International fashion brands Zara, Anthropologie, and Patowl have been accused of using patterns from indigenous Mexican groups in their designs without any benefit to the communities. Mexico's Ministry of Culture has sent letters signed by Culture Minister Alejandra Frausto to all three global companies, asking each of them to explain on what basis it could privatize collective property.

As per a Reuters report, the ministry accused Zara of using a pattern distinctive to the indigenous Mixteca community of San Juan Colorado in the southern state of Oaxaca. Anthropologie, owned by URBN, has been accused of using a design developed by the indigenous Mixe community of Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec, while Patowl copied a pattern from the indigenous Zapoteco community in San Antonino Castillo Velasco, both in the state of Oaxaca, according to the Ministry of Culture.

The extent to which fashion designers have profited from incorporating cultural designs without acknowledging their origins or fairly compensating communities has been a point of contention in recent years.