Dior Accused of Appropriating Native-American Culture in ‘Sauvage’ Ad Campaign

Dior’s ad campaign for its new $150 “Sauvage” fragrance faced widespread backlash Friday for prominently featuring Native American imagery alongside the perfume's name, meaning “savage” or “wild” in French.

In the ad, a voice says “We are the land. Dior,” while a man in traditional Native American dress dances to traditional drum rhythms. The campaign also prominently features actor Johnny Depp, who has recently faced abuse accusations. According to Time, behind-the-scenes footage of the ad’s filming reveal the dancing man is a member of the Rosebud Sioux tribe named Canku One Star. The brand also claimed the ad was made in “close collaboration” with Americans for Indian Opportunity consultants in order to “respect Indigenous cultures, values and heritage.”

In a statement to Time, Dior said they worked with consultants from the Comanche, Isleta, Taos Pueblos, and the Pawnee Nation to avoid “the cultural appropriation and subversion that so often taints images representing Native peoples.” Last year, the fashion house was also accused of appropriating Mexican culture in an ad campaign featuring Jennifer Lawrence.