Mexico’s Ministry of Culture yesterday accused some of the world’s biggest clothing retailers of appropriating their Indigenous designs for profit. In a letter sent to fashion giants including Zara and Anthropologie, officials claim they have stolen their designs and called on the companies to pay compensation. Inditex – the world’s biggest clothing retailer which owns Zara – denied the claims, saying “the design in question was in no way intentionally borrowed from or influenced by the artistry of the Mixtec people of Mexico”. The appropriation of designs by fashion brands from smaller designers or other cultures has long been an issue and tricky to address. Even Aussie brand Zimmermann has been accused of it…