The fashion industry almost relies on robbery- ideas are reworked until they bleed dry in a cycle. There have been numerous occasions where my mum has said ‘I had a top just like that when I was your age!’.

It’s a difficult one because finding sources of inspiration can be such an aid in creative development. And I don’t think there is anything wrong with finding being inspired, or even appropriation, to an extent. However, I get so frustrated as it is so so easy to give credit for things that have been reworked and I don’t understand why people don’t respect the value of peoples original ideas.

I can vividly remember a girl in school who would peer over my shoulder and copy off me in exams, she’d admit it too and laugh about how she’d done no revision whilst I’d torn my hair out over a silly end of term biology test. And every time, guaranteed, she’d ended up doing better than me by a few marks. Infuriating.

That was a silly anecdote about a schoolgirl problem but it made me think if my heart used to sink then, how must people be feeling when their creative talent is completely ripped off. It makes me devastated to think there may be no hope of people receiving the recognition they deserve because of the financial power of designer companies who evidently don’t care at all.

After reading the Instagram post above, my heart broke for the talented designer who has so blatantly had her ideas stolen, there is no excuse seeing as Moschino had a meeting with her. I would imagine that she was bursting with excitement at the opportunity and gave ideas openly hoping their relationship would be collaborative, perhaps naively. Again, it would have been so easy for them to credit her, thank her even and make sure her efforts were recognised. I may be too naive but I’m surprised that an established fashion brand isn’t rooting for an upcoming creative and if anything would want to help, not betray her.

I feel slightly different when it comes to high street dupes of designer catwalk looks. The main reason for this being is there is a greater awareness that this goes on, I don’t think high streets are going to lengths to try and disguise the fact that they are manufacturing knockoffs of designer looks.  

Also, being a fashion enthusiast, the high street does give people opportunity to buy into trends or looks they like and without the permission to appropriate in this context, myself and others like-minded wouldn’t be able to. I’m not expecting that they’ll share the same quality, or that the design is unique amongst high street but I’m paying a fraction of the price so it’s justified.

There are circumstances where reinvention of work may take it’s journey further and help it be recognised by a larger audience. Mannie Garcia took the below image of Barack Obama that was later used by Shephard Fairey in the creation of the poster showed beside it. This poster is now easily recognised and has been parodied since, showing the impact it has as a political image. Although the image isn’t his, he reworked it using his own creative skills. Having said that, I still think it would have been so easy for him to mention where the image was sourced, it wouldn’t have taken away from the success his recreation had and would have saved a lot of trouble he later found himself in.

I am surprised there aren’t tighter regulations when it comes to copying other people’s work but the fact is, even with the legal regulations currently in place, particularly for the young and upcoming talent (who I sympathise with the most- that could be me, or a friend in that position), they aren’t likely to be in a financial position or have the prestige to fight against these bigger companies. The sad reality is they’ve got their feet up laughing at these people who are trying to make a name of themselves, by doing their own thing and being independent.

The whole subject of intellectual property has made me think ahead about potentially being more guarded than I thought I would have to be if I’m ever presenting ideas to an employer, but it’s such a hard balance to strike when all that you want to do is sell yourself and make them believe in what you have to show.