Adventures in Copyrights: Easy on the Clutch

Jul 22, 2008 @ 12:18pm

fendi clutch adventures in copyright.jpg Every day, we troll the online stores to know what's cute, what's ugly, and what's just bad. And every day, we find ourselves staring directly into the face of Forever 21's cap-locked logo.

So today, while doing my daily clicks, my dear friend Jyll glanced at my screen and exclaimed "Fendi rip-off!" It took me a second to notice, probably because the Fendi original walked the runway last Fall, which was basically like eons ago, but Jyll couldn't have been more right.

The Forever 21 version on the right features nearly the same color-block design as the Fendi original, right down to the rectangle shape near the zipper that, in the Fendi, handily allows you to convert the clutch to a shoulder bag - but in the Forever 21, well, just tries to look like it's the Fendi.

That being said, the cheaper colors are considerably uglier. The dark green and muted yellow look far less cute than Fendi's original zippy yellow, blue and pink. Not to mention the cheap patent leather looks, well...

-- HAYLEY PHELAN

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 12:22PM

hasnt this been reported already?
but yeah, the knockoff is horribly ugly :S

posted by Natalie Hormilla

Jul 22, 2008 12:25PM

same fendi, different knock off:http://fashionista.com/2008/05/post_1063.php#comments

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 12:26PM

i saw this clutch at forever 21 this weekend, and i immediately thought of fendi. in person it is so cheap looking and feeling, it's not even worth it's cheap price tag.

posted by bastylefilegirl

Jul 22, 2008 12:33PM

Umm this is definately farther from a direct ripoff and more of an inspired by look. The lack of a any plastic closures on the F21 one and the additon of the grass green keeps it far enough from the Fendi to be called a knock off. Not to mention the patchwork bag even in clutch form is older than Fendi's new twist on it. Hello the 70's called and they want their purse back!

posted by screachingrat

Jul 22, 2008 12:49PM

Has anyone discussed the almost perfect Prada knock offs that The Limited is selling? I don't think they're online, but they were the exact same blue purple patchwork-type pattern of the Prada bags.

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 1:08PM

lol...no matter how many adventures in copyrights you guys do ppl (including myself) will still waltz right into F21 or go to the website and buy their stuff...ripped off or not.

and p.s. i wouldnt buy this ugly clutch let alone the fendi one...not a clutch girl personally

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 1:38PM

you people will probably also buy fake bags or cd's from people working on canal street. one day your own works or ideas will be ripped off by someone else and you wont be too happy. that is if you are talented enough.

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 1:40PM

You guys really love to rag on f21..The knockoff is hideous..but f21 does occasionally have cute, cheap items.. Not many people can afford the Fendi clutch..or high priced items..so cut them some slack..theres many young girls who love fashion and dont have daddys money to buy things..

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 1:48PM

Did you guys forget that you already did a post on this?

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 1:51PM

has anyone else noticed that at least half the time, fashionista's "discoveries" have already been on other blogs or are reported by someone else?

i am more inclined to believe you guys troll other fashion blogs to see what they're posting about. speaking of copy cats...

http://fashionforbreakfast.wordpress.com/2008/01/31/current-craving-fendi-vs-forever-21-colorblock-clutch/

posted by FashionIntelligentsia

Jul 22, 2008 1:54PM

Can we simply say that both bags are hideous?

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 2:00PM

guest at 148 did you read the previous comments, it was a different knockoff. guest at 151, seriously how many hits does that website get a day besides you, 6?

there are actually people who buy designer items that like to know this stuff in case fashionista commenters didnt realize.

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 2:07PM

@ 2:00 - i guess you can't appreciate irony!

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 2:17PM

that's absolutely awful, who would buy THAT????

posted by FashionIntelligentsia

Jul 22, 2008 3:32PM

guest at 1:51 - I have definitely noticed that. The internet is a forum where intellectual property is null and void.

guest at 2:00 - You'd be surprised how many hits personal blogs get a day. I know I've been to that site. Try your own and surprise yourself. Your fabulous ideas might even make you the next WWWD/Fashionista.

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 3:43PM

guest at 2:00, so intellectual property should only be respected if the creator (or blogger) is popular? by that logic, f21 can rip off small designers' looks as much as they want, as long as they move more units!

and fashionista writers, you *MUST* have something better to do with your time than spending your mornings browsing the f21 website??? i mean, REALLY!!! this is getting SO BORING...and it's not *NEWS*

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 3:48PM

guest at 207, define irony. fashionintelligentsia, i make way too much money at what i do to make a personal blog. maybe you would like to work for me and start one.

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 4:08PM

This is getting waaay too catty! Let's just sum it up to f21 isn't original but it is affordable and people will argue about anything!

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 4:10PM

if you don't know what irony is i find it hard to believe you make "way too much money."

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 5:56PM

guest @ 2:00...i'm actually the owner of that blog and i can assure you i get way more than 6 hits a day, lol. try thousands but thank you anyway. as far as the similarity in posts as one commenter implied...i'll just say it was a mere coincidence? if you noticed, i wrote about the whole fendi/f21 comparison way back in january. *shrugs* anyway, i like the fendi bag and i dont particularly like the f21 version mostly because of the colors used.

posted by kenya

Jul 22, 2008 6:27PM

making way too much money, now thats ironic.

posted by guest

Jul 22, 2008 9:11PM

How come sometimes these are called Adventures in Copyright and sometimes they're called Adventures in CopyrightS? Consistency, please!

posted by debutanteclothing

Jul 23, 2008 1:17AM

@2:00 - it doesn't matter if that blog gets 1 post, they still posted it first and I'm not sure what the attitude is all about?!

I rather like the Fendi, but yeah, the F21 is very cheap looking.

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 1:59AM

didnt guess do a line of bags that looked like this last year in matalic colors?

posted by guest

Jul 23, 2008 2:35PM

is anyone else so bored of adventures in copyrights????

posted by guest

Aug 04, 2008 3:44AM

While F21 sells cheap knockoffs and "inspired" items, what really is wrong with it is that the company has U.S. sweatshops (as well as overseas ones.) They exploit undocumented workers in order to procure cheap labor. That's why you don't pay much for F21 items and yet many of the tags say the items are made in the United States. Avoid.