Vivienne Westwood apologises for copying designers

British fashion brand Vivienne Westwood has apologised for using graphics created by two designers.

On Sunday, March 4, Vivienne Westwood posted an Instagram message saying that the use of the graphics, created by Louise Gray and Rottingdean Bazaar, was “only ever meant to be a celebration” of their work.

The British brand reportedly showcased a t-shirt featuring the slogan “We do big sizes! 2XL 3XL 4XL 5XL!!!! We do very small sizes!!” at Paris Fashion Week (which will finish today, March 6).

Vivienne Westwood posted a side-by-side photo of the designers’ t-shirt and its own garment.

“We got caught up in a last minute frenzy and did not contact you to ask for your permission. We are truly sorry about this mistake and want to make it up to you,” said the post.

At the time of writing, the post had garnered nearly 20,000 likes.

While some commentators praised the brand’s admission, others were more critical.

One recommended that Gray take the brand to “the cleaners”, arguing that “just because they hold some weight in the fashion industry doesn’t mean they’re untouchable and exempt from copyright laws”.

Fashion IP disputes regularly hit the headlines.

In June last year, WIPR reported that fashion company Steve Madden landed itself in hot water with rival Valentino over purses and strap designs. Earlier that year, Dr Martens had taken on Steve Madden.

Marc Jacobs was accused of copying pins designed by independent artists in the Marc Jacobs “Resort 2017 collection” in November 2017.

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