- 5 months ago
Ever notice a familiar design on a different brand? Join us as we count down times major brands seemed to "borrow" designs. From Supreme's logo vs. Barbara Kruger's art, to Forever 21's stripe wars with Gucci and Shein's Dr. Martens knockoffs. Find out which brands got caught red-handed!
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00:00It's for those aspirational luxury shoppers who can't afford to buy top-tier brands.
00:06Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the sneakiest times
00:10fashion giants borrowed a little too brazenly.
00:14Gucci would like the court to look at this and say,
00:16oh no, that wasn't random, you're copying the entire Gucci product.
00:21Number 10, Supreme vs. Barbara Kruger.
00:24Supreme's logo is an icon in the fashion industry.
00:26It's also not theirs.
00:28The bold white text on a red box?
00:30That's the signature style of artist Barbara Kruger.
00:33When I first started making this series of works,
00:37they were done as paste-ups, similar to what I would do at the magazine.
00:43Decades before Supreme slapped it on skateboards and hoodies,
00:46she established it in art galleries around the world.
00:49The deep irony is that Kruger's work is a critique on consumerism.
00:52Supreme turned it into a brand built on hype and resale.
00:55I work with pictures and words because I think they have the ability to tell us and remind us
01:02where we've come from and where we're going.
01:06When the company sued another label for copying their look, Kruger hit back.
01:09She used a very colourful term that expressed her feelings about these, quote,
01:12totally uncool jokers.
01:14That's about as close to a mic drop as you can get in the art world.
01:17Supreme may sell cool, but this design wasn't theirs to begin with.
01:22The way my still images have travelled online in various forms done by myself and other people
01:28is satisfying and amusing to me.
01:32Number 9. Guess vs. Gucci
01:33When does inspired by venture into ripping off territory?
01:37Gucci says it's when Guess started selling G-covered belts, bags and shoes.
01:42For years, Guess used eerily similar diamond patterns,
01:45interlocking Gs and striped logos.
01:47Gucci noticed, and they were not pleased.
01:50Who is making this stuff?
01:53Who's allowing this to happen?
01:55In 2009, the Italian luxury giant sued for trademark infringement in multiple countries.
02:00The legal fight dragged on for nearly a decade.
02:03Gucci won in Italy, but lost some claims in the US.
02:06Eventually, the two brands settled.
02:07The takeaway?
02:08If you're going to mimic a fashion icon, expect a designer lawsuit to follow.
02:12And maybe design your own G next time.
02:15At least it's my name on the mugs, not yours.
02:18Our name, sweetie, on Jock.
02:23Number 8. Fashion Nova vs. Thierry Mugler
02:26Recently, a lot of people have been talking about Fashion Nova and some of these other fast fashion companies
02:32for their stealing of designs.
02:34Like, they are making direct, obvious copies of celebrities' clothes.
02:40In 2019, Kim Kardashian wore a vintage Thierry Mugler gown to an awards show.
02:45Within days, Fashion Nova had a near-identical version for sale.
02:49A day after Kim wore the dress, a knockoff version appeared on Fashion Nova's website, only available for waitlist.
02:56Fast fashion doesn't move that fast.
02:58It seemed clear that they had a copy in the chamber and used the opportunity to launch it.
03:02Critics accused the brand of ripping off Mugler's iconic design.
03:06They also raised eyebrows at how quickly Kim's look went from red carpet to bargain rack.
03:10Kardashian denied tipping off the brand.
03:13Fashion Nova stayed quiet.
03:14But the evidence was on the runway and splashed across the internet.
03:17Mugler's futuristic design was meant to be bold and one of a kind.
03:21Instead, it got mass-produced and slapped with a discount code.
03:24I just think it looked as cheap as it was, which is, that's never good. You never want that.
03:31Number 7, Steve Madden vs. Balenciaga.
03:34And when he's not with his kids, he frequently visits stores, fixing things that don't look quite right.
03:41But it looks cheap. It looks like a Forever 21 shoe.
03:43Balenciaga was like an alpha wolf, leading the fashion pack and viciously defending their turf.
