Plagiarism in the fashion industry is not a new phenomenon and has actually been there since the inception of fashion boom but only recently have such
Plagiarism in the fashion industry is not a new phenomenon and has actually been there since the inception of fashion boom but only recently have such instances of plagiarism in fashion ever been reported. Perhaps technology has a part to play as the Internet is only a click away and every phone comes with a camera, therefore making it possible to catch ideas or designs that have been copied. Social media allows people to report and comment about all incidents of copying instantly and usually the news goes viral.
There are many who however defend plagiarism saying it is only inspiration or fashion coincidence, but there are also those who feel offended and call it simple, plain copying. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between copycats and those who have drawn inspiration from the works of earlier designers, other times, it isn’t, as has been demonstrated by fashion writer and stylist, Tosin Ogundadegbe of Style Infidel.
Not only was his keen and well trained eyes able to search out Adeola Balogun who wore an exact replica of Samuel Noon’s design to the wedding of Prince Aderemi Sijuwade and Olabisi Folawiyo of Faces by Labisi, his eagled eye also spotted out supposedly established womenswear label, Toju Foyeh, who was also at the wedding, in a dress similar to a piece from Ashi Studio’s, Haute Couture 2015 collection. The only difference was that while Ashi Studio’s left its fringe detail as asymmetrical, Toju Foyeh left hers vertical.
Adeola Balogun in a copy of Samuel Noon (left) and Toju Foyeh in actual Samuel Noon (right)
Model for Ashi Studio’s, Haute Couture 2015 collection (left) and Toju Foyeh in a replica
Tosin didn’t mince words in his piece on Olisa.TV when he took both Toju Foyeh and Adeola Balogun to the ‘cleaners’.
“It is shocking that when a Nigerian designer is accused of plagiarism, their immediate defensive response is ‘imitation is the highest form of flattery’ (imitation questions your credibility) and “at least I have clients I sell to”, (which is very essential in a business that is solely client dependent, but that is what I will expect to hear from Suraju or Obioma the roadside tailor).
“Such statements are quite repulsive in every sense of the word. I consider it as a complete abuse on fashion as an institution and the very title these designers (especially the high ranking labels) carry as creators of originality even if the concept has no valid tangibility. The concept of originality may not have solid philosophical proof of existence, hence it is fine to be inspired by the works of others while you think outside the box to derive your own version of original.
Even though it is almost impossible to do away with plagiarism or similar looks if you will, a law or even a bill to deter offenders and make them think twice before attempting to steal another’s work, may perhaps do the magic. But in a country like ours, that would be what one would refer to as wishful thinking. Hopefully, with subsequent call outs, some self dignity will be restored.
Kerry Washington in Marchesa (left) and Adesua Etomi in a replica by Mai Atafo (right)
