MAC Vibe Tribe Collection will launch online on May 12th and be in-stores on May 19th. Here are photos/swatches….

Editor’s Note: MAC’s newest collection–Vibe Tribe–has generated some controversy over the last couple weeks for cultural appropriation and/or cultural insensitivity. Both Refinery29 and The Huffington Post posted earlier this week with an official statement from the brand, which stated that: “The collection, including the visuals, product lineup, and naming, is inspired by art, outdoor music festivals, and the colors of the desert. The collection has absolutely no connection to nor was it inspired by the Native American cultures.”

Outdoor festivals are rife with instances of cultural appropriation in the form and manner many dress and accessorize (one of the more egregious examples is the wearing of headdresses–something some festivals have actually banned to avoid future instances of cultural appropriation). I don’t think it’s a surprise that between the pattern on the packaging, some of the shade names, promotional imagery, and a collection name with “tribe” in it that it is making some consumers at least question the inspiration/connection. I wish MAC would have considered partnering with a Native designer or artist to create a collection that could truly pay homage to that person’s culture, roots, and inspiration of their craft. They have done this in the past where we have seen the collaborator’s inspiration in the forms of shade names and packaging, so it is a disappointment that they didn’t go that route here. I hope the brand will consider doing more research into their themes going forward.

MAC Vibe Tribe

Gallery Options

Products

Swatches

On LipsLip Swatches

Arrowhead

Painted Sunset

Hot Chocolate

Tanarama

Pure Vanity

Yellow Topaz

Firebrush

Adobe Brick

Painted Canyon

Call of the Canyon

Call of the Canyon

Fool's Gold

Thunderbolt

Summer Sun

Wild Horses

Brule

Charcoal Brown

Wild Horses

Blue Mesa

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