03:48In 2009, they sued Steve Madden over a lookalike of their wildly distinctive Lego heel.
03:53Madden's version hit stores fast, with bolder blocks and a cheaper tag.
03:58Balenciaga saw red and yellow and blue, and took it to court.
04:02Years later, history repeated when they sued again, this time over a copy of their famous motorcycle handbag.
04:08Both cases alleged straight-up design theft, not just inspired by flattery.
04:12Do you have a favourite shoe of all time?
04:15You know, I don't. There are certain things that I like, but I like what's current.
04:21I like what's hot and what's current.
04:22Madden claims it was all fair game, but Balenciaga wasn't having it.
04:26The fight stretched across borders and courtrooms, before eventually ending in a confidential settlement.
04:31For Balenciaga, the message was clear.
04:33Copy us, and we'll fight you tooth and nail.
04:36Number 6. Vans vs. Primark.
04:38Vans built its brand on the old-school and skate-high sneakers,
04:42complete with the unmistakable side stripe and the waffle sole.
04:45Fresh off the press. Get them while they're hot.
04:47In 2017, Primark dropped near-identical shoes.
04:54Same shape, same stripe, same vibe.
04:56Their shoes, though, sold at a fraction of the cost.
04:59Within a year, Vans hit the brakes and launched a lawsuit.
05:02The brand claimed Primark had copied its most iconic design, right down to the stripe and stitching.
05:07So fans say, yeah, we've owned this stripe, right?
05:12This stripe or this stripe.
05:14So the Primark stripe is different.
05:18Vans went to legal war, accusing Primark of trademark infringement, unfair competition, and false advertising.
05:23The case pointed to consumer confusion and social posts, dubbing them hashtag fake Vans.
05:29The warning stuck, mimic a classic, and you might skate straight into legal trouble.
05:33Number 5. ASOS and Indie Designers.
05:36This one wasn't just a copy. It was a straight-up slap in the face.
05:40ASOS reps had the audacity to visit designer Lori Lee's London showroom in 2017.
05:45I don't want fashion to be sort of po-faced or, you know, sneery.
05:50I want it to be really light-hearted.
05:52I want people to wear my clothes that, you know, don't take themselves seriously and just want to have fun.
05:57They clearly enjoyed her heartbreaker leather jacket.
06:00Her design was hand-painted, custom, and part of her brand identity.
06:04Months later, ASOS released a nearly identical jacket online.
06:08The timing? Suspicious.
06:09The look? Brazingly similar.
06:11ASOS denied wrongdoing, but the internet noticed.
06:14Fans rallied behind Lee, and the pressure worked.
06:17The jacket quietly vanished from ASOS's sight.
06:19Other indie artists accused ASOS of similar violations.
06:22For them, this wasn't just about fashion. It was about trust.
06:26It's finding your own niche.
06:27So, yes, there are lots of painters of leathers, but there are illustrative painters.
06:31There are other typographers, but, you know, the tone of voice of what they do isn't necessarily the same as mine.
06:37When a mega brand shows up to your studio and walks off with your look, it's corporate espionage.
06:42Number 4. Urban Outfitters vs. Stevie Kerner
06:45In 2011, Chicago jewellery designer Stevie Kerner got a nasty surprise.
06:50Urban Outfitters was selling necklaces nearly identical to her United States of Love line.
06:55Her pieces were handmade, shaped like the American States with tiny hearts in the middle.
06:59Urban Outfitters line had both an identical look and name.
07:03They were just mass-produced and uncredited.
07:05Kerner had built her brand on Etsy, so Urban Outfitters had the reach to bury her.
07:09She called them out on social media, and outrage followed.
07:12This wouldn't be the company's first controversy, nor their last.
07:16These are young, impressionable teenagers, and are we sending out the wrong message, glamorizing?
07:21A very sensitive, delicate issue.
07:23The retailer had already faced heat from the Navajo Nation for using the name Navajo on underwear and flasks without permission.
07:31That case led to a settlement in 2016.
07:33Kerner's, sadly, didn't.
07:3520 products are now described on the store's site as printed instead of Navajo.
