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Political correctness is becoming a 'very dangerous' threat to creativity and innovation, world leading fashion designer Marc Jacobs has warned.
The American businessman launched a stinging attack on those who looked to restrict freedom of expression following criticism of his own fashion show last year, where he used a cast of predominately white models to wearing dreadlocks in New York last year.
Speaking to around 400 students at the Oxford Union, Jacobs said: I think it's very dangerous to say: "You can't use this, you can't look at that, you can't borrow from that, you can't be inspired by that".
'You know, "stay in your own lane". I don't really understand that mentality and I think it's a very dangerous way of thinking.'
Critics of Jacobs, who is the lead designer for his own fashion label, accused him of 'cultural appropriation' for not using black models since he was using a hairstyle typically linked with black culture.
But he doubled-down on his response, claiming that creative types should not be subjected to 'border control' of what can or cannot be deemed acceptable, as he argued his own range took inspiration from a wide range of sources including rave culture and musicians such as Boy George.
Jacobs said: 'I didn't feel like I was doing anything wrong. I was expressing myself - these were my references and my reasons for being inspired to do it.