Branding Uniqueness, Happiness & the Exotic: Ethnic Rituals Anthropologie
I think this post is not what you expect after reading the title. You are not about to read an introduction into the anthropology of ethnic rituals. And no this is also not about the scientific discipline of anthropology as a brand, although it is related to ‘diversity is our business‘ or better: ‘fashionable diversity as a business’. This post is about ethnic interior design and ethnic clothing, Rituals body care and Anthropologie clothes, accessories and home-stuff. Moreover, it is about companies using the terms ethnic, ritual and anthropology (often regarded as part of the anthropoogist’s toolkit) as a way to sell the exotic in a particular way.
Ethnic Chic
Ethnic Chic is a Dutch interior design webshop selling all kinds of stuff for your home: “fashion up your living style”. The page has animal and nature motives against a brown blackground, suggesting being ‘in touch’ with nature. In an interview the owners state that ethnic refers to a mix of influences and styles, ‘modern combined with classic’, ‘oriental combined with elegant’ and ‘refined with tough’. And ‘chic stands for haute couture’. It is very smart way of turning stereotypes into hip and fashionable styles that allow people to chase their illusion of creating a unique and personal style.
Ethnic Fashion
Ethnic Fashion is an American fashion and gift shop. Contrary to Ethnic Chic it doesn’t aim and the high end market but wants to sell stuff that is ‘unique and affordable’. Furthermore it, or rather the owner, connects herself to struggle of women, in particular in India:
About
Helping struggling women has especially meant a lot to me! In the future, I plan to travel to India and buy directly from women who make their own clothing, jewelery and decor. In this way, the money goes directly to them, hopefully enriching their lives directly. I have had immense pleasure in meeting different clientele. The joy of giving back to the community has made a big difference in my life and brings it a special joy! I will continue to support good causes and am always interested in finding ways to help women better their lives !
It sells stuff ranging from tribal vests to bags, skirts and accessories often referred to with terms like ‘harem’, ‘bellydance’ and ‘zebra’.
Rituals
Rituals is a Dutch online shop of luxury home items and body cosmetics. Or in their own words:
About Rituals | Rituals.com | Your body. Your soul. Your rituals.
We develop high quality products to enrich body and soul: luxury goods ranging from body and facial care, to organic cotton ware, scented candles, perfumes, gemstone make-up and tea.
The Rituals philosophy is simple: happiness can be found in the smallest of things. It is our passion to transform your everyday routines into meaningful rituals. Just taking the time to enjoy simple things like a warm bath, a cup of tea or a relaxing massage can transform them into meaningful experiences.
Furthermore:
All products are inspired by authentic Eastern rituals. The Hammam steam bath ritual, the shaving ritual of the Japanese Samurai warriors and the gemstones make-up ritual are examples in a long line of beautiful traditions. Inspired by nature Rituals is designed for discerning customers who have high standards when it comes to personal care, and who also take a caring attitude towards others and the environment. Not surprisingly, these are exactly the same standards we impose on our products and services. We use natural, renewable and organic ingredients for our products; we use safe alternatives for anything nature cannot provide.
Years ago I was in Greece for a holiday. I saw a sign, in English, that read: ‘authentic Greek village, 1km –>’; of course you know that you are dealing with a sort of ‘solidified stereotype of authenticity’. What is in our public imagination as being typical Greek, or in this case ‘typical’ Eastern is reconstructed through particular material constructions and an ambiance that aims to connect all our senses to this utopian image. Authentic is also often related to ‘being in touch with nature’ (as a variant of ‘being in touch with your true self’). More about ‘inspired by nature’:
About Rituals | Rituals.com | Your body. Your soul. Your rituals.
Rituals is designed for discerning customers who have high standards when it comes to personal care, and who also take a caring attitude towards others and the environment. Not surprisingly, these are exactly the same standards we impose on our products and services. We use natural, renewable and organic ingredients for our products; we use safe alternatives for anything nature cannot provide.
Anthropologie
Anthropologie is an American webshop selling clothes, shoes & bags, jewellery & accessories. (Oh, by the way, why is it that almost all shops have a category ‘shoes & bags’? Is that because they have to fit together in fabric and color? Or because they both used to be made of leather quite often? Or is this a very ‘male’ question?). They describe themselves as:
About us | Anthropologie
Anthropologie offers a one-of-a-kind and compelling shopping experience that makes women feel beautiful, hopeful and connected. We invite you into our world – whether it’s our store, website or catalogue – with the hope you take a deep breath and explore until your heart’s content.