07:40It's an acknowledgement that they were wrong, ultimately.
07:44Number 3.
07:45Forever 21 vs. Gucci
07:47History will always remember the War of the Roses.
07:50The fashion industry will remember the War of the Stripes.
07:53The look for less?
07:54Fast fashion designer Forever 21 has similar designs.
07:58Take this silver jacket.
08:00Gucci on the left, Forever 21 on the right.
08:02In 2017, Forever 21 used Gucci's signature green-red-green stripe on jackets and tops.
08:09After a few cease-and-desist letters, they filed a pre-emptive lawsuit to block Gucci from suing.
08:14It was thrown out of court, and Gucci sued.
08:16Gucci's brand value gets diluted.
08:18Items like this hurt the bottom line because there's market substitution.
08:23People trade down or fail to buy the original.
08:26The companies eventually settled out of court.
08:28But this wasn't Forever 21's first copycat controversy.
08:31There are rumours that Forever 21 designers have gotten kicked out of Fashion Week
08:35because they're so blatant about taking a photo off the runway,
08:39and then you see it two weeks later in the store.
08:41They've been called out by smaller independent designers for years.
08:45In 2020, designer Emily Oberg said her sporty and rich brand was copied almost line for line.
08:51Forever 21 couldn't even be bothered to change the font.
08:54Others have told similar stories.
08:56For a brand built on trends, originality seems like an afterthought.
09:00Forever 21 sometimes just under the table just settles things.
09:04They're like, you know what, we can afford to do it.
09:06Here's a bunch of money, and just don't tell anybody about it.
09:09The profits are outweighing any litigation costs they face.
09:12Number two, Zara's copycat culture versus independent artists.
09:16Zara doesn't just follow trends so closely.
09:18They're borderline stalking.
09:20They're for the shoppers who want to look stylish, look chic,
09:24but can't consistently afford those higher-priced labels.
09:29In 2016, multiple independent artists accused the fast fashion giant of ripping off their work
09:34without credit or compensation.
09:36One of the loudest voices was designer Tuesday Basson.
09:39She noticed her quirky, colourful illustrations like pins, lips, and cartoon girls
09:44showing up on Zara products, almost exact copies.
09:47When she called them out, Zara claimed to pull the items from their collections, brushing it off.
09:51More artists came forward with similar complaints, the brand's copy-paste reputation stuck.
09:56While lawsuits are hard to win in fashion, public pressure made a dent.
10:00And now I'm super conflicted because I have been a Zara shopper,
10:03and I no longer want to support Zara, and I actually have that red heart pin.
10:07What do I do with it?
10:08For many creators, Zara became the poster child for big brands, taking without asking.
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10:29Number 1. Shein vs. Doc Martens
10:32Doc Martens boots are iconic.
10:34Their thick soles, yellow stitching, and punk rock attitude
10:36have been a staple of American counterculture for decades.
10:40So when Shein started selling look-alike footwear, it didn't go unnoticed.
10:44In 2024, Doc Martens filed a lawsuit against Shein's parent company.
10:48They allegedly infringed on both design patents and trade dress.
10:52It wasn't the first time.
10:53The lawsuit alleges that Shein creates as many as 6,000 new items per day,
10:59all based on stolen designs, through a coordinated illegal operation.
11:04Doc Martens says they sent cease and desist letters twice before.
11:08Shein kept pumping out copycats.
11:10The lawsuit claims Shein profited off of the knock-offs while muddying Doc Martens' brand image.
11:15Given Shein's history with fast fashion controversy,
11:18the backlash came fast and loud online.
11:21For a company known for speed, Shein's legal troubles are catching up quickly.
11:25It advertises in the U.S.
11:27It avails itself of the U.S. market.
11:29It even actually has offices in the U.S.
11:31So it does have that kind of substantial connection to California
11:35and to the United States that allows for jurisdiction.
11:38Which of these knock-offs made you say, ugh, as if?
11:41Let us know in the comments below.
11:43I'm going to take that lost soul in there and make her well-dressed and popular.
11:47Her life will be better because of me.
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