Chanel boomerang row that won’t go away

Aborigines give fashion house stick

SYDNEY // French fashion house Chanel has caused an uproar by selling a luxury monogrammed boomerang for nearly US$1,500 (Dh5,510), but critics say the accessory is an insult to Australian Aborigines.

Chanel is accused of turning the hunting weapon, an important part of Aboriginal heritage, into a status symbol by offering a black wood and resin boomerang for sale in its spring-summer collection.

“When I think about Aboriginal culture, I think @chanel,” Aboriginal activist Nayuka Gorrie tweeted sarcastically. “Have decided to save for the next three years so I can connect with my culture via @CHANEL.”

He told the Guardian Australia that the item was “so wrong it is almost absurd”.

“Having a luxury brand swoop in, appropriate, sell our technologies and profit from our cultures for an absurd amount of money is ridiculous and hurtful,” he said, pointing out that indigenous people were the most disadvantaged in Australia and had to fight to preserve their traditions.

The furore started when American make-up artist Jeffree Star posted photos online of the boomerang.

“@JeffreeStar, rather than paying $2000 AUD (Australian dollars) for a Chanel boomerang you should look into investing in one made by an Aboriginal Australian,” read a tweet from a user named LSP.

Chanel said it was “extremely committed to respecting all cultures, and regrets that some may have felt offended”.