Mexico demands explanation from French designer Isabel Marant over indigenous designs

FILE PHOTO: Fashion designer Isabel Marant acknowledges the audience at her Spring/Summer 2019 women's ready-to-wear collection show during Paris Fashion Week in Paris, France, September 27, 2018. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's culture ministry on Wednesday questioned French fashion designer Isabel Marant's use of patterns from indigenous Mexican communities, marking the government's latest complaint over high-fashion brands appropriating local styles.

According to the ministry, Marant's latest collection, including a long cape with stripes and starburst designs in gray and brown hues, includes elements from the Purepecha people of Mexico's Michoacan state.