A well-known Turkish designer's had great reviews for her recent show at London Fashion Week, notable was her use of indigenous images and motifs.
The problem is that a lot of her images are based on Māori patterns, and her accreditation of those images was incorrect.
There's nothing new about the ignorant use of Māori intellectual property within the global clothing industry.
Another prime example has arisen, acclaimed high end designer, Gul Agis' latest collection for the recent London Fashion Week.
Pia Naera, owner-operator of one of NZ's high end fashion boutiques in Auckland's up-market Parnell shopping district, was surprised that fashion critics not only didn't mention the origin of the prints, but didn't even seem to know they were Māori.
Pia says that it's extremely important to do the research and have some knowledge of indigenous designs if you so plan to use them with your garments.
At the end of the day, female buyers of high end fashion seem to be more focussed on the label and its season than on the origin of the motifs used, and therein lies the problem.