We’ve been getting to know you ever since 1992, when we opened our very first store in Wayne, Pennsylvania. From that time on, we’ve not only grown a hundredfold, but, more importantly, we’ve learned so much about you – like how you appreciate innovation, artfulness and good design, and how you’re drawn to soulfulness and sincerity.
Although you enjoy the clever details and fine craftsmanship of our products, you come to us for more than that. You come to escape and to connect, to spend time and to make time.
Complex as you are, you remain our inspiration and because of this, we endeavour to bring you an unimagined experience
Like Ethnic Chic it aims for the high end market and like all the others mentioned here it sells stereotypes of the oriental, the east as stuff that creates the illusion of uniqueness through the exotic; an illusion that is designed to ‘make you feel happy’.
The Illusion of Authenticity: liberal neo-imperialism
The whole idea of these shops is to create a brand revolving around the idea of the authentic. First of all authentic referring to exotic areas where people are ‘still connected’ to their traditions and to nature. Secondly, referring to nature itself. It is about bring the Western people who in their urban areas appear to be estranged from nature and therefore from their own heritage. Thirdly it refers to ‘being yourself’, ‘being who you really are’, and ‘being true to your true self’.
We can see modes of branding the exotic in pop culture as well with for example Destiny’s Child’s outfits from sari material and matching colorfully bindis. Or in Madonna’s case using exotic images from India. Since the meaning of particular material and items depends upon the context, branding the exotic involves re-appropriating symbols and items from people’s daily lives into fashionable items that are mass-produced and specifically made for export to other (often Western) countries. In turn this changes the meanings of those symbols in the countries where they came from as well as how they look and how they are made. Indian bindi’s are a case in point here.
As anthropologist Raleigh Green explains
An Anthropologist’s Approach to Branding | RGI – Blog
in our modern society brand symbols, commonly understood as logos, can be found everywhere. Brands often act like the beginnings of a global pigeon language permitting the far corners of the globe to ‘interrelate’ by recognizing brands like the ‘Apple’ or ‘CocaCola’ symbols.
Branding turns symbols into things for decoration, fashion-items and for migrants it is often a way to emphasize their identity in ways that are acceptable to their countries of residence enabling some shallow liberal form of multiculturalism that is compatible with local, Western, culture and neo-liberalism. Or putting it more plain and simple: culture is turned into a commodity with a completely different understanding of the physical, embodied cultural traditions where they were imported from.
How this works? As, again, Raleigh Green explains:
An Anthropologist’s Approach to Branding | RGI – Blog
Over thousands of years humans have been listening to stories around camp fires, in bed, or at the movies. The connection between a story and a symbol can be very strong – examples abound such as The Cross and the story of Jesus Christ, and the hammer and sickle and the communist revolution. Humans are wired to remember stories – and tapping into that predisposition can be powerful. Brands, like symbols, can be associated with a narrative, a story and ‘mystique’ surrounding them, for example Starbucks and the Seattle coffee bean importers, and Hewlett Packard‘s start-up in a garage. And in advertising, ‘fictitious’ stories (good copy writing!) are often created to sell products and services, and to create brand awareness.
Stories are not only easier to remember than ‘facts’, but they are a powerful way to transmit ideas, values, and culture.
And in some way the businesses on display here have re-appropriated terms anthropologists consider to part of their toolkit. Some people will understandably be offended by this because others are re-appropriating aspects of culture they think and experience as theirs. On the other hand this is also how cultural mixing often works. Apparently the notions of ‘ethnic’, ‘rituals’ and ‘anthropologie’ are important symbols in a narrative of the exotic other but also in re-constructing the experience of the authentic exotic other. This may not be so shallow as suggested sometimes given the fact that the idea of individuality, authenticity and sincerity are deeply-held beliefs of many people and are relevant for everyday life as they go to school, work, family or friends (we do not dress up for no reason at all, right?). The question of we as anthropologists should be bothered by this is not that relevant I guess, but perhaps it does challenge us to think about the brand of anthropology? What kind of anthropology are we communicating to our audience. Ow, and who is actually part of our audience? Isn’t that mostly Western, white audience (notice the model used at the Anthropologie site by the way)? To what extent is anthropological scientific knowledge similar to the webstores here?