Adventures in Copyright
Adventures in Copyright: Urban Outfitters Rips Off Valentino
By Britt Aboutaleb
Valentino accessories get knocked off right and left.
Every shoe department is home to a beribboned heel and at this point, who hasn’t crossed a mock-rosette bag?
But the Valentino couture braided tote, released almost two years ago, is more sophisticated than playful. It’s not for evening, it’s for everyday, ideal for an uptown girl or working woman. That’s why Eric Daman slung it over Blair Waldorf’s shoulder on the last season of Gossip Girl.
So what’s Urban Outfitters’ reason for ripping it off now? It’s the wrong customer, it looks like it’s made out of plastic and if you’re really dying for the shape you can save up and get the real thing for half the price at Neiman Marcus.
Or, you can buy this bag. It’s not a copy of anything, it’s well made, it’s cute, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Tags: Eric Daman, Gossip Girl, Urban Outfitters, Valentino
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That J.Crew bag is so not cute.
Neiman Marcus shows the item as unavailable. I guess I have to get the Urban Outfitters bag afterall.
Side point, but I disagree that in contrast to the Valentino, the UO one is not for the “ideal customer”; it IS “everyday” and “uptown”. (But I concede that maybe it is not for the “working woman”)
Agree with post above, the JCrew bag is ugly, and a horrible recommendation in the same post as the Valentino. Is this supposed to entice us away from UO? Because frankly, as much as I hate knock-offs, I’d still rather carry the questionable UO than its tangential JCrew “alternative”. By the way, how is the JCrew even relevant to the other two bags? In Fashionista’s words, if you’re interested in the shape/design of the Valentino/UO, you’re probably not the ideal customer for the JCrew.
Guest #3 looks very suspicious to me, maybe because using “tangential” on this site is throwing me off a bit.
ugh totally agree that valention is being copied left and right, Rashomon–interesting point, what does “tangential” have to do with anything though? are we supposed to only use certain words?
Wow. It looks like a terrible and tacky rip off! EW! I love the Valentino. I think knock offs are ridiculous. There is no way you can copy the quality and style of a high fashion brand. Great post!
No #5, of course not, don’t be ridiculous. It doesn’t have to do with anything; I’ve just been really paranoid after watching The Road.
Your limbs must be more valuable than mine.
By the way, that headline is potentially libelous. Fun tip.
almost all UO bags look ugly.. the plastic ones.. or whatever they’re made from… also: the jcrew bag is not even cheap.. i don’t even understand the relevance
it must just be my eyes, but i don’t really think these look that much alike. actually, if i passed it in the store, theres no way i would look at and think it was a valentino copy. ugly, yes, but copy? i just don’t see it.
Actually, the bag in question being sold by UO is not by the store itself.
It’s by a brand named “Deux Lux”.
j. crew bag is fug and overpriced.
Agreed on the part about how often Valentino gets knocked off, but I don’t think it’s a blatant, blatant rip-off. I generally dislike UO bags, they look so cheap!
What percentage of UO customers, particularly those who’d buy this bag, do you think are even aware of the Valentino? I am admittedly unfamiliar with the world of couture, and if I saw the UO purse I’d think it was sort of a wanna-be vintage-y looking bag, but wouldn’t connect it at all to Valentino. And isn’t wanna-be vintage-y looking stuff kind of UO’s style?
And I think #3 sounds suspicious because complex sentences are unusual among fashionista commentators.
Also, perhaps this would be a better alternative to the knockoff: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3052780/0~2376779~6008000~6024190~6025235?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6025235&P=1
“deux lux” is one of Urban’s house brands. So yes, they did make it.
Oh okay!