Mexico questions Louis Vuitton over possible appropriation

NEW YORK (AP) — The French fashion house Louis Vuitton says it is in contact with Mexican artisans after the Mexican government questioned part of a new chair line over possible cultural appropriation.

Louis Vuitton said Wednesday in a brief statement that it is “currently in a relationship with artisans of Tenango de Doria … with the perspective of collaborating together to produce this collection.”

The response comes after Mexican Culture Secretary Alejandra Frausto sent the company a letter last week expressing “surprise” that a chair in the Dolls by Raw Edges line incorporated colorful embroidery motifs similar to those traditional to Tenango de Doria, in the central state of Hidalgo.

Frausto said the government felt obligated to “respectfully” ask whether the community and its artisans had been part of the project.