.png)
Plagiarism also happens in clothes; Mainly in the fast fashion industry! Is it due to a lack of creativity? Or is it done purposely to exploit others?
The product of creativity and yards of fabric is always something magical. For instance, Carrie
Ann Roberts, the designer of a small clothing brand called Mère Soeur, is producing beautiful garments and empowering womanhood through her Raising the Future T-shirts. Roberts established her clothing line after giving birth to her son. In addition, being a single mother furthermore prompted her to manage and build something magical.
Unfortunately for Roberts, Mère Soeur´s endearing mamma merch items, including t-shirts, totes, and coffee mugs, were imitated by a big fast-fashion company, Old Navy, without commending Roberts for her innovation. Old Navy plagiarized the statements ¨Raising The Future,¨ together with ¨The Future¨ printed on the shirts. ¨Raising the Future¨ is one of Roberts' most successful products. She has sold internationally, amassing hundreds of profits into her company.
Roberts, not having her designs trademarked, was infuriated. Many people backed up Roberts´ company by leaving negative comments on Old Navy´s social media accounts. Despite not having the designs trademarked, Old Navy thankfully discontinued the sale of the “Raising The Future” and “The Future” designs. “I was a single mom, and the idea behind this T-shirt inspired my whole business.” Roberts expressed. “Now it’s been stripped of all meaning, and it feels really violating.” As she continues to make her mark on the world of fashion, Mère Soeur evolves to inspire the next generation to possess a progressive and open-minded mindset.
The fast fashion industry is one of the most ever-growing multi-billion-dollar businesses to strut the arena of fashion. The infamous phenomenon began in the ’40s, H&M being the trailblazer of the spectacle. Starting as Hennes in Sweden in 1947, H&M expanded internationally throughout time. Moreover, the arrival of Zara, H&M, and Topshop in New York City in the late ‘90s and 2000s took the world of fashion by storm.
These brands ushered the craze for quickly produced low-cost and trendy clothes. Additionally, fast fashion brand pioneers took inspiration from top high fashion designers, including Versace, Vivianne Westwood, Chanel, and many others.
The increased rate of fast fashion production intensifies the rushed manner of making clothes, which does not allow time for quality checks. However, the urgency of clothes production degrades the quality of clothes. Therefore, fast fashion brands mark their items as extremely inexpensive, allowing consumers to purchase as many as they would like. But, the actual cost is never revealed to the public. The trend replication, rapid production, low quality, and competitive pricing of fast fashion have negative impacts on humans and the environment.
With the rise of anxiety caused by the current pandemic, buying fast fashion items became a form of therapy for some of the distressed masses. Social media platforms, mainly TikTok, put fast fashion on a pedestal during the time of trying. Correspondingly, Gen Z fashion influencers posted videos of their haul from fast fashion brands that are more popular today, including Shein, ASOS, and Romwe. Accordingly, this fast fashion trend pioneered the masses to download top fast fashion brand apps and save items for purchase.
Being one of the fast fashion brands to be placed on a pedestal, Shein is emerging at the top of the list during the pandemic. Shein has surpassed H&M, Old Navy, and many other fast fashion brands with an estimated value of $30 billion. Gen Zers, emerging as the sustainability generation, amassed Shein’s success. Shein and its low-cost items seem to know the Gen Z aesthetic really well; Shein’s advertising tactics is indeed persistent and tenacious across all social status.
Beyond a successful advertising tactic, Shein also benefits from purposefully recreating designs from independent fashion designers. Sad to say, small designers have difficulty filing copyright claims. Everyone in the fashion industry is constantly inspired by each other’s creativity, preventing small fashion designers from acquiring plagiarism protection. The only parts designers can protect are their company names, slogans, and logos, granting designers to be trademarked, not allowing other designers to use them. Shein has had a lot of copyright cases this past year, exploiting hard-working, independent fashion designers trying to make ends meet. Elle, a fashion designer who Shein stole a sweater design from expressed feeling “[disheartened] to see talent and hard work reduced to a machine-made copy” and a well-established brand. Her brand, Elixiay, is not the first nor the last to be exploited, but Shein has yet to disclose on the issue.
Jazmyne Viloria, a Maui High School student, a Maui-based seamstress, and an owner of an independent fashion business, wanted to display her “growth of [the] mix of hobbies” she enjoys. As a result of careful planning and growth, Jazmyne established Jaz.mix using Instagram as her main platform. After a successful launch, overwhelming support from her closest friends and followers ignited the continuation of her brand. The product of her creativity and yards of fabric has indeed propelled her to expand her brand to clothing alterations, upcycling, and sewing items from scratch. “As a small business owner, I find myself questioning if I should lower my prices because my customers could always find scrunchies or bags on Shein, Forever 21, etc. for a cheaper price,” She says. “It's hard to determine a price that will respect my time and please the customer.” Viloria reveals she “hardly directly shops from fast fashion brands.” She instead purchases from garage sales, thrift stores, and online sellers like Mercari, Depop, and Instagram. “I try not to buy directly from the retailer because I know the effects it has on the environment and the horrible working conditions their workers have to deal with, but when its prices for accessories/clothes are cheaper and I can’t make or find the item it's hard to resist adding it to my cart.”
Maui High School senior and designer in the ACOM pathway, Justice Woodson doesn’t find copying in the fast fashion industry a problem. Woodson states, “[the] world is so developed that it’s hard to find original ideas.” Although Woodson is a fashion connoisseur, she does not enjoy shopping for clothes. In addition, she does not buy from fast fashion stores. She prefers to shop from thrift stores.
Similarly, Starla Acosta, also a Maui High School senior, a designer in the ACOM pathway, and a fast fashion consumer, does not find plagiarism as a massive problem in the fast fashion industry. Acosta expresses, “There are different forms of art and fashion design is one of them. Just like other forms of art such as music, inspiration is one thing but completely copying someone else’s work is theft.” S. Acosta believes that fast fashion companies copy other designs in order to thrive and stay relevant. However, as a designer, S. Acosta states copying designs “is unfair for someone to just steal my work and profit off of it.” Both Woodson and S. Acosta believe that there definitely is a lack of creativity in the fast fashion industry.
Zen Bueno, a Maui High School sophomore and a fashion connoisseur doesn't shop from fast-fashion brands. Well-established fast-fashion brands plagiarizing designs from independent fashion brands doesn't sit right with her as it's very unfair. She conveys, “it’s important for small fashion businesses to have plagiarism protection from getting their designs stolen because every one of their designs are made to perfection.” Due to the fast fashion industry being fast-paced and trends dying out easily, as a fashion connoisseur, she shops items that are affordable yet timeless and long-lasting at smaller boutiques and online merchants. “As individuals, we should do our research on how we can both be fashionable and sustainable at the same time,” she states.
As a graphic designer, Janilyn Rivera finds plagiarism by fast fashion to be discouraging. “A lot of time and effort into their clothing and having fast fashion companies steal their own designs can possibly put them out of business,” Rivera expressed. “I spend a large amount of time on a certain aspect of my design with great detail until I think it meets the expectations of my vision. If someone were to copy me it would be a large slap in the face to see all my hard work be effortlessly copied.”
Harlene Acosta, a fashion connoisseur, and fast fashion consumer, believes that “having plagiarism protection is a must, especially uniqueness in arts and design is one of the biggest reasons why a fashion designer’s design may get stolen.” Nowadays, copying designs is one of the most frowned upon. As a fast fashion consumer, H. Acosta does not agree with fast fashion plagiarism but finds fast fashion as a convenient way to maintain an elevated style.