Adventures in Copyright: Celebrity Edition

Sep 19, 2008 @ 3:31pm

rachel bilsons edie rose knock off of sretsis.jpg (A reader tried to leave this in Community, but it was too good not to display front and center.)

Doubtless you've heard of Edie Rose, the capsule collection Rachel Bilson designed for DKNY Jeans.

But it's a more doubtful you've heard of Sretsis, a very small line based out of Bangkok that once had a very brief mention on The Fashionista Diaries.

Or, you could remember that Rachel Bilson was once photographed wearing the green, Sretsis dress at left. And then realize that it must have weighed heavily in her memory in designing the yellow, Edie Rose dress at right.

We guess it's a nice gesture that she left the studs off the neckline, kind of like changing a semi-fictional character's last name to avoid legally-upholdable comparisons.

But then again, as Alexandra pointed out, at least now we know she's been "designing" the line...

posted by guest

Sep 19, 2008 3:42PM

actually rachel has said before that shes not somuch designing the line but taking pieces from her own closet and putting them together, maybe changing them a little bit. I dont think shes been prding hersef with designing abilities

posted by guest

Sep 19, 2008 4:04PM

If a celebrity puts their name to a fashion line, you are obviously going to assume that they are claiming design responsibilities, even though we know that never happens!

This is actually a bit upsetting, I love Rachel, this has really made me think less of her.

Who cares if it was a big label, but a small, unknown label from Bangkok?! That's below the belt.

posted by laney

Sep 19, 2008 4:20PM

Yes! First thing I thought of when I saw that yellow dress. She looked amazing in that great Stretsis dress (I tried it on because I loved it so much) and she obviously kept it in mind as well....

posted by guest

Sep 19, 2008 4:33PM

the comparison was actually in people style watch not too long ago.

posted by bastylefilegirl

Sep 19, 2008 5:16PM

Yeah I heard of Stretsis before...I wanted a dress from them after seeing int on Fashionista Diaries wonderful company. Booo Hisss Edie Rose this is just bad and one of the most offensive Adventures in Copyrights I think ever. It's one thing not to design and to take pieces from your own closet and give the public inspired looks it's another thing to totally rip the dress off ( minus the studding around the collar).

posted by guest

Sep 19, 2008 5:23PM

Totally agree with guest #2. I highly doubt any celebrity designers sit down and design their own clothing lines. Except for maybe Lauren Conrad.

posted by Lolablue

Sep 19, 2008 5:42PM

She said the line was inspired by the clothes in her wardrobe. Her line is basically an exact replica of things she already has. Can't she get in trouble for that? I mean all you have to do is add studs around the neckline and it's the same exact dress.

posted by guest

Sep 19, 2008 6:01PM

This is simply ridiculous. Why is she not being reprimanded for this? Copyright infringement is THEFT. What makes me angry is that her celebrity status will protect her from any kind of punishment.

posted by guest

Sep 19, 2008 6:16PM

idk. its expected i mean shes an actress not a designer.
The Morning lights cd comes out tuesday

posted by la petite fashionista

Sep 19, 2008 8:36PM

sretsis is not so obscure? i've seen it name dropped quite a few times in the last year or so. they were even in a mainstream magazine recently (lucky? or elle?)

posted by guest

Sep 19, 2008 10:51PM

They're very well known in Australia.. they may be manufactured in Bangkok but they show here.

I'm guessing Rachel's line won't be sold in Aus though.

posted by guest

Sep 20, 2008 8:45AM

Doesn't Steve Madden rip everybody off too?

posted by guest

Sep 21, 2008 9:42AM

no celeb can design period.

posted by guest

Sep 21, 2008 10:08PM

so sad. i expected more from her. she has such a girl next door image. i guess she's just another hollywood money-hungry type, or maybe she was dumb enough to lend her name without final sign off. either way, it sucks that our laws don't offer designers any protection on such blatant knock offs .

posted by guest

Sep 21, 2008 10:39PM

Why are you calling her out? its obviously just a famous name for another line of clothes. also, this isnt any different from what kate moss does for topshop, the only difference is that the pieces that kate re-did were vintage with unknown or unknown labels to us. inspired, copied, WHatever!!!

posted by guest

Sep 22, 2008 7:56AM

15- I would agree about the Kate Moss School of Design. However, I think its slightly different to copy something made several decades old piece that doesn't exist for purchase and an original design less than two years old that can still be bought retail.

posted by guest

Sep 22, 2008 8:55AM

#1 -
taking pieces from her own closet," copying them almost exactly, and putting her name on it is THEFT. I always found Rachel Bilson to be painfully annoying and lacking in personal style unless it was dictated by her stylist. Now I just have no respect at all. She should be prosecuted for copyright infringement. The worst part is that if she stole this from, say, Anna Sui, she would be prosecuted. But because it is a small independent Thai designer, nothing will happen. Just like Erin and Bliss Lau.

posted by guest

Sep 22, 2008 1:57PM

I think everyone is too quick to judge. You don't know if she has a licensing agreement from Stretsis which would give her limited rights to use the copyrighted design for a fee. Perhaps Stretsis is using Bilson to introduce its designs to the US? Its entirely possible, and not something she would announce to the public.

posted by guest

Sep 22, 2008 2:39PM

I don't think clothing designs can usually be copyrighted: "If a pictorial, graphic or sculptural work is a useful article, it is copyrighted only if its aesthetic features are separable from its utilitarian features. A useful article is an article having an intrinsic utilitarian function that is not merely to portray the appearance of the article or to convey information. They must be separable from the functional aspect to be copyrighted" http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html

posted by guest

Sep 22, 2008 4:46PM

Someone asked why she wasn't being reprimanded for this.

Maybe because there is more to all this than we know.

#18 I agree with you. Everyone is too quick to judge and there could be an agreement of some kind. Is it possible she helped design the original with Stretsis?

posted by dumbbrunette5

Sep 24, 2008 4:38PM

i really hope that she does have a licensing agreement from Stretsis as #18 suggested, because if not this is terrible. I lived in Thailand for the past 4 years (just moved to the us this summer) and rarely do i see Thai designers sold outside of Thailand. And im sure nthey already have enough major competition from foreign designers sold in Thailand - most of the upscale department stores I've looked through have a small Thai designers section and then big stores for prada, valentino, etc. its bad enough copying a big designer but stealing from a smaller label is pathetic

posted by guest

Sep 29, 2008 2:41PM

Who says that this green dress is of Sretsis?

posted by guest

Oct 01, 2008 7:42PM

The dress is not of Sretsis

posted by HiFashionLvr

Oct 04, 2008 1:21PM

this is so sad. i mean, if she loves the dress so much, she should respect the designer. sadly, its clear she's just a greedy air-head, like every other celebrity