Best&Less accused of ‘blackfishing’ after launching new clothing line

Retailer Best&Less has upset thousands of Australians after launching a line of clothing that many believe to be deceiving.

Australian retail giant Best&Less has sparked upset with the launch of a new clothing line inspired by Indigenous art.

The line was announced on Facebook last week, where it has since been met with backlash due to one glaring detail.

While several of the pieces feature Indigenous artwork, the retailer failed to engage an Indigenous artist for the job.

The collection was instead a collaboration between the retailer and designer Ellie Whittaker.

In its post, the store advertised a child and adult-sized button-up, plus a bucket hat, that featured a dotted snake design.

Best&Less boasted the collection was “proudly supporting Aussie designers”.

Want to stream your news? Flash lets you stream 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer available for a limited time only >

Best&Less announced this design on Facebook last week.

Members of the public were fast to point out where they felt the brand had gone wrong.

“Such a missed opportunity, should of been blackfella art not this Gammon stuff,” one response read.

Another said it was “really disappointing” the retailer hadn’t consulted an Aboriginal artist.

“When you say ‘Aussie designers’ please tell me you mean Indigenous Mob?” they wrote.

“Apparently not … really sad to be honest,” another replied.

Someone else was unimpressed at what they felt was a big company profiting from Indigenous artwork.

“Yes let’s support a white woman profiting off Indigenous designs. No thanks,” they wrote.

“Would be better if you weren’t profiting off blak designs knocked [off] by a white woman. Remove these – try again,” another person said.

A First Nations artist was not behind the design.

Aboriginal artist and 2021 NAIDOC Artist of the Year Bobbi Lockyer spoke out against the store on Friday, telling news.com.au it was disappointing an Indigenous artist wasn’t engaged.

At first, like many others, Ms Lockyer thought the items had been designed by an Indigenous person, and after sharing her concerns to Instagram, many of her followers thought the same.

In response to a poll posted to her 30,000 followers, more than half of responders thought the brand was Blackfishing – a tactic sometimes used to appear Indigenous or Indigenous inspired.

“I had so many people messaging me saying they specifically went out and bought it because they thought they were supporting a First Nations artist,” Ms Lockyer said.

“I thought, ‘that’s really misleading’. Even looking at the Best&Less website, the use of the young brown kid as the model … all of that is a little bit deceiving.”

Ms Lockyer acknowledged the designer, Ellie Whittaker, was “extremely talented” and had lots of other nice designs, but said the snake print “doesn’t sit right”.

Indigenous Australians have accused Best&Less of being misleading.

“Maybe someone should have said something before it was released,” she said.

“There are so many other talented actual Indigenous and First Nations artists that could have had that opportunity. Whether it was done on purpose or not, it’s still quite misleading.”

People she knew had even gone out to purchase the items thinking they were supporting an Indigenous artist.

“A lot of people that messaged me, they saw the design and immediately went to the website to find out who the artist’s mob was and they couldn’t find any information,” she said.

“A lot of Australians don’t even realise the cultural significance, or they don’t realise why it’s wrong. There needs to be more education about that.”

Ms Lockyer called on Best&Less to partner with a First Nations artist, and implored other big brands to improve their transparency surrounding their designs, regardless of whether they were created by First Nations artists.

Artist and Best&Less respond

Best&Less Group said it understood the design was inspired by an experience Ellie Whittaker had with snakes.

“We understand that Ellie’s design was inspired by a personal experience she had with a carpet python entering her home,” Jason Murray, executive chair Best&Less Group told news.com.au.

“This is one of multiple prints in the Ellie Whittaker Collection, which is a new design collaboration for Best&Less. We are certainly interested in collaborating with other amazing artists and designers in Australia.”

Ellie Whittaker apologised for offending the Indigenous community and explained how the design came about after a carpet python entered her home.

“I acknowledge any offence this has caused – even though this was never my intention. I recognise and acknowledge the importance of totemic animals in Aboriginal culture,” she told news.com.au.

“As a textiles designer based in the Gold Coast hinterland in Queensland I am so inspired by the microscopic and collective patterns of nature – as much by the close up of a gum leaf as by a swarm of bats. It is all about patterns within patterns for me.

“Animal Instinct has been inspired by my personal experience of a large carpet python which turned up at our home – we didn’t scare him off or re-home him because it was clear that this was his home.

“He has given me a new appreciation for the calm, largely docile nature of our reptiles. And for this print, I wanted to celebrate him and his reptile friends.”

Keep the conversation going, email [e-mail]