Comme des Garçons' cornrow wigs — 'never our intention to disrespect'

On Friday, January 17, 2020, at Paris Fashion Week, Comme des Garçons showed its autumn-winter 2020 men's collection — and the white models walked in cornrow wigs. Several Black models in the same show wore their own natural hair. Diet Prada posted that the label 'seemed to have taken a step back with their men's show, this time putting white models in cornrow wigs.' The criticism was immediate: commenters pointed out that cornrows, twists and bantu knots are Black cultural styles, and one called the styling 'extremely reckless.'

The hairstylist's first answer made it worse. Julien d'Ys, who had styled the show, dismissed the criticism as 'stupide.' As the backlash grew, he changed course: he posted his pre-show sketches tagged #égyptienboy and #pharaon, explaining that the look was inspired by an 'Egyptian prince,' 'truly beautiful and inspirational,' an homage. 'Never was it my intention to hurt or offend anyone, ever,' he wrote. 'If I did, I deeply apologise.'

The house followed with its own statement: the headpieces' inspiration 'was the look of an Egyptian prince,' it was 'never ever our intention to disrespect or hurt anyone,' and it 'deeply and sincerely' apologised. Critics noted that the show had staged its own problem — Black models in natural hair while white models wore the borrowed style. Coming a year after Gucci's balaclava and Burberry's noose hoodie, the episode landed as further proof, in Diet Prada's framing, that fashion kept taking steps back on the same ground.