July 5th, 2013 Last Updated on: July 8th, 2013
Paul Frank Industries’ (PFI) Julius the Monkey character coming soon to a Powwow near you! Yes, you heard it right! According to CNN, Native-themed Paul Frank merchandise will debut this August at an event during the Santa Fe Indian Market in New Mexico.
How did this transpire? Last September, PFI hosted a Native-themed party with pictures from the party showing guests, like singer Christina Milian, wearing neon headbands, feathers and war paint while sipping on drinks named Rain Dance Refresher and Neon Teepee. Many in the Native American community found this very offensive and publicly criticized PFI for misusing Native American symbols that encouraged guests to “play Indian”. PFI’s facebook page was flooded with disparaging comments about the party which prompted them to issue an apology to the Native American community. In addition, the brand reached out to four Native American artists who will help design a limited edition of Paul Frank merchandise to help draw attention to an underrepresented culture stating, “This is an opportunity to undo a wrong but also celebrate what we always wanted to celebrate.”
Should Paul Frank’s example serve as a breakthrough for others in the fashion industry to follow?
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