In February I wrote about Rodarte's use of United Farm Workers and Soldadera references in their Fall 2010 collection (Rodarte F2010: Si se puede?. Now it seems they are collaborating with M.A.C to create a beauty line inspired by Maquilladora workers in Cuidad Juarez. (WWD) Apparently the collection included a pink frost nail polish called 'Juarez' and a mint green frost called 'Factory' (um, Chanel Nouvelle Vague as worn by Beyoncé much?)
Protests from people who don't think mass femicide should be be glamourized led both M.A.C and Laura and Kate Mulleavy of Rodarte to apologize and it appears that M.A.C is changing the names and donating "$100,000 to a non-profit organization that has a proven, successful track-record helping women in need and that can directly improve the lives of women in Juarez in a meaningful way." (Temptalia)
I always find it hard to understand what fashion is trying to say as an art form. If the Mulleavy sisters are drawing inspiration from the muted palate of South Texas and the "the hazy, dreamlike quality of the landscape there; and the maquiladora workers going to the factory in the middle of the night." (Style.com) do they have a responsibility to acknowledge the violence against women prevalent in the area? If as has been interpreted, the collection is a representation of "the ghosts of the victims of Juárez's drug wars" is that an act of solidarity? And how does that translate to beauty? Should feminists dress as maquilladora zombies to raise awareness? Or is this just a Derelicte thing?
