'Cultural appropriation': first a prom dress, now a bikini

Another episode in the silly "cultural appropriation" debate emerged in social media and New York headlines recently.

A black fashion student was accused of "fetishizing" Asian women after designing a chinoiserie bikini. Chinoiserie refers to Chinese motifs and techniques used in Western designs.

On Jan 5, Palais Du Desir, a brand in New York, posted a video online promoting its chinoiserie reversible swimsuit to be sold on Chinese New Year, Feb 5. The brand is owned by Vanessa Danelle, a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.