Cultural Appropriation (or Misappropriation?)

A local celebrity Mira Filzah was recently called out on social media for 'cultural appropriation'. She is of Malay ethnicity & was dressed in Bollywood-inspired lehenga for her photo shoot.

Source: https://www.malaymail.com/news/showbiz/2020/08/21/accused-of-appropriating-indian-culture-malaysian-actress-mira-filzah-apolo/1895836

On the international front, Adele was accused for the same offence for her fashion choice of bantu knots & Jamaican flag bikini. There appeared to be an international outcry against her move, yet some defended her choice.

Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/12541101/adele-cultural-appropriation-jamaican-bikini-bantu-knots/

One of my earliest encounters with this concept was when I read about this girl's choice of prom dress, a Chinese cheongsam. She bought it from a vintage shop, found it gorgeous and unique, wore it to a significant event in her life, and received backlash because she is not Chinese.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/05/01/its-just-a-dress-teens-chinese-prom-attire-stirs-cultural-appropriation-debate/

My understanding of cultural appropriation is this: When a person of another ethnicity uses the traditional wear of another (ethnic group) and thereafter profit from the promotion/ exposure, has 'appropriated' (stolen?) the other person's legacy/ cultural identity. 

As far as I know it is not a crime to do so, but socially it is deemed as reprehensive. 

Personally I do not have issue with other people wearing my ethnic wear. I will not go so far as calling them out for "cultural appropriation". Go for it. Enjoy the comfort and beauty of the design by all means, because I know the wearers respect the dress and the culture.

Keziah wore the cheongsam to her prom because she loved the unique design, and the dress was bought at a vintage shop. Thumbs up on sustainability! What's not to love?

Adele was in character to celebrate the Caribbean origin of the event, and she had taken her time to do up her hair nicely and her comment was very respectful at that. Why the hate?

Mira Filzah said she was inspired by Aishwarya Rai and she chose the Bollywood theme in the latter's honour. The Bollywood folks do not seem to mind, or have commented on this, but the Malaysians have been fiercely defiant against Mira's choice.

So if anyone wants to wear baju melayu, kain pelikat, songkok, baju kurung, baju kebaya, kebarung, baju kurung kedah, selendang and other Malay outfits, I have no qualms about it. Buy one, or two, or more (to support the local economy and tailors), wear them with pride (to showcase our culture) and take as many photos/ selfies/ wefies in it as you want so long as our culture is held in good regard while you're doing so. Forgive me for not getting on the 'cultural appropriation' bandwagon.