« Next entry
Fashionista Main
Harvey Nichols Hearts Wallace and Gromit »
Adventures in Copyright Aug 25, 2008 @ 2:00pm

Is It? Or Isn’t it?

by Britt Aboutaleb

anna sui hearts vintage.jpgTo: Britt@fashionista.com

From: sandra@iheartvintage.com

Hello Fashionista ladies!

I write debutanteclothing.com, a blog about vintage clothing and runway style. I wanted to fill you in on a juicy bit of copyright infringement.

I found an exact replica of Anna Sui’s beaded bag she showed for Fall 08, only this bag is the original vintage inspiration. Though “inspiration” is quite generous since the bag Sasha carried down the runway is exactly the same as the vintage original - no thinly veiled changes, nothing!

I actually know the original owner of the bag and wasn’t surprised to learn the vintage piece was purchased by one of Sui’s assistants. I’ve tried emailing Sui’s studio to find out if the original bag was used for styling, runway inspiration or if it’s actually been put into production. No word yet - but i’ll keep you posted!

Best,
Sandra

Permalink |
(4) recommend this (19) Comments

Posted in Adventures in Copyright and Anna Sui, Vintage

« Next entry
Fashionista Main
Harvey Nichols Hearts Wallace and Gromit »

Comments

avatar
1

posted by guest

Aug 25, 2008 2:29PM

Oh bummer, if it was going to be put into production, now it won't be!

avatar
2

posted by guest

Aug 25, 2008 2:34PM

that's terrible. Anna is my favorite designer.
An old Chinese saying goes: the paper cannot contain the fire.
I guess the little Sui bag is too thin to contain the lie.

avatar
3

posted by guest

Aug 25, 2008 2:36PM

Nothing really shocks me anymore unfortunately.

avatar
4

posted by guest

Aug 25, 2008 3:06PM

Hopefully Fashionista will finally realize it's not only Forever21 who does it. It obviously is.

5

posted by catlovescoco

Aug 25, 2008 3:23PM

Oh wow. :/

avatar
6

posted by guest

Aug 25, 2008 3:27PM

um... the person that told ana sui about this before production is stupid.

You could have baaaanked from a mere settlement.

avatar
7

posted by guest

Aug 25, 2008 3:30PM

I question whether or not this is real. Sounds like it was planted to me.

8

posted by huffv1

Aug 25, 2008 4:08PM

interesting, since she recently filed a complaint against forever 21 for copyright infringement. (see http://counterfeitchic.com/Cases/sui.pdf)
as an attorney and lover of fashion...keep me posted.

avatar
9

posted by guest

Aug 25, 2008 4:26PM

where can I get that purse?? it's so cute!

avatar
10

posted by guest

Aug 25, 2008 4:36PM

I had a vintage wallet that I saw the exact replica at Balenciaga.

avatar
11

posted by guest

Aug 25, 2008 6:12PM

I used to work at a vintage clothing store in NYC and designers would come in ALL the time to look for inspiration. When it's an exact copy, that does suck a bit, but when it's a smaller older company that isn't in production any longer, their stronghold on the copyright for the design isn't going to be there any longer most likely. I don't know what the exact laws are, but for instance, with artwork, at a certain point in time many pieces of art that were protected become a part of the public domain and can be reproduced nilly-willy. Credit is always good, but not necessary.

avatar
12

posted by guest

Aug 25, 2008 9:00PM

Does Anna sell this bag? A lot of designers use accessories in their shows that aren't theirs. If she sells the bag then it's a blatant copy. If she used a vintage bag or a vintage reproduction in the runway then it's no big deal.

13

posted by dianajw

Aug 25, 2008 9:13PM

Well, Anna does have a vintage section at her Greene St. store...

I was at Zachary's Smile the other day browsing through the vintage, and there was a print that looked really Anna. My friend with me insisted that she bought something from Anna Sui, and it looked like a mirror image of the print.

14

posted by ani

Aug 25, 2008 9:33PM

A few years ago Anna Sui had to pull some dresses that had a Christian Berard print.

At guest #11, Did you work at "What Comes, Goes Around?

15

posted by fashionursta

Aug 25, 2008 9:54PM

Anna and her crew are at the flea market in NY every weekend looking for "inspiration". See her all the time. This does not surprise me at all.

avatar
16

posted by guest

Aug 26, 2008 2:30AM

seems very common now a days. are designers running out of ideas or do they just love the piece to bits? Pretty much like the dress carly simons wore during american idol by philip lim.

avatar
17

posted by guest

Aug 26, 2008 8:41AM

#12, you're a genius. Did you read the full post? That's what exactly the writer's point. I think Sui should burn since she's on the starting line of the battle against copycatting.

avatar
18

posted by guest

Aug 26, 2008 10:05AM

Almost every single fashion company sources vintage prints and bodies, as a jumping off point or to copy out right. Theres tons of businesses that cater specifically to this, selling vintage fabric swatches and bodies to companies for hundreds of dollars, to everyone from small designers like samantha ronson to major companies like Ralph Lauren.Theres a reason MJ looks so vintage people! This is also why companies ship their designers all over the country and the world to comb through vintage stores to cut out the middle men. Or haven't you LA kids noticed the influx of New Yorkers every time the Rose Bowl flea happens

19

posted by debutanteclothing

Sep 20, 2008 1:58AM

So I am totally late on this one. Sorry. No idea how I missed it.

When I compared the two bags, the Anna Sui version had one slight change - a color. So it is definitely a reproduction. I questioned whether or not it would be mass produced or if the bag was simply for styling, but no one got back to me.

I'm all for inspiration, but change it up a little.

Unfortunately, something designed before the 1920s is no longer protected.

Post Your Comment