homage, inspiration and insult.”[4]  The conflict surrounding cultural appropriation raises important questions, including whether source communities are entitled to legal, cultural, or, at a minimum, ethical rights over their indigenous products.

The popularity of turbans may be representative of a broader acceptance and admiration of Islamic and Middle Eastern culture.  They are now worn by the likes of singer Prince, who wore it at the Super Bowl in 2007, and Andre Leon Talley, a Vogue editor who has been said to have a “turban fetish.”[5]  Famous New Yorkers, such as celebrity jeweler Waris Singh Alhuwalia, whose House of Waris is offered at Bergdorf Goodman, and hotelier Vikram Singh Chatwal, who owns the Dream Hotel and is of Sikh heritage,[6] are also often seen with a turban. The Prada and Ralph Lauren turbans, with their elaborate colors and bejeweled versions, are high-priced items offered for as much as $695.  Over time the turban trend has become more affordable.  Down-market retailers, such as H&M (in its M by Madonna collection) and Top Shop, are now copying the designer turbans and offering them at prices as low as $12.90.[7]

From left, Vogue Editor Andre Leon Talley at the fund-raiser, hotelier Vikram Singh Chatwal, and Talley at the CFDA awards.

 Turban from the M by Madonna Collection for H&M

Sheikh Majed Al-Sabah, the founder of Villa Moda luxury boutiques, has observed the influence of the Middle East on designer collections with pride. According to Al-Sabah, who owns boutiques in Kuwait, Qatar, and Syria, “Women who cover their heads were very happy with Prada developing the turban.”[8]  Even before Prada introduced the turban to its collection, Al-Sabah, along with several other international fashion players, was a proponent of integrating high fashion with the more traditional Middle Eastern culture.  For several years, Al-Sabah persuaded labels such as Prada and Missoni to make kaftans[9] specifically for his clients and Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana to alter evening gowns to include longer-length dresses and to add sleeves to strapless tops.  Similarly, Priya Tanna, the editor of Vogue India, has observed that Indian women are mixing pieces from the designer stores in Mumbai and New Delhi, such as Chanel and Gucci, with ornate Indian gold jewelry.  Therefore, the relationship between the collections of fashion houses and local Middle Eastern cultures may be somewhat symbiotic. Each culture is taking elements from the other and transforming the products to suit their own taste or express their own individuality.[10]

At the same time, the transformation of the turban as a fashion statement may also be considered an insult to its historical significance as a sacred piece of headwear. Removing the turban from its indigenous cultural context and placing it on the heads on runway models and fashionistas walking the streets of New York may create a meaning of the turban that is significantly divergent from that which it originally held.  The turban is embedded with religious and spiritual meaning. To the many that wear a turban for traditional reasons, the turban is much more than a fashion style.  To dispel the belief that a turban is merely headgear, a native Sikh has said, “My turban is not a hat. My turban is not a mere piece of cloth. My turban is a gift which I cannot discard. . . My turban is a crown of grace, dignity and honor.  My turban is a crown which protects my head, keeps my hair tidy and is the image of my Father.”[11] To these native wearers, the fact that bloggers are writing about the thrill of purchasing a Prada turban headband for a mere $30 at an outlet sale can be considered belittling and disrespectful to their culture.[12]  Certain cultural products can be freely shared with the public but others are devalued when appropriated. For example, in Who Owns Culture?, Susan Scafidi explains that “the abstraction of a dance rhythm from its cultural lifeworld, whether via a market system or an intellectual property system that permits unfettered copyright, may not severely harm either the source community or the cultural product itself. By contrast, the appropriation of a secret or sacred cultural product is much more likely to cause damage.” [13] Outsiders, including the fashion designers creating turbans and the fashion forward who are wearing them, may admire the culturally distinctive headpiece without any awareness of its meaning and importance to its source community.

Traditional Turbanned Man

Cultural appropriation also raises important legal questions regarding the ownership and protection of cultural products.[14]  A key question is whether a source community has ownership over its cultural items. If the community has such ownership, then it may be entitled to protect the products from being copied for commercial ends, especially if that copying is diluting its spiritual and native significance.  Today, cultural products are not afforded protection under our legal system.  Intellectual property laws protect against the copying of a range of other forms of creative production, such as computer software and literature.  The laws grant limited monopolies and block access to otherwise public goods in order to spur creativity and innovation.  However, cultural products present an intriguing challenge – they are indefinite works created by an unincorporated group of authors and, therefore, not afforded intellectual property protection.[15]  The specific creator of a cultural product is rarely, if ever, identifiable as the source of cultural products is often years of tradition. 

The commoditization of the turban may amount to an appreciation or an exploitation of its source community; ultimately, it is most likely a combination of the two. Despite the watering down that can occur when a cultural group finds itself at the cornerstone of a trend, the popularity of turbans has also brought visibility to an often marginalized group. The promotion of the turban may promote toleration and advance the culture by clothing the general public with its distinctive product.  It is of the utmost importance, though, for outsiders, including Miuccia Prada, to acknowledge their untraditional use of the turban and to pay homage to the rich traditions and communities behind the cultural icon.