Danish fashion designer Peter Jensen has created quite a stir after using traditional styles of boots from Greenland in his latest fashion show. Demonstrations and even death threats have been made against Jensen under the belief he blatantly copied the national dress of Greenland.
In fact, Jensen claims he was simply inspired by the designs he saw while visiting Greenland, SIKUnews reports. The designs certainly take features from traditional Greenlandic boots, but Jensen calls them a tribute to the “wonderful” experience he had on a trip to the island nation last year.
But things have turned darker now that he is getting death threats. “The collection was the result of pure love and intended as a tribute after the wonderful trip I made to Greenland in November. The fact that I am now receiving death threats is taking things totally out of proportion,” Jensen told Vogue magazine.
Even Aviaja Jakobsen, the inspector of Greenland’s National Museum, has voiced his support for Jensen, condemning the death threats and emphasising the fact that Greenland’s national dress is constantly evolving as it adopts new influences from both at home and abroad.
“In today’s global society people are constantly inspired by each other, and that is something we should be glad about,” Jakobsen said. “If we halt development then tradition will be at risk of slowly dying, something that surely none of us would want.”
Jensen and his boots are taking part in the Nordic Fashion Biennale currently being held at the Nordic House in Reykjavik, Iceland.